Reade, Charles (1814-1884)

Reade, Charles

NOVELIST, DRAMATIST (ENGLAND)

BORN 8 Jun 1814, Ipsden, Oxfordshire - DIED 11 Apr 1884, London: 3 Blomfield Villas
GRAVE LOCATION London: St. Mary's Churchyard, Neasden Lane, Willesden (not far from the church)

Charles Read studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1835 he took his B.A. and he became a fellow of Magdalen College. In 1843 he was called to the bar and he moved to London, but he kept his fellowship as well. He had a son, Charles Liston Reade, from a relationship. The mother died after his birth.

Reade started a literary career as a dramatist and his comedy "Masks and Faces" (1852), written in collaboration with Tom Taylor, made his name. the actress Laura Seymour adviced him to turn the play into a ghost story. At first he was horrified by the idea, but in 1853 it appeared as "Peg Woffington". In 1856 his novel "It Is Never Too Late to Mend" established his repuration as a novelist. His best known novel "The Cloister and the Hearth" was published in 1861. He wrote further plays as well.

From 1854 he lived in a house with friends and Laura Seymour acted as their housekeeper. From 1869 he lived alone with Seymour at another address. She took care of him until her death in 1879. After that his own health failed. He died in 1884 and left a completed novel, "A Perilous Secret". He was buried with Laura Seymour at St. Mary's Churchyard, Neasden Lane, Willesden.

Related persons
• was a friend of Collins, Wilkie
• was a friend of Dickens, Charles
• lived with Seymour, Laura
• was a friend of Terry, Ellen

Images
The grave of Charles Reade and Laura Seymour at St. Mary's Churchyard in Willesden, London. Picture by Androom (07 Nov 2025)	The grave of Charles Reade and Laura Seymour at St. Mary's Churchyard in Willesden, London. Picture by Androom (07 Nov 2025)