Thomas Joseph Firbank (13 June 1910 – 1 December 2000) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

/ Welsh author, farmer, soldier and engineer.

Early life and education

He was born in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, to an English father and a Welsh mother. His parents were Hubert Somerset Firbank, a railway contractor born in 1887 in

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

(to Sir Joseph Thomas Firbank) and Gwendoline Louise Lewis (who were married in 1909 in Dolgellau, Merionethshire, Wales). Following his father's early death, he was raised among his mother's hill-farming community in the

Berwyn Mountains The Berwyn range ( Welsh: ''Y Berwyn'' or ''Mynydd y Berwyn'') is an isolated and sparsely populated area of moorland in the northeast of Wales, roughly bounded by Llangollen in the northeast, Corwen in the northwest, Bala in the southwest, ...

of North Wales. He was educated at

Stowe School The Stowe School is a public school (English private boarding school) for pupils aged 13–18 in the countryside of Stowe, England. It was opened on 11 May, 1923 at Stowe House, a Grade I Heritage Estate belonging to the British Crown. ...

Writing career

His first book, an autobiography entitled ''I Bought a Mountain'' () was published in 1940 and became a major international best-seller. It describes how aged only 21, he bought

Dyffryn Mymbyr Dyffryn Mymbyr is a valley in Snowdonia, in north-west Wales, approximately in length, and leading up from Capel Curig to the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel. The river Nantygwryd, originally called Y Mymbyr in Llywelyn the Great's charter of 1198, starts ...

farm, a sheep farm in

Capel Curig Capel Curig (; meaning " Curig's Chapel") is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226, reducing slightly to 206 ...

, North Wales, in 1931 and painstakingly learned his trade, while portraying the beauty of

Snowdonia Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...

. Firbank was a keen mountain walker, and the book includes a hair-raising account of how he and his two companions were possibly the first to ascend all of the Welsh 3000s in less than 9 hours. Firbank's first wife, Esme Cummins, a Surrey-born actress whom he met in 1933, features prominently.

Second World War

The book ends in pastoral calm with the approach of the Second World War, which drew Thomas Firbank away from the farm to enlist in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

. He was later seconded to the newly formed Airborne Forces with whom he fought in North Africa, Italy and Arnhem, and was 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 ...

. At the end of the war, as Lieutenant-Colonel, he commanded the Airborne Forces Depot on the Isle of Wight. His book ''I Bought a Star'', (, pub. 1951) describes his war-time experiences with the 1st Airborne Division. His marriage ended during the Second World War, both parties finding new partners. In difficult postwar circumstances, he generously gave Esme his farm in 1947, enabling her to remain there with her new partner. In 1967 she became an important founder member of the

Snowdonia Society The Snowdonia Society () is a members based environmental charity working to protect and enhance the beauty and special qualities of Snowdonia and to promote their enjoyment in the interests of all who live in, work in or visit the area both now ...

. After her death the farm was donated to the National Trust.

Later life

''Log Hut'' (pub. George G. Harrap, 1954) details his experiences in a bungalow on the north east edge of Dartmoor. ''A Country of Memorable Honour'' (, pub. 1953) describes a walking tour through Wales with fascinating characters at every turn. This tour was a farewell to the old country before moving to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

to open up the Far East for a British engineering firm. A novel entitled ''Bride to the Mountain'' (pub. Harrap 1940, reprinted C. Chivers Dec. 1965, then again by Portway Reprints under ) was written shortly after the success of ''I Bought A Mountain'' and draws heavily on the same experiences. It also appears to be largely based on an actual 1927 case when a strong but insane climber called Giveen caused the deaths of two others. In 1954 he inherited his aunt

Heather Firbank Heather Firbank (27 August 1888 – 13 April 1954) was an English socialite, now known for her fine collection of clothes kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London. Early life Heather Firbank was born in England on 27 August 1888, at ...

's huge collection of clothes, which were then donated to the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

. He returned to Snowdonia in 1993, and lived at Elen's Castle Hotel in

Dolwyddelan Dolwyddelan ( ; ; ) is a village and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The community occupies most of the valley of the Afon Lledr, and contains the settlements of Dolwyddelan, Pentre Bont, Blaenau Dolwyddelan, and Po ...

for some time and wrote further articles on conservation. He died in December 2000 in

Llanrwst ; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is on the east bank of the River Conwy and the A470 road, and lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (histori ...

Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy ...

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

Early life and education

Writing career

Second World War

Later life

References

See also