Richard Bagot (8 November 1860 – 11 or 12 December 1921) 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

essayist An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

with a prominent Italian background. He was known most widely for his articles and reviews of Italian art and letters. His best known works of fiction were ''Donna Diana'', ''Love's Proxy'', and ''The Passport''. To many, however, he was known solely as the writer of ''My Italian Year'' and of other books and articles on the land he visited many times. He held high honors in Italy, and was a member of the more important Italian clubs.

Family history

Bagot was the member of a well-known family-line of

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

. He was the fourth child of Col. Charles (1801–1881) and Sophia Louisa (Percy; d. 1908) Bagot, the daughter of Vice-Admiral Josceline Percy, son of

Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley, (21 January 1750 – 21 October 1830), styled Lord Algernon Percy between 1766 and 1786 and known as the Lord Lovaine between 1786 and 1790, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 ...

. His great grandfather was William Bagot, 1st

Baron Bagot Baron Bagot, of Bagot's Bromley in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 12 October 1780 for William Bagot, 1st Baron Bagot, Sir William Bagot, 6th Baronet. Bagot family The Bagot family has held l ...

. His great uncle, also named Richard Bagot (1782–1854), was

Dean of Canterbury The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter (religion), Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ Church, Canterbury, England. The current office of dean (religion), Dean originated after the English Reformation, although Dea ...

and

Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft (bishop), Steven Croft, following the Confirm ...

. His father was a Justice of the Peace for the county, and also the Assistant Master of Ceremonies to HM

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

Awards and recognition

In 1917, Bagot was presented with an illuminated address of appreciation from the Italian nation signed by the Cabinet, Senate, and Chamber of Deputies and leaders of Italian science, literature, art and industry. He was invested as a Grand Officer in the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

, and as a Knight in the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

. Bagot died at his home in

Milnthorpe Milnthorpe is a village, civil parish, and former market town in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. It is south of Kendal. Historic counties of England, Historically in the county of Westmorland and on the A6 road (England), A6, the v ...

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

, England.

Works

*''A Roman Mystery'' (1899) *''The Just And The Unjust'' (1901) *''Casting Of Nets'' (1901) *''Donna Diana'' (1902) *''Love's Proxy'' (1904) *''The Passport'' (1905) *''Temptation'' (1907) *''Anthony Cuthbert'' (1908) *''Lakes Of Northern Italy'' (1908) *''The House Of Serravalle'' (1910) *''My Italian Year'' (1911) *''Italians Of To-day'' (1912) *''Darneley Place'' (1912) *''The Gods Decide'' (1919)

References

New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors
URL accessed 2006-03-12. #Cousin, John W. ''

A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature ''A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature'' is a collection of biographies of writers by John William Cousin (1849–1910), published in 1910. Most of the entries consist of only one paragraph but some entries, like William Shakesp ...

''. 1910.
The Peerage of Great Britain
. RootsWeb. URL accessed 2006-03-12. #''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. 13 December 1921. Washington, D.C. #''Oakland Tribune''. 12 December 1921. Oakland, California.

External links

* 1860 births 1921 deaths 20th-century English novelists English essayists Knights of Malta People from Milnthorpe English male essayists English male novelists 20th-century English essayists 20th-century English male writers {{UK-novelist-stub