|
1895 |
Born 1st December, at 66 Braxfield Rd., Brockley, London. Parents
were William and Gertrude Williamson. His father was a bank clerk.
In 1900 the family moved to 11 (now 21) Eastern Rd., Brockley. |
|
1907-13 |
Attended Colfe’s Grammar School, Lewisham, London SE. |
|
1913 |
Clerk with Sun Fire Insurance Office, in the City. |
|
1914-18 |
In Jan. 1914 HW joined the London Rifle Brigade as a territorial.
On 5th August mobilised as private soldier. Served in France
on the Western Front. Present at the Christmas Truce 1914. Invalided
home Jan. 1915. Commissioned April 1915 as 2nd Lt in Bedford
Regt. 19l6 trans. to the Machine Gun Corps, in Oct. promoted
to Lt. Further service in France. |
|
1919-20 |
After demobilisation returned to family home. Reporter Weekly Dispatch,
Fleet St. June-Sept 1920. First articles published in several
leading periodicals. Found living at home too restrictive. |
|
1921 |
In March left home, riding on his Norton motorcycle to Georgeham
in North Devon where he rented a cottage next to the church.
Because of owl activity in the thatched roof he named cottage
‘Skirr’. First book THE BEAUTIFUL YEARS (Vol. 1 of
FLAX OF DREAM) published in Oct. Advance was £25. Other
vols. of FLAX followed, and nature books. |
|
1925 |
Whilst working on a book about an otter, he met Ida Loetitia
Hibbert, daughter of a local gentleman and Official of the Cheriton
Otter Hunt. They were married on 6 May 1925. First son born Feb.
1926. |
|
1927 |
TARKA THE OTTER published in the autumn to great acclaim. This
won the prestigious Hawthornden Prize for Literature the following
year. Prize presented by John Galsworthy. With the prize money
(£100) he bought a field at Ox’s Cross above Georgeham
where he built himself a Writing Hut. |
|
1929 |
The family moved to Shallowford near South Molton, Devon, where
over the next few years 13 more books were published, including
SALAR THE SALMON (1935). Four further children. |
|
1937-45 |
Bought and moved into Old Hall Farm, Stiffkey, North Norfolk.
In addition to reclaiming the derelict farm, HW wrote a further
eight books and many articles. Sixth child born. |
|
1945 (Oct) |
Exhausted physically and mentally, he sold the farm. The family
moved to Suffolk, but the marriage was increasingly strained
and HW returned to Devon alone. |
|
1947 |
Divorced from Loetitia Hibbert. |
|
1949 |
Married Christine Duffield, a son born 1950. (Divorced 1968) |
|
1951-69 |
His major work, the semi-autobiographical novel sequence collectively
titled A CHRONICLE OF ANCIENT SUNLIGHT written and published
in 15 volumes. Leading writers said:‘This will be in its
entirety one of the most remarkable English novels of our time’
– John Middleton Murry. ‘Williamson’s prose is
like sunlight and clear air; then when necessary, it has the
taste of fear in the mouth’ – George Painter. |
|
1972 |
Published his final book THE SCANDAROON, tale of a racing pigeon,
the writing as fresh as the first book he wrote. |
|
1974-75 |
Worked on script for film of TARKA (David Cobham/Rank) but health
was failing and task too much. Filming went ahead unknown to
him. |
|
1977 |
HW died at Twyford Abbey Nursing Home, London NW on 13 August
1977. He was buried in Georgeham Churchyard in North Devon, next
to his first home there. A Memorial Service was held on his birthday,
1st December at St. Martin’s in the Field, London. |
|
1980 |
The Henry Williamson Society was formed on 3rd May. |
