Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson (20 February 1887 – 9 April 1964) was an English actor,

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial success.

Early life

Pearson was born in Hawford, Claines,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

, to a family with a large number of members in

Holy Orders In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordination, ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders inclu ...

. His parents were Thomas Henry Gibbons Pearson, a farmer, and the former Amy Mary Constance Biggs. He was a great-great nephew of the statistician and polymath

Francis Galton Sir Francis Galton (; 16 February 1822 – 17 January 1911) was an English polymath and the originator of eugenics during the Victorian era; his ideas later became the basis of behavioural genetics. Galton produced over 340 papers and b ...

, whom he described in ''Modern Men and Mummers''. After the family moved to

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

in 1896, he was educated there at Orkney House Preparatory School for five years, a period he later described as the only unhappy episode in his life, for the compulsive flogging beloved of its headmaster. At 14, he was sent to

Bedford School Bedford School is a 7–18 Single-sex education, boys Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bed ...

, where he proved an indifferent student. Rebelling against his father's desire for him to study Classics to prepare himself for a career in Holy Orders, on graduation, he entered commerce but happily accepted his dismissal as a troublemaker when he inherited £1,000 from a deceased aunt. He employed the funds to travel widely, and on his return joined his brother's car business. Conservative by temperament, he was a passionate reader of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's plays and a frequent theatre-goer. When his brother's business faced bankruptcy, he applied for a job with

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...

and began acting with that theatrical entrepreneur's company in 1911. A year later, he married Gladys Gardner, one of the company's actresses.

Wartime and first writing

At the outbreak of 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 ...

, Pearson enlisted immediately in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

but was soon invalided out when it was discovered that he suffered from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. He was commissioned into the Army Service Corps and was sent to

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

, where the climate was conducive to treatment for tuberculosis. He recovered from that malady there but contracted several other diseases—septic sores, dysentery and malaria—and was close to death on three occasions. He attributed his survival to his practice of reciting long passages of Shakespeare while he was critically ill. He distinguished himself under fire and, on one occasion, received a severe head wound from shrapnel. He was subsequently awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

. After the war, Pearson returned to the stage and, in 1921, met Hugh Kingsmill, an encounter that, thanks to Kingsmill's charismatic friendship and influence, changed his life.Richard Ingrams, ''God's Apology'',1977 chapter 3 He began to write as a journalist, and published some short stories and essays. In 1926 the anonymously published ''Whispering Gallery'', purporting to be diary pages from leading political figures, caused him to be prosecuted for attempted

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

. He won the case, partly because (according to Michael Holroyd) his "engaging candour appealed to the jury".

Writer

During the 1930s and 1940s, Pearson was perhaps the most successful biographer in Britain from a commercial perspective. He started with

Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosophy, natural philosopher, physiology, physiologist, Society for Effecting the ...

(a maternal ancestor) in 1930. ''The Smith of Smiths'' (1934) was a life of the Revd.

Sydney Smith Sydney Smith (3 June 1771 – 22 February 1845) was an English wit, writer, and Anglican cleric. Besides his energetic parochial work, he was known for his writing and philosophy, founding the ''Edinburgh Review'', lecturing at the Royal Inst ...

which retained its popularity. The four authors of what he called his 'revelations'—

Wilde Wilde is a surname. Notable people with the name include: In arts and entertainment In film, television, and theatre * Andrew Wilde (actor), English actor * Barbie Wilde (born 1960), Canadian actress * Brian Wilde (1927–2008), British actor * ...

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, Shakespeare and Tree—were also the subjects of biographies, as were

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In ...

William Hazlitt William Hazlitt (10 April 177818 September 1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary criticism, literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history ...

, Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

and Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. The last to be written at the height of his powers was ''Johnson and Boswell'' (1958).

Later life

Pearson was a close friend and collaborator of

Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was a conservative British journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romford, i ...

. Richard Ingrams's later biography of Muggeridge 'Muggeridge: The Biography'' said Pearson had an affair with Kitty Muggeridge in the early 1940s, while her husband, Malcolm, was in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

With his first wife, Gladys, he had one son, who died in 1939. She died in 1951 and he married again, to Dorothy Joyce Ryder (1912–1976) later that year. He died on 9 April 1964 at his home, 14 Priory Road,

West Hampstead West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden. Neighbouring areas includes Childs Hill to the north, Frognal to the east, Swiss Cottage to the south-east, South Hampstead to the south and Kilburn to the south-west. The neighbourh ...

, London. Pearson wrote two autobiographies: ''Thinking it Over'' (1938) and ''Hesketh Pearson by Himself'' (1965), which was published posthumously a year after his death.Holroyd, Michael. 'Pearson, (Edward) Hesketh Gibbons', in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2011)

Works

*''Modern Men and Mummers'' (1921), which describes encounters with

(whose great-great-great nephew he was) *''A Persian Critic'' (1923) *''The Whispering Gallery: Leaves from a Diplomat's Diary'' (1926) fictional diary, published as an anonymous hoax *''Iron Rations'' (1928) stories *''Doctor Darwin'' (1930) on

*''Ventilations: Being Biographical Asides'' (1930) *''The Fool of Love. A Life of

'' (1934) *''The Smith of Smiths: Being the Life, Wit and Humour of

'' (1934) *''Common Misquotations'' (1934) editor *''

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

: A Biography'' (1935) *''The Swan of

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

: being a selection from the correspondence of

Anna Seward Anna Seward (12 December 1742 ld style: 1 December 1742./ref>Often wrongly given as 1747.25 March 1809) was an English Romantic poet, often called the Swan of Lichfield. She benefited from her father's progressive views on female education. L ...

'' (1936) editor *''Labby: The Life and Character of Henry Labouchere'' (1936) *'' Tom Paine. Friend of Mankind: A Biography'' (1937) *''Thinking It Over'' (1938) *''Skye High: The Record of a Tour through

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

in the Wake of

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

and

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 ( N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, '' Life of Samuel ...

'' (1938) with Hugh Kingsmill *''The Hero of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

'' (1939) on John Nicholson *''This Blessed Plot'' (1942) with Hugh Kingsmill *''A Life of

: With An Anthology of Shakespeare's Poetry'' (1942) *''

: His Life and Personality'' (1942) also ''G.B.S. A Full Length Portrait'' (US) *'' Conan Doyle: His Life and Art'' (1943) *''

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

, His Life and Wit'' (1946) *''Talking of

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington ( March 1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal,Will of Richard Whittington: " I leave to my executors named below the entire tenement in which I live in the parish of St. Michael Paternoster Royal, Londo/ ...

'' (1947) with Hugh Kingsmill *''

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the great ...

: His Character, Comedy, and Career'' (1949) *''G.B.S. A Postscript'' (1950) *''The Last Actor-Managers'' (1950) *''Essays of

'' (1950) editor *''About Kingsmill'' (co-author with

– regarding Hugh Kingsmill) *''Dizzy: The Life and Personality of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

, Earl of Beaconsfield'' (1951) *''The Man Whistler'' (1952)- (

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

) *''

: His Life and Personality'' (1954) *'' Beerbohm Tree: His Life & Laughter'' (1956) *''Gilbert: His Life and Strife'' (1957) - ( W.S. Gilbert) *''Johnson and Boswell: The Story of Their Lives'' (1958) *'' Charles II: His Life and Likeness'' (1960) also ''Merry Monarch, the Life and Likeness of Charles II'' (US) *''The Pilgrim Daughters'' (1961) also ''The Marrying Americans'' (US) *''Lives of the Wits'' (1962) *'' Henry of Navarre'' (1963) *''Hesketh Pearson, By Himself'' (1965) autobiography *''Extraordinary People'' (1965) biographical essays

References

Citations * Ingrams, Richard (1977) ''God's Apology: A Chronicle of Three Friends'' *Hunter, Ian (1987) ''Nothing to Repent: The Life of Hesketh Pearson''

External links

*
Hesketh Pearson Papers
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Hesketh 1887 births 1964 deaths 20th-century English biographers 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English male writers Actors from the London Borough of Camden British Army personnel of World War I English autobiographers English expatriates English male biographers English male short story writers English male stage actors English theatre directors Male actors from Bedford Male actors from London Male actors from Worcestershire Military personnel from Bedford Military personnel from the London Borough of Camden Military personnel from Worcestershire People educated at Bedford School People from West Hampstead Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Army Service Corps officers Theatre people from London Writers from Bedford Writers from the London Borough of Camden Writers from Worcestershire