Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays. There he met the

Llewelyn Davies boys The Davies boys (the middle name ''Llewelyn'' was a tradition begun with their grandfather, not a true double-barreled surname, though the family sometimes treated it as such) were the inspiration for the stories of Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, ...

, who inspired him to write about a baby boy who has magical adventures in

Kensington Gardens Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyde P ...

(first included in Barrie's 1902 adult novel ''

The Little White Bird ''The Little White Bird'' is a novel by the Scottish writer J. M. Barrie, ranging in tone from fantasy and whimsy to social comedy with dark, aggressive undertones. It was published in November 1902, by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and Scribn ...

''), then to write ''

Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous li ...

'', a 1904 West End "fairy play" about an ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of

Neverland Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live. Altho ...

. Although he continued to write successfully, ''Peter Pan'' overshadowed his other work, and is credited with popularising the name

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

. Barrie unofficially adopted the Davies boys following the deaths of their parents. Barrie was made a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

on 14 June 1913, and a member of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

in the 1922 New Year Honours. Before his death, he gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital ...

in London, which continues to benefit from them.

Childhood and adolescence

James Matthew Barrie was born in

Kirriemuir Kirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'' ( gd, An Ceathramh Mòr; IPA: nˈkʰʲɛɾəvmoːɾ, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland. It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical ...

, Angus, to a conservative

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

family. His father, David Barrie, was a modestly successful weaver. His mother, Margaret Ogilvy, assumed her deceased mother's household responsibilities at the age of eight. Barrie was the ninth child of ten (two of whom died before he was born), all of whom were schooled in at least

the three Rs The three Rs (as in the letter ''R'') are three basic skills taught in schools: reading, writing and arithmetic (usually said as "reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic"). The phrase appears to have been coined at the beginning of the 19th century. ...

in preparation for possible professional careers. He was a small child and drew attention to himself with storytelling. He grew to only 5 ft 3 in. (161 cm) according to his 1934 passport. When James Barrie was six years old, his elder brother David (their mother's favourite) died in an ice-skating accident on the day before his 14th birthday. This left his mother devastated, and Barrie tried to fill David's place in his mother's attentions, even wearing David's clothes and whistling in the manner that he did. One time, Barrie entered her room and heard her say, "Is that you?" "I thought it was the dead boy she was speaking to", wrote Barrie in his biographical account of his mother ''Margaret Ogilvy'' (1896) "and I said in a little lonely voice, 'No, it's no' him, it's just me. Barrie's mother found comfort in the fact that her dead son would remain a boy forever, never to grow up and leave her.Birkin, Andrew: ''J. M. Barrie & the Lost Boys'', Constable, 1979; revised edition, Yale University Press, 2003 Eventually, Barrie and his mother entertained each other with stories of her brief childhood and books such as ''

Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...

'', works by fellow Scotsman

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 (n ...

, and ''

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...

''. At the age of eight, Barrie was sent to

the Glasgow Academy The Glasgow Academy is a coeducational independent day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2016, it had the third-best Higher level exam results in Scotland. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continuously fully independent s ...

in the care of his eldest siblings, Alexander and Mary Ann, who taught at the school. When he was 10, he returned home and continued his education at the

Forfar Academy Forfar Academy is a comprehensive school serving the community in and around the market town of Forfar, Angus, Scotland. In 2019, Forfar Academy was ranked 251 out of 339 secondary schools in Scotland for pupils achieving 5 highers or more. Nota ...

. At 14, he left home for

Dumfries Academy Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

, again under the watch of Alexander and Mary Ann. He became a voracious reader and was fond of

penny dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typically referred to ...

s and the works of

Robert Michael Ballantyne Robert Michael Ballantyne (24 April 1825 – 8 February 1894) was a Scottish author of juvenile fiction, who wrote more than a hundred books. He was also an accomplished artist: he exhibited some of his water-colours at the Royal Scottish Aca ...

and

James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonist and Indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought h ...

. At

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

, he and his friends spent time in the garden of Moat Brae house, playing pirates "in a sort of Odyssey that was long afterwards to become the play of ''Peter Pan''.''McConnachie and J. M. B.: Speeches of J. M. Barrie'', Peter Davies, 1938 They formed a drama club, producing his first play ''Bandelero the Bandit'', which provoked a minor controversy following a scathing moral denunciation from a clergyman on the school's governing board.

Literary career

Barrie knew that he wished to follow a career as an author. However, his family attempted to persuade him to choose a profession such as the ministry. With advice from Alexander, he was able to work out a compromise: he would attend a university, but would study literature. Barrie enrolled at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

where he wrote drama reviews for the ''

Edinburgh Evening Courant The ''Edinburgh Courant'' was a broadsheet newspaper from the 18th century. It was published out of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. Its first issue was dated February 14–19, 1705 and was sold for a penny. It was Scotland's first regional newsp ...

''. He graduated and obtained an M.A. on 21 April 1882. Following a job advertisement found by his sister in ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'', he worked for a year and a half as a staff journalist on the ''

Nottingham Journal The ''Nottingham Journal'' was a newspaper published in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands in England. During that time, the paper went through several title changes through mergers, take-overs, acquisitions and ownership changes. ...

''. Back in Kirriemuir, he submitted a piece to the ''St. James's Gazette'', a London newspaper, using his mother's stories about the town where she grew up (renamed "Thrums"). The editor "liked that Scotch thing" so well that Barrie ended up writing a series of these stories. They served as the basis for his first novels: ''Auld Licht Idylls'' (1888), ''A Window in Thrums'' (1890), and ''The Little Minister'' (1891). The stories depicted the "Auld Lichts", a strict religious sect to which his grandfather had once belonged. Modern literary criticism of these early works has been unfavourable, tending to disparage them as sentimental and nostalgic depictions of a parochial Scotland, far from the realities of the industrialised nineteenth century, seen as characteristic of what became known as the

Kailyard School The Kailyard school (1880–1914) is a proposed literary movement of Scottish fiction dating from the last decades of the 19th century. Origin and etymology It was first given the name in an article published April 1895 in the ''New Review'' by ...

. Despite, or perhaps because of, this, they were popular enough at the time to establish Barrie as a successful writer. Following that success, he published ''Better Dead'' (1888) privately and at his own expense, but it failed to sell. His two "Tommy" novels, ''Sentimental Tommy'' (1896) and ''Tommy and Grizel'' (1900), were about a boy and young man who clings to childish fantasy, with an unhappy ending. The English novelist

George Gissing George Robert Gissing (; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. His best-known works have reappeared in modern editions. They include ''The Nether World'' (1889), ''New Grub ...

read the former in November 1896 and wrote that he "thoroughly dislike it. Meanwhile, Barrie's attention turned increasingly to works for the theatre, beginning with a biography of Richard Savage, written by Barrie and

H. B. Marriott Watson Henry Brereton Marriott Watson (20 December 1863 – 30 October 1921), known by his pen name H. B. Marriott Watson, was an Australian-born British novelist, journalist, playwright, and short-story writer. He worked for the ''St. James Gazette'', ...

; it was performed only once and critically panned. He immediately followed this with ''Ibsen's Ghost'', or ''Toole Up-to-Date'' (1891), a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

's dramas ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been can ...

'' and ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

''. ''Ghosts'' had been unlicensed in the UK until 1914, but had created a sensation at the time from a single "club" performance. The production of ''Ibsen's Ghost'' at

Toole's Theatre Toole's Theatre, was a 19th-century West End theatre, West End building in William IV Street, near Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster. A succession of auditoria had occupied the site since 1832, serving a variety of functions, including ...

in London was seen by

William Archer William or Bill Archer may refer to: * William Archer (British politician) (1677–1739), British politician * William S. Archer (1789–1855), U.S. Senator and Representative from Virginia * William Beatty Archer (1793–1870), Illinois politician ...

, the translator of Ibsen's works into English. Apparently comfortable with the parody, he enjoyed the humour of the play and recommended it to others. Barrie's third play ''Walker, London'' (1892) resulted in his being introduced to a young actress named Mary Ansell. He proposed to her and they were married on 9 July 1894. Barrie bought her a Saint Bernard puppy, who played a part in the 1902 novel ''

''. He used Ansell's first name for many characters in his novels. Barrie also authored ''

Jane Annie ''Jane Annie, or The Good Conduct Prize'' is a comic opera written in 1893 by J. M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle, with music by Ernest Ford, a conductor and occasional composer. When the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership disbanded after the p ...

'', a

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

for

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

(1893), which failed; he persuaded

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 ...

to revise and finish it for him. In 1901 and 1902, he had back-to-back successes; '' Quality Street'' was about a respectable, responsible

old maid An old maid is a spinster. Old maid or Old Maid may also refer to: Games *Old maid (card game), a simple game popular around the world, existing in many variants *, a German card game (variant of ) whose name translates as 'old maid' Film * ' ...

who poses as her own flirtatious niece to try to win the attention of a former suitor returned from the war. ''

The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving Ernest is p ...

'' was a critically acclaimed social commentary with elaborate staging, about an aristocratic family and their household servants whose social order is inverted after they are shipwrecked on a desert island.

Max Beerbohm Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (24 August 1872 – 20 May 1956) was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist under the signature Max. He first became known in the 1890s as a dandy and a humorist. He was the drama critic for the '' Saturday ...

thought it "quite the best thing that has happened, in my time, to the British theatre". The character of "Peter Pan" first appeared in ''

''. The novel was published in the UK by

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...

in 1902, and serialised in the US in the same year in ''

Scribner's Magazine ''Scribner's Magazine'' was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. ''Scribner's Magazine'' was the second magazine out of the Scribner's firm, after the publication of ' ...

''. Barrie's more famous and enduring work ''

'' had its first stage performance on 27 December 1904 at the West End’s

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...

. This play introduced audiences to the name ''Wendy''; it was inspired by a young girl named

Margaret Henley Margaret Emma Henley (4 September 1888 – 11 February 1894) was the daughter of William Ernest Henley and his wife Anna Henley (née Boyle). Margaret's friendship with J. M. Barrie, whom she called "fwendy" (i.e., "friendy"), was the inspiration ...

who called Barrie "Friendy", but could not pronounce her ''R''s very well. The

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

scenes show the societal constraints of late Victorian and Edwardian middle class domestic reality, contrasted with

, a world where morality is ambivalent.

George 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 ...

described the play as "ostensibly a holiday entertainment for children but really a play for grown-up people", suggesting deeper social metaphors at work in ''Peter Pan''. Barrie had a long string of successes on the stage after ''Peter Pan'', many of which discuss social concerns, as Barrie continued to integrate his work and his beliefs. ''The Twelve Pound Look'' (1910) concerns a wife leaving her 'typical' husband once she can gain an independent income. Other plays, such as ''

Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' (launched 1511) is a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her l ...

'' (1920) and ''

Dear Brutus ''Dear Brutus'' is a 1917 fantasy play by J. M. Barrie, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life. The title is a reference to a line from Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'': "The fault, dear Brutus, is ...

'' (1917), revisit the idea of the ageless child and parallel worlds. Barrie was involved in the 1909 and 1911 attempts to challenge the censorship of the theatre by the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

, along with a number of other playwrights. In 1911, Barrie developed the ''Peter Pan'' play into the novel ''

Peter and Wendy ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous li ...

''. In April 1929, Barrie gave the

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

of the Peter Pan works to

Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital ...

, a leading children's hospital in London. The current status of the copyright is somewhat complex. His final play was ''The Boy David'' (1936), which dramatised the Biblical story of King

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered tri ...

and the young

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. Like the role of Peter Pan, that of David was played by a woman,

Elisabeth Bergner Elisabeth Bergner (22 August 1897 – 12 May 1986) was an Austrian-British actress. Primarily a stage actress, her career flourished in Berlin and Paris before she moved to London to work in films. Her signature role was Gemma Jones in '' Esca ...

, for whom Barrie wrote the play.

Social connections

Barrie moved in literary circles and had many famous friends in addition to his professional collaborators. Novelist

George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but he gradually established a reputation as a novelist. ''The Ord ...

was an early social

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

. He had a long correspondence with fellow Scot

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

, who lived in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

at the time. Stevenson invited Barrie to visit him, but the two never met. He was also friends with fellow Scots writer

S. R. Crockett Samuel Rutherford Crockett (24 September 1859 – 16 April 1914), who published under the name "S. R. Crockett", was a Scottish novelist. Life and work He was born at Little Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway on 24 September 18 ...

was his neighbour in London for several years, and once participated in a Western that Barrie scripted and filmed.

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

through

Hugh Clifford Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, (5 March 1866 – 18 December 1941) was a British colonial administrator. Early life Clifford was born in Roehampton, London, the sixth of the eight children of Major-General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford and his wife Jo ...

while he was staying in London. He was friends with Nobel prize winner

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

. Barrie remained tied to his Scottish roots and visited his hometown of

regularly with his wards. When choosing his first personal secretary, Barrie chose

E. V. Lucas Edward Verrall Lucas, CH (11/12 June 1868 – 26 June 1938) was an English humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, publisher, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor. Born to a Quaker family in Eltham, on the fringes of London, Luca ...

's wife, Elizabeth Lucas, who had Scottish roots through her American parentage. After Elizabeth Lucas moved to Paris, France, Barrie chose

Cynthia Asquith Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (née Charteris; 27 September 1887 – 31 March 1960) was an English writer and socialite, known for her ghost stories and diaries.Richard Dalby, ''The Virago Book of Ghost Stories''.Virago, London, , 1987 (p. 23 ...

as his personal secretary. After 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 ...

, Barrie sometimes stayed at

Stanway House Stanway House is a Jacobean manor house, located near the village of Stanway in Gloucestershire, England. The manor of Stanway was owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years then for 500 years by the Tracy family and their descendants, the Earls ...

near the village of Stanway in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

. He paid for the pavilion at Stanway

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

ground. In 1887, he founded an amateur cricket team for friends of similarly limited playing ability, and named it the

Allahakbarries Allahakbarries was an amateur cricket team founded by author J. M. Barrie, and was active from 1890 to 1913. The team's name was a portmanteau of Barrie's name and the mistaken belief that 'Allah akbar' meant 'Heaven help us' in Arabic (rather than ...

under the mistaken belief that "Allah akbar" meant "Heaven help us" in Arabic (rather than "God is great"). Some of the best known British authors from the era played on the team at various times, including H. G. Wells,

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...

, G. K. Chesterton,

A. A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne (; 18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winni ...

E. W. Hornung Ernest William Hornung (7 June 1866 – 22 March 1921) was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles (character), A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung was educa ...

, A. E. W. Mason,

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

Maurice Hewlett Maurice Henry Hewlett (1861 – 15 June 1923) was an English historical novelist, poet and essayist. Biography He was born at Weybridge, the eldest son of Henry Gay Hewlett, of Shaw Hall, Addington, Kent. He was educated at the London Internatio ...

Owen Seaman Sir Owen Seaman, 1st Baronet (18 September 1861 – 2 February 1936) was a British writer, journalist and poet. He is best known as editor of ''Punch'', from 1906 to 1932. Biography Born in Shrewsbury, he was the only son of William Mantle Sea ...

(editor of ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

''),

Bernard Partridge Sir John Bernard Partridge (11 October 1861– 9 August 1945) was an English illustrator. Born in London, he was the son of Professor Richard Partridge, F.R.S., president of the Royal College of Surgeons, and nephew of John Partridge, portrait ...

George Cecil Ives George Cecil Ives (1 October 1867 in Frankfurt, Germany – 4 June 1950 in Hampstead/Middlesex, Great Britain) was an English poet, writer, penal reformer and early homosexual law reform campaigner. Life and career Ives was the illegitimate ...

George Llewelyn Davies George Llewelyn Davies (20 July 1893 – 15 March 1915) was the eldest son of Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. Along with his four younger brothers, George was the inspiration for playwright J. M. Barrie's characters of Peter Pan and the L ...

(see below) and the son of

Alfred Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

. In 1891, Barrie joined the newly formed

Authors Cricket Club The Authors Cricket Club is a wandering amateur English cricket club founded in 1892 and revived most recently in 2012. Prominent British writers including Arthur Conan Doyle, P.G. Wodehouse, A.A. Milne and J.M. Barrie have been featured as pla ...

and also played for its cricket team, the Authors XI, alongside Doyle, Wodehouse and Milne. The Allahakbarries and the Authors XI continued to exist side by side until 1912. Barrie befriended Africa explorer

Joseph Thomson Joseph or Joe Thomson is the name of: *J. J. Thomson (1856–1940), physicist * Joseph Thomson (cricketer) (1877-1953), Australian cricketer *Joseph Thomson (explorer) Joseph Thomson (14 February 1858 – 2 August 1895) was a British geologist ...

and Antarctica explorer

Robert Falcon Scott Captain Robert Falcon Scott, , (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated ''Terra Nov ...

. He was godfather to Scott's son

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

,Chaney, Lisa. ''Hide-and-Seek with Angels A Life of J. M. Barrie'', London: Arrow Books, 2005 and was one of the seven people to whom Scott wrote letters in the final hours of his life during his expedition to the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...

, asking Barrie to take care of his wife Kathleen and son

. Barrie was so proud of the letter that he carried it around for the rest of his life. In 1896, his agent Addison Bright persuaded him to meet with Broadway producer

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced ''Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter production ...

, who became his financial backer and a close friend, as well. Frohman was responsible for producing the debut of ''Peter Pan'' in both England and the US, as well as other productions of Barrie's plays. He famously declined a lifeboat seat when the RMS ''Lusitania'' was sunk by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

in the North Atlantic. Actress

Rita Jolivet Marguerite Lucile Jolivet (25 September 1884 – 2 March 1971), known professionally as Rita Jolivet, was a British actress in theatre and silent films in the early 20th century. She was known in private life as the Countess Marguerita de C ...

stood with Frohman, George Vernon and Captain Alick Scott at the end of Lusitania's sinking, but she survived the sinking and recalled Frohman paraphrasing ''Peter Pan'': 'Why fear death? It is the most beautiful adventure that life gives us.' His secretary from 1917,

, was the daughter-in-law of

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

, British Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916. In the 1930s, Barrie met and told stories to the young daughters of the Duke of York, the future

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

. After meeting him, the three-year-old Princess Margaret announced, "He is my greatest friend and I am his greatest friend".

Marriage

SIR JAMES BARRIE 1860-1937 NOVELIST AND DRAMATIST lived here

Barrie became acquainted with actress Mary Ansell in 1891, when he asked his friend

for a pretty actress to play a role in his play ''Walker, London''. The two became friends, and she helped his family to care for him when he fell very ill in 1893 and 1894. They married in Kirriemuir on 9 July 1894, shortly after Barrie recovered, and Mary retired from the stage. The wedding was a small ceremony in his parents' home, in the Scottish tradition. The relationship was reportedly unconsummated, and the couple had no children. In 1895, the Barries bought a house on Gloucester Road, in South Kensington. Barrie would take long walks in nearby Kensington Gardens, and in 1900 the couple moved into a house directly overlooking the gardens at 100

Bayswater Road Bayswater Road is the main road running along the northern edge of Hyde Park in London. Originally part of the A40 road, it is now designated part of the A402 road. Route In the east, Bayswater Road originates at Marble Arch roadway at ...

. Mary had a flair for interior design and set about transforming the ground floor, creating two large reception rooms with painted panelling and adding fashionable features, such as a conservatory. In the same year, Mary found Black Lake Cottage at

Farnham Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, which became the couple's "bolt hole" where Barrie could entertain his cricketing friends and the Llewelyn Davies family. Beginning in mid-1908, Mary had an affair with

Gilbert Cannan Gilbert Eric Cannan (25 June 1884 – 30 June 1955) was a British novelist and dramatist. Early life Born in Manchester of Scottish descent, he got on badly with his family, and in 1897 he was sent to live in Oxford with the economist Edwin Ca ...

(who was twenty years younger than sheMichael Holroyd, ''Lytton Strachey'', p. 287 and an associate of Barrie in his anti-censorship activities), including a visit together to Black Lake Cottage, known only to the house staff. When Barrie learned of the affair in July 1909, he demanded that she end it, but she refused. To avoid the scandal of divorce, he offered a legal separation if she would agree not to see Cannan any more, but she still refused. Barrie sued for divorce on the grounds of infidelity; the divorce was granted in October 1909. Knowing how painful the divorce was for him, some of Barrie's friends wrote to a number of newspaper editors asking them not to publish the story. In the event, only three newspapers did. Barrie continued to support Mary financially even after she married Cannan, by giving her an annual allowance, which was handed over at a private dinner held on her and Barrie's wedding anniversary.

Llewelyn Davies family

left, Jack Llewelyn Davies acting in Barrie's pirate adventure, ''The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island'', 1901 The Llewelyn Davies family played an important part in Barrie's literary and personal life, consisting of

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

(1863–1907), Sylvia (1866–1910) (daughter of

George du Maurier George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a Franco-British cartoonist and writer known for work in ''Punch'' and a Gothic novel ''Trilby'', featuring the character Svengali. His son was the actor Sir Gerald d ...

), and their five sons:

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

(1893–1915),

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(Jack) (1894–1959),

(1897–1960),

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

(1900–1921) and

Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...

(Nico) (1903–1980). Barrie became acquainted with the family in 1897, meeting George and Jack (and baby Peter) with their nurse (

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

) Mary Hodgson in London's

. He lived nearby and often walked his Saint Bernard dog Porthos in the park. He entertained the boys regularly with his ability to wiggle his ears and eyebrows, and with his stories. He did not meet Sylvia until a chance encounter at a dinner party in December. She told Barrie that Peter had been named after the title character in her father's novel, ''Peter Ibbetson''. Michael Llewelyn Davies as Peter Pan

Barrie became a regular visitor at the Davies household and a common companion to Sylvia and her boys, despite the fact that both he and she were married to other people. In 1901, he invited the Davies family to Black Lake Cottage, where he produced an album of captioned photographs of the boys acting out a pirate adventure, entitled ''The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island''. Barrie had two copies made, one of which he gave to Arthur, who misplaced it on a train. The only surviving copy is held at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. The character of Peter Pan was invented to entertain George and Jack. Barrie would say, to amuse them, that their little brother Peter could fly. He claimed that babies were birds before they were born; parents put bars on nursery windows to keep the little ones from flying away. This grew into a tale of a baby boy who did fly away. 1899-08-08-Porthos

Arthur Llewelyn Davies died in 1907, and "Uncle Jim" became even more involved with the Davies family, providing financial support to them. (His income from ''Peter Pan'' and other works was easily adequate to provide for their living expenses and education.) Following Sylvia's death in 1910, Barrie claimed that they had recently been engaged to be married. Her will indicated nothing to that effect but specified her wish for "J. M. B." to be trustee and guardian to the boys, along with her mother Emma, her brother

Guy du Maurier Guy Louis Busson du Maurier DSO (18 May 1865, London, England – 9 March 1915, Kemmel, Flanders, Belgium) was an English army officer and playwright. He was the son of the writer George du Maurier and brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and ...

and Arthur's brother Compton. It expressed her confidence in Barrie as the boys' caretaker and her wish for "the boys to treat him (& their uncles) with absolute confidence & straightforwardness & to talk to him about everything." When copying the will informally for Sylvia's family a few months later, Barrie inserted himself elsewhere: Sylvia had written that she would like Mary Hodgson, the boys' nurse, to continue taking care of them, and for "Jenny" (referring to Hodgson's sister) to come and help her; Barrie instead wrote, "Jimmy" (Sylvia's nickname for him). Barrie and Hodgson did not get along well but served together as surrogate parents until the boys were grown. Barrie also had friendships with other children, both before he met the Davies boys and after they had grown up, and there has since been unsubstantiated speculation that Barrie was a

paedophile Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

. One source for the speculation is a scene in the novel ''

'', in which the protagonist helps a small boy undress for bed, and at the boy's request they sleep in the same bed. However, there is no evidence that Barrie had sexual contact with children, nor that he was suspected of it at the time. Nico, the youngest of the brothers, denied as an adult that Barrie ever behaved inappropriately. "I don't believe that Uncle Jim ever experienced what one might call 'a stirring in the undergrowth' for anyone—man, woman, or child", he stated. "He was an innocent—which is why he could write Peter Pan." His relationships with the surviving Davies boys continued well beyond their childhood and adolescence. The

Peter Pan statue The statue of Peter Pan is a 1912 bronze sculpture of J. M. Barrie's character Peter Pan. It was commissioned by Barrie and made by Sir George Frampton. The original statue is displayed in Kensington Gardens in London, to the west of The Long Wa ...

in Kensington Gardens, erected secretly overnight for

May Morning May Morning is an annual event in Oxford, United Kingdom, on May Day (1 May). Event The event starts early at 6 a.m. with the Magdalen College Choir singing a hymn, the Hymnus Eucharisticus, from the top of Magdalen Tower, a tradition str ...

in 1912, was supposed to be modelled upon old photographs of Michael dressed as the character. However, the sculptor,

Sir George Frampton Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...

, used a different child as a model, leaving Barrie disappointed with the result. "It doesn't show the devil in Peter", he said. Barrie suffered bereavements with the boys, losing the two to whom he was closest in their early twenties. George was killed in action in 1915, in the

. Michael, with whom Barrie corresponded daily while at boarding school and university, drowned in 1921, with his friend, Rupert Buxton, at a known danger spot at

Sandford Lock Sandford Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, situated at Sandford-on-Thames which is just south of Oxford. The first pound lock was built in 1631 by the Oxford-Burcot Commission although this has since been rebuilt. The lock has t ...

near

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, one month short of his 21st birthday. Some years after Barrie's death, Peter compiled his ''Morgue'' from family letters and papers, interpolated with his own informed comments on his family and their relationship with Barrie. Peter died in 1960 by throwing himself in front of an Underground train at Sloane Square station.

Death

Barrie died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

at a nursing home in Manchester Street,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

on 19 June 1937. He was buried at Kirriemuir next to his parents and two of his siblings. His birthplace at 9 Brechin Road is maintained as a museum by the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

. He left the bulk of his estate to his secretary

Lady Cynthia Asquith Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (née Charteris; 27 September 1887 – 31 March 1960) was an English writer and socialite, known for her ghost stories and diaries.Richard Dalby, ''The Virago Book of Ghost Stories''.Virago, London, , 1987 (p. 2 ...

, but excluding the rights to all

works (which included ''

'', ''

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens ''Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens'' is a novel by J. M. Barrie, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, and published by Hodder & Stoughton in late November or early December 1906; it is one of four major literary works by Barrie featuring the widely k ...

'', the play '' Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up'' and the novel ''Peter and Wendy''), whose copyright he had previously given to

in London. The surviving Llewelyn Davies boys received legacies, and he made provisions for his former wife Mary Ansell to receive an annuity during her lifetime. His will also left £500 to the Bower Free Church in

Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...

to mark the memory of Rev James Winter who was to have married Barrie's sister in June 1892 but was killed in a fall from his horse in May 1892. Barrie had several connections to the Free Church of Scotland, including his maternal uncle Rev David Ogilvy (1822–1904), who was minister of Dalziel Church in

Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...

. James and his brother William Winter (also a Free Church minister) were both born in

Cortachy Cortachy is a village in Angus, Scotland. It lies in at the mouth of Glen Clova, on the River South Esk, four miles north of Kirriemuir. Nearby lies Cortachy Castle, seat of the Earls of Airlie Earl of Airlie is a title of the peera ...

the sons of Rev William Winter. Cortachy is just west of

and the Winters seem closely connected to the Ogilvy family.

Biographies

Books

* * *Chalmers, Patrick (1938). ''The Barrie Inspiration.'' Peter Davies. . * * * * * * *Ridley, Rosalind (2016). ''Peter Pan and the Mind of J. M. Barrie: An Exploration of Cognition and Consciousness.'' Cambridge Scholars Publishing. . *

Journal

Film, television and stage

* ''

The Lost Boys ''The Lost Boys'' is a 1987 American supernatural black comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Harvey Bernhard with a screenplay written by Jeffrey Boam, Janice Fischer and James Jeremias, from a story by Fischer and Jerem ...

'' (1978).

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...

(as J.M. Barrie), Andrew Birkin (writer).

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

. * ''The Man Who Was Peter Pan'' (1998) is a play by Allan Knee, a semi-biographical version of Barrie's life and relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family. * '' Finding Neverland'' (2004) with

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

(as J.M. Barrie),

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

(Sylvia Llewelyn Davies), Marc Forster (director), based on Allan Knee's play. *'' The Boy James'' (2012) by Alexander Wright (of Belt Up Theatre), is a

one act play A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writi ...

inspired by his life and work. *'' Finding Neverland'' (2012) by Diane Paulus, is a musical about the creation of Peter Pan based on the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and starring

Matthew Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television show ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' (2009–2015). He has s ...

and

Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and S ...

Honours

Personal

Barrie was appointed a

by King

in 1913. He was made a member of the

in 1922. In 1919 he was elected

Rector of the University of St Andrews The Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews is the president of the University Court of the University of St Andrews; the University Court is the supreme governing body of the University. Overview The Rector is elected every three years by ...

for a three-year term. In 1922 he delivered his celebrated Rectorial Address on Courage at St Andrews, and visited University College Dundee with

Earl Haig Earl Haig is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. During the First World War, he served as commander of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France and Be ...

to open its new playing fields, with Barrie bowling a few balls to Haig. He served as

Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh The chancellor is the titular head of the University of Edinburgh. Their duties include conferring degrees, promoting the university's image throughout the world, and furthering its interests, both within Scotland and beyond. The position was cr ...

from 1930 to 1937. Barrie was the only person to receive the Freedom of Kirriemuir in a ceremony on 7 June 1930 in

Kirriemuir Town Hall Kirriemuir Town Hall is a municipal structure in Reform Street in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category C listed building. History The first municipal building in the town was the ...

where he was presented with a silver casket containing the freedom scroll. The casket was made by silversmiths Brook & Son in Edinburgh in 1929 and is decorated with images of sites in Kirriemuir which held significant memories for Barrie: Kirriemuir Townhouse, Strathview, Window in Thrums, the statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and the Barrie Cricket Pavilion. The casket is on display in the Kirrimuir Gateway to the Glens Museum in the

Kirriemuir Town House Kirriemuir Town House is a municipal structure in the High Street in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a museum, is a Category B listed building. History The building was commissioned during the tenur ...

Legacy

*The

Sir James Barrie Primary School This is a list of schools in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. State-funded schools Primary schools *Albemarle Primary School *Alderbrook Primary School *All Saints CE Primary School *Allfarthing Primary School *The Alton School *Ang ...

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...

, South West London is named after him. *

The Barrie School Barrie School is a progressive independent school for students age 12 months through Grade 12 located in an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C. The school is within the Glenmont census designated place ...

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...

, is also named in his honour.

Bibliography

Peter Pan

*''

'', or ''Adventures in Kensington Gardens'' (1902) *''

Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous li ...

'' (staged 1904, published 1928) *''

'' (1906) *'' When Wendy Grew Up: An Afterthought'' (written – 1908, published 1957) *''

'' (novel) (1911)

Other works by year

* ''

Better Dead Better may refer to: * "to better" as a verb, meaning to undergo betterment * better, an alternate spelling of bettor, someone who bets (gambling, gambles) Music Albums * Better (Chrisette Michele album), ''Better'' (Chrisette Michele album) ...

'' (1887) * ''Auld Licht Idylls'' (1888) * '' When a Man's Single'' (1888) * ''

A Window in Thrums A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1889) * ''

My Lady Nicotine My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Market ...

'' (1890), republished in 1926 with the subtitle ''A Study in Smoke'' * ''The Little Minister'' (1891) * '' Richard Savage'' (1891) * '' Ibsen's Ghost (Toole Up-to-Date)'' (1891) * ''Walker, London'' (1892) * ''

'' (opera), music by

Ernest Ford Albert Ernest Alsor Clair Ford (17 February 1858 – 2 June 1919) was an English composer of operas and ballet music and a conductor. Life and career Ford was born in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, the son of Edward Ford, the vestry clerk a ...

, libretto by Barrie and

(1893) * '' A Powerful Drug and Other Stories'' (1893) * ''

A Tillyloss Scandal A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1893) * ''

Two of Them 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultu ...

'' (1893) * ''A Lady's Shoe'' (1893) (two short stories: ''A Lady's Shoe'', ''The Inconsiderate Waiter'') * '' Life in a Country Manse'' (1894) * ''Scotland's Lament: A Poem on the Death of Robert Louis Stevenson'' (1895) * ''Sentimental Tommy, The Story of His Boyhood'' (1896) * ''

Margaret Ogilvy ''Margaret Ogilvy: Life Is a Long Lesson in Humility'' is a biographical book written in the late 19th century by J. M. Barrie, about his mother and family life in Scotland. According to '' The Bookman'', it was the 7th bestselling book of 1897 in ...

'' (1896) * ''Jess'' (1898) * ''Tommy and Grizel'' (1900) * ''The Wedding Guest'' (1900) * ''The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island'' (1901) * '' Quality Street'' (play) (1901) * ''

'' (play) (1902) * ''Little Mary'' (play) (1903) * ''Alice Sit-by-the-Fire'' (play) (1905) * ''Pantaloon'' (1905) * '' What Every Woman Knows'' (play) (1908) * ''Half an Hour'' (play) (1913) * ''Half Hours'' (1914) includes: **''Pantaloon'' **''The Twelve-Pound Look'' **''Rosalind'' **''The Will'' * ''

The Legend of Leonora ''The Legend of Leonora'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was featured on Broadway at the Empire Theatre in January 1914 and starred Maude Adams, running for 136 performances. The play first appeared briefly in London in September 1913 under the ...

'' (1914) * ''Der Tag (The Tragic Man)'' (Short play) (1914) *''The New Word'' (play) (1915) * ''Charles Frohman: A Tribute'' (1915) *''Rosy Rapture'' (play) (1915) * ''

A Kiss for Cinderella ''A Kiss for Cinderella'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first produced in London at Wyndham's Theatre on March 16, 1916, starring Gerald du Maurier and Hilda Trevelyan, enjoying great success over 156 performances, and with several annual Ch ...

'' (play) (1916) *''Real Thing at Last'' (play) (1916) *''Shakespeare's Legacy'' (play) (1916) *''A Strange Play'' (play) (1917) *''Charwomen and the War'' or ''The Old Lady Shows her Medals'' (play) (1917) *''

'' (1917) (play) *''La Politesse'' (play) (1918) *''Echoes of the War'' (1918) Four plays, includes: **''The New Word'' **''

The Old Lady Shows Her Medals ''The Old Lady Shows Her Medals'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first published in his collection ''Echoes of the War'' in 1918, which also included the stories ''The New Word'', ''Barbara's Wedding'' and ''A Well-Remembered Voice''. It is set ...

'' (basis for the movie ''Seven Days Leave'' (1930), starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

) **''A Well-Remembered Voice'' **''Barbara's Wedding'' * ''

'' (1920) * The Twelve Pound Look J

''The Twelve-Pound Look'' (1921) * ''Courage'', the Rectorial Address delivered at St. Andrews University (1922) * ''The Author'' (1925) * Biographical Introduction to ''Scott's Last Expedition'' (preface) (orig. pub. 1913, introduction included in 1925 edition only) * ''Cricket'' (1926) * ''Shall We Join the Ladies?'' (1928) includes: **''Shall We Join the Ladies?'' **''Half an Hour'' **''Seven Women'' **''Old Friends'' * ''The Greenwood Hat'' (1930) * ''Farewell Miss Julie Logan'' (1932) * ''The Boy David'' (1936) * ''M'Connachie and J. M. B.'' (1938) * story treatment for film ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' (1936) * ''The Reconstruction of the Crime'' (play), co-written with

E.V. Lucas Edward Verrall Lucas, Companion of Honour, CH (11/12 June 1868 – 26 June 1938) was an English humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, publisher, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor. Born to a Quaker family in Eltham, on the frin ...

(undated, first published 2017) * ''Stories by English Authors: London'' (selected by Scribners, as contributor) * ''Stories by English Authors: Scotland'' (selected by Scribners, as contributor) * preface to ''The Young Visiters or, Mr. Salteena's Plan'' by

Daisy Ashford Margaret Mary Julia Devlin (née Ashford; 3 April 1881 – 15 January 1972), known as Daisy Ashford, was an English writer who is most famous for writing ''The Young Visiters'', a novella concerning the upper class society of late 19th century ...

* ''The Earliest Plays of J. M. Barrie: Bandelero the Bandit, Bohemia and Caught Napping'', edited by R.D.S. Jack (2014)

References

Archival collections

J. M. Barrie Collection
at the

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. Es ...

J. M. Barrie Collection
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 ...

External links

* * * * * * (''Peter Pan'' complete)
J.M Barrie & 1909 Theatre Censorship Committee - UK Parliament Living Heritage

JMbarrie.co.uk
site authorised by

, edited by Andrew Birkin, includes database of original photographs, letters, documents and audio interviews conducted by Birkin in 1975–76
Great Ormond Street Hospital's copyright claim

"Why J. M. Barrie Created Peter Pan"
Anthony Lane, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', 22 November 2004
"J. M. Barrie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"
at The Chronicles of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (siracd.com)
Audio recording of Barrie's short play ''The Will''
��Recording by professional actors at LostPlays.com
Film of Barrie from 1922 as Rector of St Andrews with Ellen Terry
* *
Plays by J. M. Barrie at the Great War Theatre website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrie, James Matthew 1860 births 1937 deaths 19th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Scottish novelists 20th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Scottish novelists Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Chancellors of the University of Edinburgh Deaths from pneumonia in England Kailyard school Members of the Order of Merit People educated at Dumfries Academy People educated at Forfar Academy People educated at the Glasgow Academy People from Kirriemuir Rectors of the University of St Andrews Scottish children's writers Scottish fantasy writers Scottish journalists Scottish male novelists Scottish novelists Scottish opera librettists Presidents of the Society of Authors

Childhood and adolescence

Literary career

Social connections

Marriage

Llewelyn Davies family

Death

Biographies

Books

Journal

Film, television and stage

Honours

Personal

Legacy

Bibliography

Peter Pan

Other works by year

References

Further reading

Archival collections

External links