Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) – (Kingsley Close and Way)

Charles Kingsley was a broad church priest in the Church of England who gave his name to Kingsley Close and Way. He was a Christian Socialist and endorsed labour reforms, as well as the formation of work cooperatives to protect worker rights. An avid historian, he was a senior professor of modern history at Cambridge from 1860 to 1869. Kingsley was one of the few clergy members who supported Darwin’s findings on evolution, and supported his publication of ‘The Origin of Species’. Today, Kingsley’s legacy is challenged by his racial views and anti-Irish sentiment.