Plantagenet Somerset Fry
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Plantagenet Somerset Fry, born Peter George Robin Fry, sometimes used the names 'Peter George Robin Somerset Fry' and 'Peter George Robin Plantagenet Somerset Fry'The Author's & Writer's Who's Who, Burke's Peerage, 1971, pg 740 (3 January 1931 – 10 September 1996), was a British historian and author of more than 50 books.
Retrieved 4 June 2015
In his youth, he added Somerset to his surname by deed poll, the Fry family originating from Wells in that county, and
Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in ...
was a nickname which he adopted at university, relating to his advocacy of Richard III.


Early life

Peter George Robin Fry was born in 1931, and was the third child and only son of a distinguished naval officer (created OBE in the
1953 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1953 for the United Kingdom were announced on 30 December 1952, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1953. This was the first New Year Honours since the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. The ''Honours list'' ...
) and pianist.ArchiveHub
Retrieved 11 December 2007
He was educated at
Christ Church Cathedral School Christ Church Cathedral School is an independent preparatory school for boys in Oxford, England. It is one of three choral foundation schools in the city and educates choristers of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Chapels of Worcester College ...
, Oxford, then
Lancing College Lancing College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. ...
in West Sussex, and St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London, but did not do well at either of the latter two institutions. After failing his exams, he had to leave St. Thomas's after a year. From this point on his father refused to subsidise him any more, so Fry found employment as a librarian and projectionist with the National Film Board of Canada. In 1952 he inherited some money from his grandmother, left his job and married, against his parents' wishes, Audrey Russell whom he had known at medical school. After spending all his money, and failing another degree, Fry became a schoolteacher at Wallop School in
Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...
, Surrey. In 1954, Fry began study of law and history at
St Catherine's College, Oxford St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is the newest college admitting both undergraduate and graduate students. Tracing its roots back to 1868 (although t ...
. Needing more money, he twice took part in the television game show ''
Double Your Money ''Double Your Money'' was a British quiz show hosted by Hughie Green. Originally broadcast on Radio Luxembourg since 1950 and based on the American radio quiz '' Take It Or Leave It'' (1940–1947), it transferred to ITV in September 1955, a ...
'', and won the jackpot of £512, making him something of a celebrity, and had his first book, ''Mysteries of History'', published, soon followed by a biography of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
. This was the start of a successful writing career, and over the years he wrote numerous popular books about history for adults and for children, as well as books about antiques. He started the Council for Independent Archaeology. Fry was a
Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
of the Royal Society of Arts. During the 1950s and 1960s, Fry worked as a public relations executive and, amongst other roles, served as an information officer for the Association of Architects and Surveyors and for the
Ministry of Public Building and Works Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
.


Personal life

Although Fry's professional life was successful, his personal life was unhappy. His first marriage to Audrey Russell was dissolved in 1957. The following year he married Daphne Elizabeth Caroline, daughter of Major (Hon. Lt-Col) Frederick Reginald Yorke, of a Yorkshire landed gentry family. However, she was soon diagnosed with an incurable form of kidney cancer, although Fry never let her know it. After her death in 1961, he set up a medical research trust in her memory. He then married Mrs Leri Butler (née Llywelyn-Jones), a divorcée (previously married to Pierce Alan Somerset David Butler, son of the 7th
Earl of Carrick Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...
); she was 24 years his senior. The marriage ended in divorce in 1973. The following year he married Fiona Whitcombe, who survived him. He was the victim of several car crashes, one of which made him reliant on the use of a wheelchair for many years.


Death

In 1996, Fry was told he was dying of
bowel cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
, but he refused treatment, and suffocated himself with a plastic bag at his home in Wattisfield, Suffolk at the age of 65, after writing a letter explaining his actions to the coroner.


Selected works

* ''Kings and Queens of England and Scotland'' * ''Castles: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland'' * ''The History of Scotland'' * ''The Roman World, 200 B.C.-A.D. 300'' * ''1000 Great Lives'' * ''The Tower of London: Cauldron of Britain's Past'' * ''The Zebra Book of Famous Women'' * ''Roman Britain''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset Fry, Plantagenet 1931 births 1996 suicides People from Mid Suffolk District Place of birth missing People educated at Lancing College Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford Alumni of St Thomas's Hospital Medical School 20th-century English writers Suicides in England 20th-century British historians 1996 deaths Suicides by asphyxiation