Francis Neilson
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Francis Neilson (26 January 1867 – 13 April 1961) was an accomplished British-born American actor, playwright and stage director. He was also a political figure and former member of the
British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
. An avid lecturer, Neilson was an author of more than 60 books, plays and opera librettos and the most active leader in the
Georgist Georgism, in modern times also called Geoism, and known historically as the single tax movement, is an economic ideology holding that people should own the value that they produce themselves, while the economic rent derived from land—includ ...
movement.


Early life

Born Francis Butters, the eldest of nine siblings, in Claughton Road,
Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...
, England, he was the son of a
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
father, Francis Turley Butters and a Scottish mother from
Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
, Isabella Neilson Hume. He attended the
Liverpool Institute for Boys The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys was an all-boys grammar school in the English port city of Liverpool. The school had its origins in 1825 but occupied different premises while the money was found to build a dedicated building on M ...
. Several accounts explain that because of his large family, Neilson left school at the age of fourteen and moved to the United States at the age of eighteen. Nevertheless, the British Census of 1881 records the Butters' household as having 12 people, including 8 children and two maids. The census also records Francis Butters (Neilson's father) as a restaurant keeper.


Move to US

In the United States, after arriving in New York City, and paying fifteen dollars for a
hansom cab The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York. The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. Originally called the Hansom safet ...
ride from the docks to his guest house, Neilson worked several odd jobs which included a
longshoreman A dockworker (also called a longshoreman, stevedore, docker, wharfman, lumper or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships. As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockworke ...
, a labourer in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
(years later he lived at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel, overlooking that park), and some clerical work. After meeting an African-American man surnamed Johnson, who because of his colour worked as a porter despite his college degree, Neilson became fascinated with education and at times "…went hungry to buy books". This fascination led him to
Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist, Social philosophy, social philosopher and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in 19th-century America and sparked several reform movements of ...
, of whom he became a devoted follower. During his stay in the United States, he married Catherine O'Gorman; they had two daughters, Isabel and Marion. Isabel Neilson, an accomplished sculptor, married Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Count of Ostheim, in 1932 and became Countess of Ostheim, and Marion Neilson married Captain Hugh Melville, Sam Browne's Cavalry.


Theatre and opera

Neilson's first success came in the following years after his discovery of
Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist, Social philosophy, social philosopher and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in 19th-century America and sparked several reform movements of ...
's teachings, where he became well known and respected for his writing, acting, and directing. He provided
Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...
with a libretto for Prince Ananias commissioned by the theater company The Bostonians which debuted in 1894. The
Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...
, records him as a director of ''The Little Princess'' in January 1903, first at the Criterion Theatre and later at the Savoy Theatre; and as the playwright of ''A Butterfly on The Wheel'' in January 1912, at the 39th Street Theatre. In New York, he befriended director Anton Seidl who took him to Germany and introduced him to
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's family in
Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
. This led him out of the United States and back to London. He came back to London as a stage director for
Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Frohman produced over 700 shows, and among his biggest hits was '' Peter Pan'', both ...
at the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...
. Later Neilson was invited to direct the national opera at
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
, which he remodelled completely in 1900. The first opera to be produced there was
Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, s ...
's ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
''. Puccini himself was at the theatre supervising the production. The encounter of the two men triggered an interest that took Neilson to invite Puccini to see a private performance of the play ''
Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...
'', playing then at the Duke of York's Theatre.
Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, s ...
later requested Neilson to direct the opera at
La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
in Milan; however, this never came to pass due to Neilson's other commitments.


Political career

In the early 1900s, he began his pursuit of politics. His first bid for a parliamentary seat was for the Newport Division of
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
in
1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
; he lost to the Conservative incumbent, William Kenyon-Slaney, by a margin of 176 votes. He was also unsuccessful in the 1908 Newport by-election. He was elected as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hyde in Cheshire in
1910 Events January * January 6 – Abé people in the French West Africa colony of Côte d'Ivoire rise against the colonial administration; the rebellion is brutally suppressed by the military. * January 8 – By the Treaty of Punakha, t ...
. During his time in parliament, he was well acquainted with both Prime Ministers: Asquith and
Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
. Interested in radical politics, he entered in the progress of the Land Values Movement. His multiple contributions to the liberal agenda made him frequent the Liberal Headquarters, at Parliament Street, and tour the country giving speeches in support of
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
candidates. He resigned from parliament in 1916 after his pacifist beliefs conflicted with the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Return to US

He returned to the United States, where he became a citizen in 1921 and began pursuing his writing career. In the US, he met Helen Swift, an heiress of the Swift Meat Packing Business and the widow of Edward Morris, President of Morris & Company, another meat packing company. They were married in 1917. Together, they endowed many charities, and contributed to many institutions, including the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
, Ripon College,
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
in New York, the
Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America, North America's oldest learned society and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. AIA professionals have carried out archaeological fieldwork around the world and ...
, the
Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...
, and
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.


Author

His antiwar book ''How Diplomats Make War'' (1915) went through several printings and translations. He went on to write over sixty books, along with many other forms of writing such as articles, plays, and an opera. Neilson co-edited a journal of opinion and literary criticism, titled ''
The Freeman ''The Freeman'' (formerly published as ''The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty'' or ''Ideas on Liberty'') was an American libertarian magazine, formerly published by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). It was founded in 1950 by John Chambe ...
'' between 1920 and 1924.


Legacy

In 1935, as President of the Chicago Chapter of the
Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America, North America's oldest learned society and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. AIA professionals have carried out archaeological fieldwork around the world and ...
and in co-ordination with the
University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...
, he organised and endowed an archaeological expedition to the
Near East The Near East () is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent, the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The term was invented in the 20th ...
, to research lands of biblical time. Archaeologist
John Garstang John Garstang (5 May 1876 – 12 September 1956) was a British archaeologist of the Ancient Near East, especially Egypt, Sudan, Anatolia and the southern Levant. He was the younger brother of Professor Walter Garstang, FRS, a marine biol ...
, at the age of sixty, was enthusiastically in charge of the excavations, with much success at the site of the port of
Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...
in southern Turkey. On October 6, 1949, the Francis Neilson Trust Fund was founded "for the promotion and encouragement of education in the cultural arts and sciences among the choirboys and members of the Cross Guild under the age of twenty one and for the costs and expenses in the promotion of special services sanctioned by the Dean." A few years before his death, Neilson lost his sight. He was assisted in writing his last book, ''Ur to Nazareth'', by his literary secretary, K. Phyllis Evans. Neilson also wrote a two-volume autobiography, ''My Life in Two Worlds''. Neilson was a benefactor of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
, to which he donated antiquities and several paintings, including ''A Winter Carnival in a Small Flemish Town'', ''Portrait of a Man, Possibly George Frederick Handel'', and ''The Pelkus Gate near Utrecht''. Neilson's late wife, Helen Swift Neilson, had bequeathed ''Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan'', by
Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...
, for which she had paid $250,000 in 1930; ''Rembrandt Harmensz'' (Dutch, 1606–1669); the ''Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Pechell'', and ''1799''. The
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
was given
John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...
's painting ''A Capriote''.
Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...
also received support from Neilson in the form of a collection of Organ and Choral Works which he sponsored; the organ at the Cathedral also bears his name. The Francis Neilson Trust supports music and choristers at the cathedral.


Death

Francis Neilson died, aged 94, on 13 April 1961 in Port Washington,
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, New York. He was cremated and his remains interred at Liverpool Cathedral.


Publications

*''How Diplomats Make War

1915 *''Duty to Civilization'', 1921 *''The Eleventh Commandment'', 1933 *''Man at the Crossroads'', 1938 *''The Tragedy of Europe'' (5 vols.), 1940–1945 *''In Quest of Justice'', 1944 *''Makers of War'', 1950 *''My Life in Two Worlds'', 1952 *''The Churchill Legend'', 1954
''From Ur to Nazareth'', 1960
*''Control from the Top'', 1933. *''Sociocratic Escapades'', 1934. *''Modern Man and the Liberal Arts'', 1947


Opera librettos and plays

*''La Vivandiere'' (1893; with music by
Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...
) *'' Prince Ananias'' (1894, with music by
Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...
) *'' Manabozo'' (1899; composed for Anton Seidl) *''The Bath Road'' (1902) – a romantic comedy in three acts *''The Crucible'' (1911) – a drama in three acts *''A Butterfly on The Wheel'' (1911) – a drama in four acts *''The Sin-Eaters Hallowe'en'' (1924) -, a fantasy play in one act and two scenes *''A Mixed Foursome'' (1924) – a comedy in three acts *''The Impossible Philanthropist'' (1924) – a comedy in four acts *''The Day Before Commencement'' (1925) – a comedy in four acts *''The Queen Nectaria'' (1927) – a fantasy in four acts *''Le Braiser De Sang'' (1929) – a drama in two acts; produced in Paris


Novels

*''Madame Bohemia'', 1900 *''The Wise'', 1903 *''Ralph Voyce'', 1913 *''A Strong Man's House'', 1916 *''The House of the Big Yard'', 1936


References


Mrs. Morris marries British Statesman Francis Neilson
*Neilson, Francis. My Life in Two Worlds: Volume I 1867–1915. Appleston: C.C. Nelson Publishing Co., 1952.
The Churchill Legend"The Making of a Tyrant"
An Anti-War essay by Neilson.
Francis Neilson, Lectures at the University of IowaFrancis Neilson, Library of Congress
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071027003046/http://www.mfa.org/collections/search_art.asp?recview=true&id=32955&coll_keywords=Helen+Swift&coll_accession=&coll_name=&coll_artist=&coll_place=&coll_medium=&coll_culture=&coll_classification=&coll_credit=&coll_provenance=&coll_location=&coll_has_images=&coll_on_view=&coll_sort=0&coll_sort_order=0&coll_view=0&coll_package=0&coll_start=1 Boston Museum of Fine Arts Bequest of Helen Swift Neilson, 1946]


External links

*
Francis Neilson Papers
at the
University of Manchester Library The University of Manchester Library is the library system and information service of the University of Manchester. The main library is on the Oxford Road campus of the university, with its entrance on Burlington Street. There are also ten other ...
.
Francis Neilson Papers
are archived at the
American Heritage Center The American Heritage Center is the University of Wyoming's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West (including politics, settlement, Native Americans, and W ...
,
University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, Francis 1867 births 1961 deaths British emigrants to the United States British male dramatists and playwrights British male non-fiction writers English pacifists British political writers Georgist politicians Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Morris family (meatpacking) People educated at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys People from Birkenhead People from Long Island People from Newport, Shropshire UK MPs 1910–1918