Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson (20 February 1887 – 9 April 1964) was a British actor,

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

and writer. He is known mainly for his popular biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial success.

Early life

Pearson was born in

Hawford Hawford is a hamlet in Worcestershire, England. It falls within two parishes; North Claines and Ombersley and Doverdale in the outer suburbs of Worcester about 3 miles from the city centre. It is bisected by the River Salwarpe, the Droitwich - W ...

Claines Claines is a small village just to the north of Worcester, England, on the east bank of the River Severn. Claines is situated in the heart of Worcestershire on the A449 between Worcester and Kidderminster. It has a church which dates from the 10t ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, to a family with a large number of members in Holy Orders. His parents were Thomas Henry Gibbons Pearson, a farmer, and the former Amy Mary Constance Biggs. He was a great-great-great nephew of the statistician and polymath Francis Galton, whom he described in ''Modern Men and Mummers''. After the family moved to

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

in 1896, he was educated there at Orkney House Preparatory School for five years, a period he later described as the only unhappy episode in his life, for the compulsive flogging beloved of its headmaster. At 14, he was sent to Bedford School, where he proved an indifferent student. Rebelling against his father's desire for him to study Classics to prepare himself for a career in Holy Orders, on graduation, he entered commerce but happily accepted his dismissal as a troublemaker when he inherited £1,000 from a deceased aunt. He employed the funds to travel widely, and on his return joined his brother's car business. Conservative by temperament, he was a passionate reader of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

and a frequent theatre-goer. When his brother's business faced bankruptcy, he applied for a job with

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progr ...

and began acting with that theatrical entrepreneur's company in 1911. A year later, he married Gladys Gardner, one of the company's actresses.

Wartime and first writing

At the outbreak of 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 ...

, Pearson enlisted immediately in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

but was soon invalided out when it was discovered that he suffered from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. He volunteered for the Army Service Corps and was sent to

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

, where the climate was conducive to treatment for tuberculosis. He recovered from that malady there but contracted several other diseases, septic sores, dysentery and malaria and was close to death on three occasions. He attributed his survival to his practice of reciting long passages of Shakespeare while he was critically ill. He distinguished himself under fire and, on one occasion, received a severe head wound from

shrapnel Shrapnel may refer to: Military * Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use * Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material Popular culture * ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics) * ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...

. He was subsequently 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 ...

. After the war, Pearson returned to the stage and, in 1921, met

Hugh Kingsmill Hugh Kingsmill Lunn (21 November 1889 – 15 May 1949), who dropped his surname for professional purposes, was a versatile British writer and journalist. The writers Arnold Lunn and Brian Lunn were his brothers. Life Hugh Kingsmill Lunn was born ...

, an encounter that, thanks to Kingsmill's charismatic friendship and influence, changed his life.Richard Ingrams, ''God's Apology'',1977 chapter 3 He began to write as a journalist, and published some short stories and essays. In 1926 the anonymously published ''Whispering Gallery'', purporting to be diary pages from leading political figures, caused him to be prosecuted for attempted fraud. He won the case, partly because (according to Michael Holroyd) of his "engaging candour appealed to the jury".

Author

During the 1930s and 1940s Pearson was perhaps the most successful biographer in Britain from a commercial perspective. He started with Erasmus Darwin (a maternal ancestor) in 1930. ''The Smith of Smiths'' (1934) was a life of the Revd.

Sydney Smith Sydney Smith (3 June 1771 – 22 February 1845) was an English wit, writer, and Anglican cleric. Early life and education Born in Woodford, Essex, England, Smith was the son of merchant Robert Smith (1739–1827) and Maria Olier (1750–1801) ...

which retained its popularity. The four authors of what he called his 'revelations' -

Wilde Wilde is a surname. Notable people with the name include: In arts and entertainment In film, television, and theatre * '' Wilde'' a 1997 biographical film about Oscar Wilde * Andrew Wilde (actor), English actor * Barbie Wilde (born 1960), Canad ...

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, Shakespeare and Tree - were also the subjects of biographies, as were

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...

William Hazlitt William Hazlitt (10 April 177818 September 1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English lan ...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

and

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

. The last to be written at the height of his powers was ''Johnson and Boswell'' (1958).

Later life

Pearson was a close friend and collaborator of

Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was an English journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romford, in Essex). In ...

Richard Ingrams Richard Reid Ingrams (born 19 August 1937 in Chelsea, London) is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'', and founding editor of '' The Oldie'' magazine. He left the latter job at ...

's later biography of Muggeridge 'Muggeridge: The Biography'' claimed that Pearson had an affair with Kitty Muggeridge in the early the 1940s, while her husband, Malcolm, was in

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. With his first wife Gladys he had one son, who died in 1939. She died in 1951 and he married again, to Dorothy Joyce Ryder (1912-1976) later that year. He died on 9 April 1964 at his home, 14 Priory Road, Hampstead, London. He wrote two autobiographies: ''Thinking it Over'' (1938) and ''Hesketh Pearson by Himself'' (1965), which was published posthumously a year after his death.Holroyd, Michael. 'Pearson, (Edward) Hesketh Gibbons', in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2011)

Works

*''Modern Men and Mummers'' (1921), which describes encounters with Francis Galton (whose great-great-great nephew he was) *''A Persian Critic'' (1923) *''The Whispering Gallery: Leaves from a Diplomat's Diary'' (1926) fictional diary, published as an anonymous hoax *''Iron Rations'' (1928) stories *''Doctor Darwin'' (1930) on Erasmus Darwin *''Ventilations: Being Biographical Asides'' (1930) *''The Fool of Love. A Life of

'' (1934) *''The Smith of Smiths: Being the Life, Wit and Humour of

'' (1934) *''Common Misquotations'' (1934) editor *'' Gilbert and Sullivan: A Biography'' (1935) *''The Swan of

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

: being a selection from the correspondence of

Anna Seward Anna Seward (12 December 1742 ld style: 1 December 1742./ref>Often wrongly given as 1747.25 March 1809) was an English Romantic poet, often called the Swan of Lichfield. She benefited from her father's progressive views on female education. Li ...

'' (1936) editor *''Labby: The Life and Character of

Henry Labouchere Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

'' (1936) *''

Tom Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...

. Friend of Mankind: A Biography'' (1937) *''Thinking It Over'' (1938) *''Skye High: The Record of a Tour through

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

in the Wake of Samuel Johnson and

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 ( N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the English writer ...

'' (1938) with

*''The Hero of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

'' (1939) on John Nicholson *''This Blessed Plot'' (1942) with

*''A Life of

: With An Anthology of Shakespeare's Poetry'' (1942) *''

: His Life and Personality'' (1942) also ''G.B.S. A Full Length Portrait'' (US) *''

Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

: His Life and Art'' (1943) *'' Oscar Wilde, His Life and Wit'' (1946) *''Talking of Dick Whittington'' (1947) with

*''

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

: His Character, Comedy, and Career'' (1949) *''G.B.S. A Postscript'' (1950) *''The Last Actor-Managers'' (1950) *''Essays of Oscar Wilde'' (1950) editor *''About Kingsmill'' (Co-author with

– regarding

) *''Dizzy: The Life and Personality of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield'' (1951) *''The Man Whistler'' (1952)- ( James McNeill Whistler) *''

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

: His Life and Personality'' (1954) *'' Beerbohm Tree: His Life & Laughter'' (1956) *''Gilbert: His Life and Strife'' (1957) - (

W.S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

) *''Johnson and Boswell: The Story of Their Lives'' (1958) *'' Charles II: His Life and Likeness'' (1960) also ''Merry Monarch, the Life and Likeness of Charles II'' (US) *''The Pilgrim Daughters'' (1961) also ''The Marrying Americans'' (US) *''Lives of the Wits'' (1962) *''

Henry of Navarre Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

'' (1963) *''Hesketh Pearson, By Himself'' (1965) autobiography *''Extraordinary People'' (1965) biographical essays

References

Citations * Ingrams, Richard (1977) ''God's Apology: A Chronicle of Three Friends'' *Hunter, Ian (1987) ''Nothing to Repent: The Life of Hesketh Pearson''

External links

*
Hesketh Pearson Papers
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Hesketh English biographers 1887 births 1964 deaths People educated at Bedford School People from Bedford Recipients of the Military Cross British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Service Corps officers Military personnel from Bedfordshire