Charles Macfarlane (1799–1858) was a Scottish writer, known as much for his historical and travel works as he was for his novels.^[1]

He was the son of Robert Macfarlane. From January 1816 to May 1827 he lived inItaly. In 1827, he went toTurkey and lived for sixteen months inConstantinople and the Turkish provinces.^[2]

Macfarlane settled inLondon,England in 1829, supporting himself by writing. He was for many years on the staff of the publisher,Charles Knight.^[2]

Accompanied by his eldest son, then 16, Macfarlane returned to Turkey in 1847. On his way home, in the summer of 1848, they visitedMessina and made a tour through thekingdom of Naples, theAbruzzi, the marches ofAncona, andRome. His wife Charlotte died in 1854 at their home in Canterbury, Kent. In July 1857 he was nominated a poor brother of theLondon Charterhouse, where he died on 9 December 1858.^[2]

Macfarlane's most substantial work was theCivil and Military History of England, part of Knight'sPictorial History of England, edited byGeorge Lillie Craik, 8 vols. 1838-44.^[3][4][5] An abridgment, with a continuation bringing it up to date, was published under the title ofThe Cabinet History of England, 26 vols. London, 1845-7.^[6] Another edition, with the title changed toThe Comprehensive History of England, appeared under the editorship ofThomas Napier Thomson, 4 vols. London, 1856–61,^[7][8] and again in 1876–8; and a third, with a continuation to 1884, by Thomas Archer, was issued asThe Popular History of England, 3 vols. London, 1886. For Knight also, Macfarlane compiled anonymously two volumes calledThe Book of Table Talk,^[9] 1836 (another edition 1847), for whichJames Robinson Planché wrote a brief history ofstage costume.^[2]

Macfarlane wrote historical novels and biographies ofThomas Gresham (1847), theDuke of Marlborough (1852), theDuke of Wellington (1853, 1877, 1886), andNapoleon I (1852, 1879, 1880, 1886). His works included:^[2]

• Constantinople in 1828, London, 1829 (two editions; translated into French, 2 vols. Paris, 1829).
• The Armenians, a Tale of Constantinople, 3 vols. London, 1830.^[10]
• Barba Yorghi (or Uncle George), the Greek Pilot, in vol. i. ofThe Sisters' Budget, London, 1831.
• The Romance of History; Italy, 3 vols. London, 1832 (and 1872).
• The Seven Apocalyptic Churches, etchings by T. Knox, London, 1832.
• The Lives and Exploits of Banditti and Robbers in all parts of the World, 2 vols. London, 1833 (1837, inMurray's Family Library).
• The French Revolution, 4 vols. London, 1844–5, inKnight's Library for the Times.
• Our Indian Empire, London, 1844, in the same series.
• The Camp of Refuge (anon.), 2 vols. London, 1844 (also 1880–1887); a tale of the conquest of the Isle of Ely. FeaturesHereward the Wake as a character.^[11]
• A Legend of Reading Abbey (anon.), London, 1845, inKnight's Weekly, No. 62. Historical novel about the conflict between KingStephen andEmpress Matilda.^[11]
• The Dutch in the Medway (anon.), London, 1845, in the same series, No. 43. These three tales were published together, under the title ofOld England Novelettes, 4 vols. 1846–7.
• The Romance of Travel; the East, 2 vols. London, 1846–7, inKnight's Weekly Volume for All Readers^[12] (Knight's Weekly), Nos. 81, 111.
• Popular Customs, Sports, and Recollections of the South of Italy, London, 1846, inKnight's Monthly Volume, originally contributed to thePenny Magazine between 1834 and 1845.
• A Glance at Revolutionized Italy, 2 vols. London, 1849.
• Sicily, her Constitutions, and Viscount Palmerston's Sicilian Blue-Book, London, 1849, an appendix to the above.
• Turkey and its Destiny, 2 vols. London, 1850.
• The Neapolitan Government and Mr. Gladstone, London, 1851.
• A History of British India, London, 1852 (1857, 1858, and 1881).
• Japan, an account Geographical and Historical … With Illustrations from Designs by A. Allom, London, 1852.
• The Catacombs of Rome, with Illustrations, London, 1852 (1854 and 1855).
• The Great Battles of the British Army, London, 1853 (2nd edit. 1854).^[13]
• Kismet, or the Doom of Turkey, London, 1853.^[14]
• The Camp of 1853, with Hints on Military Matters for Civilians, London, 1853.
• Patriots of China, London, 1853.
• The Chinese Revolution, with details of the Habits, Manners, and Customs of China and the Chinese, London, 1853.
• Reminiscences of a literary life, ed. J. F. Tattersall, London, 1917.

He also translatedAdolphe Desbarrolles'Two French Artists in Spain, 1851.^[2]

Macfarlane married Charlotte Emily Ormsden in about 1830. They had six children: Charles, Arabella, Blanche, Malcolm (died young), Victor andMarion Macfarlane. Daughters Arabella and Marion became nuns, while sons Charles and Victor had military careers.^[15]

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1893). "Macfarlane, Charles".Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 35. London:Smith, Elder & Co.

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• 1799 births
• 1858 deaths
• 19th-century Scottish historians
• Scottish biographers
• Scottish travel writers
• 19th-century Scottish novelists
• 19th-century British historians
• 19th-century Scottish biographers
• Scottish male novelists
• British male biographers
• 19th-century Scottish male writers
• Scottish historical novelists
• Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages
• Explorers of West Asia

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