William Laird Clowes
William Laird Clowes (born February 1, 1856 in Hampstead , † August 14, 1905 in St-Leonards-on-Sea , East Sussex ) was a British author and journalist.
Life
Clowes attended Aldenham School ( Hertfordshire ) and then studied at King's College ( University of London ). He had already tried his hand at writing during his school days and was able to successfully debut in 1876 with “Meroë” (a love story).
To complete his training, Clowes moved to Lincoln's Inn on April 16, 1877 . At the same time, he occasionally wrote for various magazines and newspapers. Encouraged by this success, he left the Lincoln's Inn with effect from March 11, 1879 and from then on devoted himself only to writing.
By 1882, Clowes wrote for several rural magazines and newspapers. That year he married Ethel Mary Louise, a daughter of Lewis Edwards of Mitcham and had a son, Geoffrey (* 1883). He and his family settled in London . Under the pseudonym Nautilus he wrote for the "Army & Navy Gazette"; preferably via the Royal Navy . He was very interested in the political and social realities of the USA . In 1890 he toured the southern states and was then able to publish an extremely controversial essay - "Black America" - in The Times . This article was later published in an expanded form in bookshops.
In 1900 he was appointed to the Institute of Naval Architects and the Royal United Service Institution asked for his assistance.
After some preparatory work, Clowes decided to give up his job and work exclusively as a writer. From this time on, his main work "The Royal Navy" was created. Due to illness, Clowes spent a long time in Davos ( Switzerland ). William Laird Clowes died on August 14, 1905 at the age of 49 on his estate at Eversleigh Gardens in St-Leonards-on-Sea.
Honors
- In 1902 he was knighted by King Edward VII ( Knight Bachelor )
Fonts (selection)
Clowe's works of fiction were subject to the style of the time and had little, if any, success. His socially critical work "Black America" is very noteworthy, as he denounces racial segregation with clear words and warns of possible racial unrest and a resulting civil war. His seven-volume work on the Royal Navy is considered a magnum opus .
- Fiction
- The captain of the "Mary Rose". A tale of tomorrow . Routledge, London 2007, ISBN 978-0-415-19290-3 (reprint of the London 1894 edition).
- The lover's progress. Poems . Cassell, London 1881.
- Meroë. A poem in six books . Wakeham Books, London 1876.
- Non-fiction
- All about the Royal Navy . Cassell, London 1891
- Black America. A study of the ex-slave and his late master . University Press, Westport, Conn. 1970, ISBN 0-8371-3588-5 (reprint of the London 1891 edition)
- Four modern naval campaigns. Historical, strategic, and tactical . Unit Library, London 1902
- The naval campaign of Lissa , 1866 . Potsdam Flags & Publ., Sheffield 2003, ISBN 1-900688-14-X (reprint of the London 1906 edition)
- The Royal Navy. A History From the Earliest Times to Present. Sampson Low, Marston and Company, 1897-1903 London. 7 volumes (digital copies: Volume 1 , Volume 2 , Volume 3 , Volume 4 , Volume 5 , Volume 6 , Volume 7 ). Reprint 1997, ISBN 1-86176-015-9 .
literature
- SE Fryer: Clowes, Sir William Laird . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Vol. 12 , London 2004.
Individual evidence
- ^ Ten essays that appeared in The Times in November and December 1890
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Clowes, William Laird |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British author and journalist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 1, 1856 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hampstead |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 14, 1905 |
| Place of death | St-Leonards-on-Sea , East Sussex |