Frances ‘Fanny’ Eliza Kingsley (nee Grenfell, 1814-1891) was the daughter of Pascoe Grenfell, who had amassed a substantial fortune through Welsh and Cornish mining interests. She was married to the English clergymen, writer and social reformer Charles Kingsley, the author of Water Babies and Westward Ho. Fanny Kingsley was her late husband’s biographer and editor of his letters. The Kingsleys had four children, Rose Georgina Kingsley (1845-1925), Maurice Kingsley (1847-1910), Mary St Leger Kingsley Harrison (1855-1931) and Grenville Arthur Kingsley (1858-1898).

Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian and novelist. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the working men's college, and forming labour cooperatives that failed but led to the working reforms of the progressive era. He was a friend and correspondent with Charles Darwin. His best-known novels are The Water Babies and Westward Ho.

Grenville Arthur Kingsley (12 Apr 1858-18 May 1898) was the youngest son of English clergymen, writer and social reformer Charles Kingsley and his wife Frances ‘Fanny’ Eliza Kingsley (nee Grenfell). Charles Kingsley is best known as the author of The Water Babies and Westward Ho. Grenville Kingsley came to Australia because of poor health in or before 1886 (an article by him signed G. A. K. about a trip up Mount Barney appeared in 'The Queenslander' of 6 November 1886). Kingsley lived at Tamrookum, 15 km south of Beaudesert, the property of Robert Martin Collins. Robert Collins had visited Fanny Kingsley and her family in England because of his deep appreciation of the late Charles Kingsley's books. Kingsley died aged 40 and is buried at Tamrookum.