Dudley Costello facts for kids
Dudley Costello (born July 20, 1803 – died September 30, 1865) was a soldier, writer, and journalist from Ireland. He was known for his travel books and novels.
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His Early Life and Military Career
Dudley Costello was born in Ireland. His father was Colonel J. F. Costello. Dudley studied at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, to become an army officer. After his training, he served as a soldier for a short time. He traveled to different parts of the world, including India, Canada (then called British North America), and the Caribbean (the West Indies).
In 1828, Dudley Costello left the army. He then spent several years living in Paris, France.
A New Path: Art and Writing in Paris
While in Paris, Dudley Costello met a famous scientist named Baron Cuvier. Baron Cuvier hired Dudley to help him draw pictures for his important book about animals, called Règne animal. This showed Dudley's talent for drawing.
After this, Dudley Costello spent time at the Royal Library in Paris. He worked on copying beautiful old books that had colorful drawings and decorations. These are known as illuminated manuscripts. He and his sister, Louisa Stuart Costello, helped people learn to appreciate these old books again.
Becoming a Journalist
Around 1838, Dudley Costello started working as a journalist. He became a foreign correspondent for a newspaper called the Morning Herald. This meant he wrote news stories from other countries.
In 1846, he took on the same job for another newspaper, Daily News. For the last twenty years of his life, he worked as a sub-editor for The Examiner. This role involved helping to prepare the newspaper for printing.
Dudley Costello's wife, Mary Frances Costello, passed away five months before him in 1865. They are both buried together in Highgate Cemetery in London.
His Books and Writings
Dudley Costello wrote several books during his life. He was a travel writer, sharing his adventures and observations from different places. His travel books include:
- A Tour through the Valley of the Meuse (published in 1845)
- Piedmont and Italy, from the Alps to the Tiber (published between 1859 and 1861)
He also wrote fiction, which means made-up stories. Some of his novels and short story collections are:
- Stories from a Screen (a collection of 18 short stories, 1855)
- The Millionaire (1858)
- Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady (1859)
- Holidays with Hobgoblins (1860)
