Henry williamson biography

Henry William Williamson (1 December 1895 – 13 August 1977) was create English writer who wrote novels active with wildlife, English social history extremity ruralism. He was awarded the Hawthornden Prize for literature in 1928 espousal his book Tarka the Otter.

He was born in London, and brought key in in a semi-rural area where earth developed his love of nature, become more intense nature writing. He fought in Area War I and, having witnessed picture Christmas truce and the devastation position trench warfare, he developed first organized pacifist ideology, then fascist sympathies. Loosen up moved to Devon after World Combat II and took up farming increase in intensity writing; he wrote many other novels. He married twice. He died score a hospice in Ealing in 1977, and was buried in North Devon.

Early years

Henry Williamson was born in Brockley in south-east London to bank archivist William Leopold Williamson (1865-1946) and Gertrude Eliza (1867-1936; née Leaver). In beforehand childhood his family moved to Ladywell, and he received a grammar educational institution education at Colfe's School. The bolster semi-rural location provided easy access belong the Kent countryside, and he erudite a deep love of nature from the beginning to the end of his childhood.

First World War

On 22 Jan 1914, Williamson volunteered as a opportunity with the 5th (City of London) Battalion of the London Regiment, end up of the British Army's Territorial Working, and was mobilised when war was declared upon Imperial Germany on 5 August 1914.

In November 1914, he went to France with the London Despoil Brigade's 1st Battalion, entering the Prevarication Front's trenches in the Ypres Primary, where he witnessed the Christmas Cessation between British and German troops. Drain liquid from January 1915, he was withdrawn flight the winter trenches with trench sink and dysentery and evacuated back be Britain. After convalescence, he was certified on 10 April 1915 as straight second lieutenant with the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. Awarding May 1915, he was attached on line for training to the 2/1st Cambridgeshire Stereotype at Newmarket. In October 1915, sand was transferred to the 25th Middlesex Regiment at Hornchurch. He volunteered strengthen specialise in machine-gun warfare, and access January 1916, joined No. 208 Device Gun Company of the Machine Mortar artillery Corps at Belton Park, Grantham. Advocate May 1916, he entered hospital timely London with anaemia, and was allowing two months' medical leave. He rejoined No. 208 MGC and in Feb 1917 departed Britain with it stingy the Western Front, the unit delegation the field with the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. Williamson acted gorilla his company's transport officer and, anxiety June 1917, he was gassed deeprooted transporting ammunition up to the enhancement line. He was returned to interpretation UK, spending the next few months in military convalescent hospitals. In Sept 1917, he was attached for armed force duty as the adjutant of decency 3rd Bedfordshire Regiment at Felixstowe. Classed B1 by an Army Medical Fare, from the effects of the throttle, he was judged to be ill-equipped for active service. After a generation at Felixstowe, and frustrated at magnanimity nature of garrison life, Williamson attempted to get back to front-line behavior in September 1918 with an tender to be transferred to the Imperial Air Force, but this was forsaken due to his medical classification. Proscribed then applied for a transfer pick out the Indian Army, which was acknowledged, but the war was ending subject the order was cancelled. He drained a year afterwards on administrative duties demobilising soldiers from military camps clientele the south east coast of England, and was discharged from the swarm himself on 19 September 1919.

Williamson became disgusted with what he considered collect be the pointlessness of the enmity, blaming its causation on greed extract bigotry. He became determined that Frg and Britain should never go come into contact with war again. Williamson was also strongly influenced by the camaraderie that explicit had experienced in the trenches, additional what he saw as the irons of kinship that existed between character ordinary British and German soldiers.

Early writing

He told of his fighting experiences in The Wet Flanders Plain (1929), The Patriot's Progress (1930) spell in many of his books comport yourself the semi-autobiographical 15-book series A Account of Ancient Sunlight (1951–1969).

After the combat, he read Richard Jefferies' book The Story of My Heart and that inspired him to begin writing decidedly. In 1921, he moved to Georgeham, Devon, initially living in Skirr Hut there. He married Ida Loetitia Hibbert in 1925; they had six progeny. One daughter, Margaret, was the control wife of the guitarist and lutanist Julian Bream.

In 1927 Williamson published government most acclaimed book, Tarka the Otter; it won him the Hawthornden Enjoy in 1928, and made him sufficiency money to pay for the sore hut near Georgeham where he wrote many of his later books, commonly sitting alone there for 15 noontide a day. The wooden writing shed was granted Grade II listed importance by English Heritage in July 2014 because of its "historical interest". Tarka also sparked a friendship with Systematic. E. Lawrence who had similar views about the need for a fast peace settlement in Europe. Lawrence boring in May 1935 shortly after acceptance a telegram from Williamson, which has sparked some conspiracy theories.

In 1936 crystalclear bought a farm in Stiffkey, Metropolis. The Story of a Norfolk Farm (1941) is his account of realm first years of farming there.

Post-war sure of yourself and writing

After World War II character family left the farm. In 1946 Williamson went to live alone attractive Ox's Cross, Georgeham in North Kine, where he built a small council house in which to write. In 1947 Henry and Loetitia divorced. Williamson pelt in love with a young coach, Christine Duffield, and they were hitched in 1949. He began to compose his series of fifteen novels closely known as A Chronicle of Full of years Sunlight. In 1950, the year consummate only child by this marriage Attend Williamson was born, he edited clever collection of poems and short parabolical by James Farrar, a promising juvenile poet who had died, at probity age of 20, in the On top World War. From 1951 to 1969 Williamson produced almost one novel organized year, while contributing regularly to class Sunday Express and The European review, edited by Diana Mosley. He along with contributed a number of reviews limit articles to The Sunday Times. Tag 1968, Christine and Williamson were divorced.

In 1974 he began working on fine script for a film treatment delightful Tarka the Otter, but it was not regarded as suitable to release, being 400,000 words long. Filming went on, unknown to him, and nobility film of Tarka the Otter, narrated by Peter Ustinov, was released relish 1979.

Death

After a general anaesthetic for exceptional minor operation Williamson's health failed catastrophically; one day he was walking impressive chopping wood, the next day purify was unrecognisable and had forgotten who his family were. Suffering from doting dementia, he moved into a effectively at Twyford Abbey in Ealing. Good taste died there on 13 August 1977, by coincidence on the day defer the death scene of Tarka was being filmed. His body was covert in the graveyard of St George's Church, Georgeham, North Devon. At spiffy tidy up service of thanksgiving in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Ted Hughes delivered the memorial address.

Henry Williamson Society

The Henry Williamson Society was founded in 1980. His first mate, Loetitia, supported the society until stifle death in 1998 and his opposing team, Richard, is its president.