Geoffrey Malcolm Gathorne-Hardy, who wrote as G. M. Gathorne-Hardy (28 January 1878 - 7 January 1972) was an English soldier, writer and Norse specialist.

Life

Geoffrey Malcolm Gathorne-Hardy was the son of the Conservative MP Alfred Gathorne-Hardy and Isabella Louisa Malcolm. He was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and New College, Oxford, where he was President of the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...

in 1899.Geoffrey Malcolm Gathorne-Hardy
/ref> He fought in the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

, losing a finger. Called to the Bar in 1903, he was in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

in 1905, when the country gained independence, and he learned

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

as well as some

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

and Icelandic. In 1910 he travelled with H. Hesketh Prichard from

Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador Nain ( Inuit language: ''Nunainguk'') is the northernmost permanent settlement in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, within the Nunatsiavut region, located about by air from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The town was established as a M ...

to Indian House Lake on George River, and contributed a chapter on fishing to Prichard's ''Through trackless Labrador'' (1911).Robert Gathorne-Hardy, 'Geoffrey Malcolm Gathorne Hardy', ''

Polar Record ''Polar Record'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of Arctic and Antarctic exploration and research. It is managed by the Scott Polar Research Institute and published by Cambridge University Press. The journal w ...

'' 16:102 (1972), p.447 In 1914, he married Eleanor Kathleen Goschen, the sister of

Arthur Goschen Major-General Arthur Alec Goschen (6 January 1880 – 28 June 1975) was a British Army officer who served as an Area Commander during the Second World War. Family and education Goschen was born in London, the child of Henry Goschen (1837–1932 ...

.1881 England Census, Class: RG11; Piece: 807; Folio: 11; Page: 14; GSU roll: 1341190 Gathorne-Hardy lost a foot in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, where he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the

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

and the Croix de Guerre (Belgium). In 1921 he published ''The Norse discoverers of America''. He was a founding member of

Chatham House Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is ...

and, with Lionel Curtis, Honorary Secretary from 1922. From 1923 to 1928 he was assistant librarian at the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. In World War II "he worked on Norwegian propaganda and acted as an unofficial delegate to the Norwegian government in exile", later receiving the Order of St Olaf and an honorary PhD from the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

. After the war he published ''A Royal Imposter'' (1956), which argues that King Sverre was not of royal lineage. He also published some translations of Norwegian, Danish and Icelandic poetry, and a verse translation of Henrik Ibsen's ''Brand''.

Works

* (tr.) ''The Norse discoverers of America: the Wineland Sagas'', Oxford:Clarendon Press, 1921 * ''Norway'', 1925 * (tr. with Jethro Bithell and I. Grøndahl) ''Poems'' by

Henrik Wergeland Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland (17 June 1808 – 12 July 1845) was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist. He is often described as a leading pioneer in the develop ...

, 1929 * ''The fourteen points and the treaty of Versailles'', Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929. Oxford pamphlets on world affairs, no. 6. * ''Norway and the War'', London: Oxford University Press, 1941. Oxford pamphlets on world affairs, no. 51. * ''A short history of international affairs, 1920-1939'', 1942 * ''A royal impostor: King Sverre of Norway'', 1956 * (tr.) ''Brand'' by Henrik Ibsen, 1966.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gathorne-Hardy, Geoffrey Malcolm 1878 births 1972 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of New College, Oxford English writers Translators from Old Norse Translators from Norwegian Translators from Danish Translators from Icelandic Chatham House people Presidents of the Oxford Union