William John Locke (20 March 1863 – 15 May 1930) was a British novelist, dramatist and playwright, best known for his short stories.

Biography

He was born in Cunningsbury St George, Christ Church,

Demerara Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state ...

, British Guiana on 20 March 1863, the eldest son of John Locke, bank manager of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

, and his first wife, Sarah Elizabeth Locke (née Johns). His parents were English. In 1864 his family moved to

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. In 1865, a second son was born, Charlie Alfred Locke, who was eventually to become a doctor. Charlie Locke died in 1904 aged 39. His half-sister, Anna Alexandra Hyde (née Locke), by his father's second marriage, died in 1898 in childbirth aged 25. At the age of three, Locke was sent to England for further education. He remained in England for nine years, before returning to Trinidad to attend prep school with his brother at

Queen's Royal College Queen's Royal College ( St.Clair, Trinidad), referred to for short as QRC, or "The College" by alumni, is a secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago. Originally a boarding school and grammar school, the secular college is selective and noted for it ...

. There, he won an exhibition to enter St John's College, Cambridge. He returned to England in 1881 to attend Cambridge University, where he graduated with honours in Mathematics in 1884, despite his dislike of that "utterly futile and inhuman subject". After leaving Cambridge, Locke became a schoolmaster. He disliked teaching, but is known to have been a master at the

Oxford Military College Oxford Military College was an all-male private boarding school and military academy in Cowley, Oxford, England, from 1876 to 1896. The military college opened on 7 September 1876. Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was the patron of the Oxfor ...

Temple Cowley Cowley () is a residential and industrial area in Oxford, England. Cowley's neighbours are Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across fields to the east. Internationally ...

, in 1889 and 1890, and at Clifton College, Bristol in 1890; from 1891 to 1897 he was modern languages master at

Trinity College, Glenalmond Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. T ...

. In 1893 he published a school edition of Murat, an extract from the ''Celebrated Crimes'' (''Les crimes célèbres'') of Alexandre Dumas père. In 1890 he became seriously ill with tuberculosis, which affected him for the rest of his life. From 1897 to 1907 he was secretary of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...

and lived in London. In 1894 he published his first novel, ''At the Gate of Samaria'', but he did not achieve real success for another decade, with ''The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne'' (1905) and ''The Beloved Vagabond'' (1906). ''

Chambers Biographical Dictionary ''Chambers Biographical Dictionary'' provides concise descriptions of over 18,000 notable figures from Britain and the rest of the world. It was first published in 1897. The publishers, Chambers Harrap, who were formerly based in Edinburgh, clai ...

'' wrote of his "long series of novels and plays which with their charmingly written sentimental themes had such a success during his life in both Britain and America.... His plays, some of which were dramatised versions of his novels, were all produced with success on the London Stage" (p. 836). On 19 May 1911, Locke married Aimee Maxwell Close (née Heath), the divorced wife of Percy Hamilton Close, in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

in London. The wedding was attended by Alice Baines and James Douglas. Five times Locke's books made the list of best-selling novels in the United States for the year. His works have been made into 24 motion pictures the most recent of which was ''

Ladies in Lavender ''Ladies in Lavender'' is a 2004 British drama film written and directed by Charles Dance. The screenplay is based on a 1908 short story by William J. Locke. The film stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Natascha McElhone, and Miriam Margolyes. Plot ...

'', filmed in 2004 and starring

Dame Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and Maggie Smith. Adapted to the screen by

Charles Dance Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in '' The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in '' ...

, it was based on Locke's 1916 short story of the same title that had been published in a collection entitled "''Faraway Stories''." Probably the most famous of Locke's books adapted to the screen was the 1918 production of '' Stella Maris'' starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

. In addition, four of his books were made into Broadway plays, two of which Locke wrote and were produced by

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 ...

. Locke died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at 67 ,

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, on 15 May 1930.

Bibliography

Books

*''At the Gate of Samaria'' (1894) *''The Demagogue and Lady Phayre'' (1895) *''Some Women and a Man; A Comedy of Contrasts'' (1896) *''Derelicts'' (1897) *''The White Dove'' (1900) *''The Usurper'' (1901) *''Where Love Is'' (1903) *'' The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne'' (1905) *'' The Beloved Vagabond'' (1906) *''A Study in Shadows'' (1908) *''Septimus'' (1909) No. 10 for 1909 in the U.S. *''A Christmas Mystery – The Story of Three Wise Men'' (1910) *''Viviette'' (1910) *''Simon the Jester'' (1910) No. 6 for 1910 in the U.S. *'' The Glory of Clementina Wing'
The Glory of Clementina Wing
(1911) *''Idols'' (1911) *''The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol'' (1912) *''Stella Maris'' (1913) *''The Fortunate Youth'' (1914) No. 5 for 1914 in the U.S. *''The William J. Locke Calendar'' (1914) Compiled by Emma M. Pope *''Jaffery'' (1915) No. 6 for 1915 in the U.S. *''Faraway Stories'' (1916) (short story collection) *''The Wonderful Year'' (1916) *''The Red Planet'' (1917) No. 3 for 1917 in the U.S. *''The Rough Road'' (1918) *''The Mountebank'' (1920. Serialised in Nash's & Pall Mall magazine February 1920) *''The House of Baltazar'' (1920) *''The Apostle'' (1921) *''The Tale of Triona'' (1922) *''The Lengthened Shadow'' (1923) *''Moordius & Co'' (1923) *''The Golden Journey of Mr. Paradyne'' (1924) *''The Coming of Amos'' (1924) *
The Great Pandolfo
' (1925) *''Perella'' (1926) *''The Old Bridge'' (1926) *''Stories Near and Far'' (1927) *''The Kingdom of Theophilus'' (1927) *''Joshua's Vision'' (1928) *
Ancestor Jorico
' (1929) *
The Town of Tombarel
' (1930) *''The Shorn Lamb'' (1930)

Short stories

Film adaptations

*'' The Morals of Marcus'', directed by

Edwin S. Porter Edwin Stanton Porter (April 21, 1870 – April 30, 1941) was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Famous Players Film Company. Of over ...

and Hugh Ford (1915, based on the novel '' The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne'') *', directed by Ashley Miller (1915, based on the novel ''The Glory of Clementina Wing'') *''Simon the Jester'', directed by

Edward José Edward José (5 July 1865 – 18 December 1930) was a Belgian film director and actor of the silent era. He directed 42 films between 1915 and 1925. He also performed in 12 films between 1910 and 1916.The Beloved Vagabond'') *''The Fortunate Youth'', directed by Joseph W. Smiley (1916, based on the novel ''The Fortunate Youth'') *''Idols'', directed by Webster Cullison (1916, based on the novel ''Idols'') *', directed by George Irving (1916, based on the novel ''Jaffery'') *'' Where Love Is'' (1917, based on the novel ''Where Love Is'') *'' Derelicts'', directed by

Sidney Morgan Sidney Morgan (2 August 1874 – 11 June 1946) was an English film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He directed 45 films between 1914 and 1937. As an actor, he appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock film '' Juno and the Paycock''. ...

(UK, 1917, based on the novel ''Derelicts'') *'' Stella Maris'', directed by Marshall Neilan (1918, based on the novel ''Stella Maris'') *'' Viviette'', directed by Walter Edwards (1918, based on the novel ''Viviette'') *''The Usurper'', directed by Duncan McRae (1919, based on the novel ''The Usurper'') *'' The White Dove'', directed by Henry King (1920, based on the novel ''The White Dove'') *''The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol'', directed by

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...

(UK, 1920, based on the book ''The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol'') *'' The Song of the Soul'', directed by John W. Noble (1920, based on the story "An Old-World Episode") *''

The Oath The Oath may refer to: Books * ''The Oath'' (Wiesel novel), a 1973 novel by Elie Wiesel * ''The Oath'' (Peretti novel), a 1995 novel by Frank E. Peretti * '' The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court'', a 2012 book by Jeffrey Toobin ...

'', directed by Raoul Walsh (1921, based on the novel ''Idols'') *'' The Wonderful Year'', directed by

Kenelm Foss Kenelm Foss (13 December 1885 – 28 November 1963) was a British actor, theatre director, author, screenwriter and film director. Early life and education He was born in Croydon, Surrey and studied art at the Wellesley School of Art and in Par ...

(UK, 1921, based on the novel ''The Wonderful Year'') *''

Morals Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of cond ...

'', directed by

William Desmond Taylor William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner, 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Hollywood motion picture colony of the 1910s and early 1920s, ...

(1921, based on the novel '' The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne'') *', directed by

Émile Chautard Émile Chautard (7 September 1864 – 24 April 1934) was a French-American film director, actor, and screenwriter, most active in the silent era. He directed more than 100 films between 1910 and 1924. He also appeared in more than 60 fil ...

(1922, based on the novel ''The Glory of Clementina Wing'') *'' The Beloved Vagabond'', directed by

Fred LeRoy Granville Fred LeRoy Granville was born in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, in 1896,1917 Motion Picture News Studio Directory and educated in New Zealand. The 1 February 1922, issue of ''American Cinematographer'' stated that he was "a bloody Britisher ...

(UK, 1923, based on the novel '' The Beloved Vagabond'') *''

A Fool's Awakening ''A Fool's Awakening'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Harold M. Shaw and starring Mary Alden, Lionel Belmore, and Enid Bennett.Munden p. 260 Plot As described in a film magazine review, John Briggs, who was seen service duri ...

'', directed by

Harold M. Shaw Harold Marvin Shaw (also cited in some records as Henry Marvin Shaw; November 3, 1877January 30, 1926) was an American stage performer, film actor, screenwriter, and notable director of the silent era. A native of Tennessee, he worked professio ...

(1924, based on the novel ''The Tale of Triona'') *''

The Side Show of Life ''The Side Show of Life'' is a 1924 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by Herbert Brenon and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on the 1920 novel ''The Mountebank'' by William J. Locke, whi ...

'', directed by

Herbert Brenon Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s. Brenon was among the early film ...

(1924, based on the novel ''The Mountebank'') *''

The Coming of Amos ''The Coming of Amos'' is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by Paul Sloane, produced by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by his Producers Distributing Corporation. Copies of this film survive and can be found on home video an ...

'', directed by

Paul Sloane Paul Sloane (April 19, 1893 November 15, 1963) was an American screenwriter and film director who directed 26 films from 1925 to 1952, and wrote or co-wrote 35 films. His movies include ''Hearts in Dixie'' (1929) with Stepin Fetchit, ''The Wom ...

(1925, based on the novel ''The Coming of Amos'') *''Simon the Jester'', directed by

George Melford George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...

(1925, based on the novel ''Simon the Jester'') *'' Stella Maris'', directed by

Charles Brabin Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director. Biography Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while hold ...

(1925, based on the novel ''Stella Maris'') *''

Strangers in Love ''Strangers in Love'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Lothar Mendes, written by Grover Jones, William J. Locke and William Slavens McNutt, and starring Fredric March, Kay Francis, Stuart Erwin, Juliette Compton, George Bar ...

'', directed by

Lothar Mendes Lothar Mendes (19 May 1894 – 24 February 1974) was a German-born screenwriter and film director. His two best known films are '' Jew Süss'' (1934) and '' The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' (1936), both productions for British studios. Career B ...

(1932, based on the novel ''The Shorn Lamb'') *'' The Morals of Marcus'', directed by

Miles Mander Miles Mander (born Lionel Henry Mander; 14 May 1888 – 8 February 1946), was an English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist. He was sometimes credited as Luther Mile ...

(UK, 1935, based on the novel '' The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne'') *'' The Beloved Vagabond'', directed by

Curtis Bernhardt Curtis Bernhardt (15 April 1899 – 22 February 1981) was a Jewish film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. He trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film director in 1924, wi ...

(UK, 1936, based on the novel '' The Beloved Vagabond'') *', directed by

Homero Cárpena Homero Cárpena (14 February 1910 – 17 January 2001) was an Argentine film actor born in Mar del Plata. He appeared in 72 films between 1933 and 1972 although the bulk of his work was in the late 1930s and 1940s. He starred in '' El hombr ...

(Argentina, 1953, based on the novel ''Stella Maris'') *''

'', directed by

(UK, 2004, based on the story "Ladies in Lavender")

References

* Campbell, C. C., ''The Young Colonials: A Social History of Education in Trinidad and Tobago 1834 – 1939'', The Press of the University of the West Indies (1996). * ''Chambers Biographical Dictionary'' (rev. edn 1984) * D. C. Browning (ed.), ''Everyman's Dictionary of Literary Biography English & American'' (1958) * "E. O'Brien", Locke, William John (1863–1930), rev. Charlotte Mitchell, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press (2004). * Tibbetts, J. C. "Mary Pickford and the American 'Growing Girl'" (2001), ''Journal of Popular Film and Television'', Volume 29, No. 2, Routledge (2001). * The William J. Locke Calendar (1914). Compiled by Emma M. Pope – Reference from the British Library (www.bl.uk)

External links

William John Locke 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:Locke 1863 births 1930 deaths 20th-century British novelists British short story writers British dramatists and playwrights Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Guyanese emigrants to the United Kingdom British male novelists British male dramatists and playwrights British male short story writers Alumni of Queen's Royal College, Trinidad 20th-century British short story writers 20th-century British male writers