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John Meade Falkner (8 May 1858 – 22 July 1932) was an English
John Meade Falkner, sportsman, at rjbw.net
The John Meade Falkner Society
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Falkner, John Meade 1858 births 1932 deaths Writers from Wiltshire 19th-century English novelists English children's writers People educated at Marlborough College Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford People educated at Derby School Academics of Durham University English male novelists 19th-century English male writers
John Meade Falkner (8 May 1858 – 22 July 1932) was an English novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...
and poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
, best known for his 1898 novel '' Moonfleet''. An extremely successful businessman, he became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Tyne and Wear, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomot ...
during World War I
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 ...
.
Life and works
Falkner was born in Manningford Bruce,Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
, and spent much of his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth. He was educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English private boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. It was founded as Marlborough School in 1843 by the Dean of Manchester, George ...
and Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...
, graduating with a third-class degree in history in 1882. After Oxford, he was a master at Derby School, then went to Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
as tutor to the family of Sir Andrew Noble, who ran Armstrong Whitworth Co., one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Falkner eventually followed him as chairman in 1915. In his business travels round the world, Falkner brought back antiquarian treasures of all kinds.
After his retirement as chairman in 1921 he became Honorary Reader in paleography
Palaeography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, UK) or paleography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, US) (ultimately from , , 'old', and , , 'to write') is the study and academic disciplin ...
at the University of Durham
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...
, as well as Honorary Librarian to the Dean and Chapter Library of Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...
. Falkner fell in love with Durham and, although he spent his later years travelling frequently, he called Durham his home, living in the Divinity House (now the University Music School) on Palace Green
Palace Green is an area of grass in the centre of Durham, England, flanked by Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. The Cathedral and Castle together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Although initially not part of the site itself, Palace Green ...
in front of the cathedral from 1902 until his death. There is a commemorative plaque there, while his monument is in the south cloister of the cathedral. He is buried at St John the Baptist Church in Burford, Oxfordshire.
In addition to his three novels and his poetry, he also wrote three topographical guides (Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
, Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
and Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
) and a ''History of Oxfordshire''.
Bibliography
Fiction
* '' The Lost Stradivarius'' (1895) * '' Moonfleet'' (1898) * '' The Nebuly Coat'' (1903)Non-fiction
* ''Handbook for Travellers in Oxfordshire'' (1894) * ''A History of Oxfordshire'' (1899) * ''Handbook for Berkshire'' (1902) * ''Bath in History and Social Tradition'' (1918) by an appreciative visitor'* ''A History of Durham Cathedral Library, with an Additional Chapter on some Late Durham Bibliophiles'' (1925) uthored with H.D. HughesReferences
John Meade Falkner, sportsman, at rjbw.net
External links
* * * *The John Meade Falkner Society
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Falkner, John Meade 1858 births 1932 deaths Writers from Wiltshire 19th-century English novelists English children's writers People educated at Marlborough College Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford People educated at Derby School Academics of Durham University English male novelists 19th-century English male writers