Count Eric Stenbock
Count Eric Stenbock was a notable figure born in England in the mid-19th century, known for his eccentric lifestyle and literary contributions. The son of a Swedish nobleman, Stenbock faced familial challenges early in life, including the death of his father and a strained relationship with his stepfather after his mother remarried. He received an education that included international study, although he never completed his degree at Oxford. Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite movement, he became part of London's literary scene, befriending prominent writers like W.B. Yeats and Arthur Symons.
Stenbock's lifestyle was characterized by unusual interests, such as animal collecting and opium smoking, alongside a reputation for alcoholism. His health deteriorated significantly in his later years, leading to a decline in both physical and mental well-being. He is posthumously recognized for his macabre literary works, including poetry and short stories, particularly "Studies of Death," which reflect his dark themes. Stenbock's life was marked by both creative brilliance and personal tumult, culminating in his untimely death at the age of thirty-six, the circumstances of which remain somewhat mysterious.
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Count Eric Stenbock
Writer
- Born: c. 1859
- Birthplace: Near Cheltenham, England
- Died: April 26, 1895
- Place of death: England
Biography
Stanislaus Eric Stenbock was born on an estate near Cheltenham, England, where his family had moved so that his father could run his business in London. His mother was Lucy Sophia Frerichs, a cotton heiress, and his father was Count Erich Stenbock, a prominent Swedish nobleman. When Stenbock was one year old, his father died suddenly, and the family fortune was held in trust for him by his paternal grandfather. His mother remarried three years later, and the couple had six children of their own. In spite of his stepfather’s good nature, Stenbock despised him. It is likely that he received his early education at home, but by 1875 he was studying abroad in Germany, Russia, and Estonia, most likely because his family insisted on such an education.
Stenbock entered Oxford but never completed his studies. While at college, Stenbock became deeply influenced by the Pre- Raphaelite artist and illustrator Simeon Solomon. He was rumored to have had a homosexual relationship with composer and conductor Norman O’Neill.
In 1885, Stenbock’s paternal grandfather died, and as the oldest male relation, he inherited both the family title and its ancestral lands in Estonia. For the next two years, he resided at the family estate, where he indulged in a strange lifestyle. He collected animals such as snakes, lizards, toads, and salamanders, which he kept in his room, and he had a small menagerie outside in the garden. As well, he dressed rather exotically, played odd games with his younger cousins, and smoked opium.
Stenbock returned to England in 1887, where he met and became friends with such literary figures as William Butler Yeats, Arthur Symons, and Lionel Johnson. He had a rather glittering reputation in London, and was known for his eccentricities as well as his alcoholism. Beginning around 1890, Stenbock’s health deteriorated, aggravated by his alcoholism. His physical and mental health both declined, and near the end of his life, he believed that a life-sized doll was really his son. If it was not promptly brought to him each day, he inquired about its health. Stenbock died at the age of thirty-six, although the exact cause of his death is unknown. It was rumored that he died during a drunken argument with his stepfather, but this was never proven.
Stenbock began writing macabre tales while he was a Oxford. He published two volumes of poetry, Love, Sleep, and Dreams and Myrtle, Rue, and Cypress, between 1881 and 1883. A third volume of poetry, The Shadow of Death, appeared in 1894. He published one volume of strange short stories, Studies of Death, for which he is best known.