Queer Places:
University College, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
University of Cambridge, 4 Mill Ln, Cambridge CB2 1RZ
University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PA
St. Lawrence's Churchyard, N Hinksey Ln, Oxford OX2 0LZ, United Kingdom

Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh (September 5, 1861 – May 13, 1922) was born on September 5, 1861, in London, the fifth child and only son of the Congregational minister Alexander Raleigh and his wife Mary, née Gifford. His sister was Katherine Ann Raleigh. He received his early education at the City of London School and the Edinburgh Academy before pursuing higher studies at University College, London, and King’s College, Cambridge. During his time at Cambridge, he became a member of the elite intellectual society known as the Cambridge Apostles and demonstrated his leadership abilities by serving as the president of the Cambridge Union Society in 1884. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1885 and later received his Master of Arts in 1892.

Raleigh’s academic career was extensive and spanned several continents. Shortly after graduating, he traveled to India, where he served as a professor of English literature at the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh from 1885 to 1887. Upon returning to Britain, he held positions as a professor of modern literature at University College, Liverpool, from 1890 to 1900, followed by a tenure as the Regius Professor of English language and literature at the University of Glasgow. In 1904, he reached a pinnacle in his academic career when he was appointed the first holder of the chair of English literature at Oxford University, a role he held until his death. During his time at Oxford, he became a fellow of both Magdalen College and Merton College and was knighted in 1911 in recognition of his contributions to literature and education.

Beyond his teaching, Raleigh was a prolific author and critic, known for his stimulating, informal lecturing style. His published works include studies on style, the English novel, and literary figures such as Milton, Wordsworth, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Shakespeare. He also edited the complete works of the 1st Marquess of Halifax and contributed to the war effort during World War I by editing The Times Broadsheets for Soldiers and Sailors. His later work was dominated by the study of conflict; in 1919, he was commissioned to write the official history of the war in the air. While gathering materials for this project, he embarked on a flying expedition to Mesopotamia in the spring of 1922. During this journey, he contracted typhoid fever, which ultimately led to his death on May 13, 1922, at the Acland Nursing Home in Oxford.

In his personal life, Raleigh married Lucie Gertrude Jackson in 1890, and the couple had four children. His legacy persists through his literary contributions, including his light verse collected in Laughter from a Cloud, and the "Wishes of an Elderly Man," a poem that remains widely recognized. He was buried in the churchyard of St. Lawrence’s Church at North Hinksey, near his home in Oxford.

Raleigh's historical significance is linked to his membership in the Cambridge Apostles. This society was well-known throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a semi-secret intellectual club that fostered close, intense homosocial bonds among its members. Many prominent figures within the Apostles identified as gay or bisexual, and the society provided an environment where same-sex romantic and intellectual connections could be explored. While Raleigh himself was married and lived within the conventions of his time, his active participation in this specific intellectual circle places him within a network of historical figures whose social and intellectual lives often intersected with the evolving, early-modern understanding of LGBTQ identities and non-normative intimacy.

References:


The Cambridge Apostles, 1820-1914: Liberalism, Imagination, and Friendship in British Intellectual and Professional Life 1st Edition
by W.C. Lubenow

Other references:

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