Hugh Chesterman (1884 - 1941)

Born 20 Mar 1884 in Hampstead, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 3 Nov 1941 at age 57 in Hampton Gay, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Hugh Chesterman was a published children's author, poet and editor of a children's magazine, The Merry-Go-Round.

Hugh Chesterman was born in Middlesex, England.

Birth and Parentage

Hugh was born in Hampstead, London, England, on 20 March 1884, ^[1][2] the son of a London draper, and member of the Company of Drapers, Charles Chesterman ^[3]and his wife, Frances Elisabeth née Vlieland. He was baptised on 3 May 1884 at All Souls, Hampstead. ^[4]

He had an older sister, named Linda Frances. At the age of seven, in the 1891 census, he was living with his family in Willesden, Middlesex. ^[5]

He went to boarding school in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. ^[6] His father was obviously keen that Hugh follow in his footsteps and had his son received into the Company of Drapers on 17 April 1905. ^[7]Hugh however, had other ideas. Studying History and English at Cambridge, he went on to be ordained after theological training in Ely, where he was living when the 1911 census took place.^[8]He decided however, not to go into the church, and after serving in the Royal Berkshire Regiment in the First World War where he finished up as a Lieutenant, obtained a post at St Paul's Cathedral Choir School in about 1925.^[9]

Marriage and Family

He married Sylvia Wyse West in the church of Holy Trinity, Northwood, Hillingdon, on 5 June 1926.^[10][11]They had two daughters:^[9][12]

1. Jenifer^[9]
2. Elizabeth^[9]

Life and Career

Working with his friend Basil Blackwell, the Oxford Publisher, Hugh had a young assistant in Vivien Dayrell-Browning, who later married Graham Greene, the author. This has been said to have sparked some jealousy in Greene. ^[13]

Chestermann became an illustrator for children's books, including those of Enid Blyton. He was also a well-known writer in his time. He wrote humorous poetry, and was the editor of a popular children's magazine called 'The Merry-Go-Round'. ^[9][14]

Death

Hugh was 57 when he died. Although too old to take part in active duty, he served in the Second World War at the Islip Underground Fuel Storage Dump and lived at home in Islip, at a house named The Confessor's Gate ^[9] coupling his job with that of Education Officer to his battalion. ^[15]On 3 November 1941, he was out cycling along the Bicester/Oxford road to take a class at Kidlington when he was struck from behind by a car and killed instantly. ^[16]His wife recalled how he had been trying to attach a rear light to his bike before he had set off, but it was not in place after the accident and the coroner had no hesitation in exonerating the car driver.

He was buried on 7 November in Islip, Oxfordshire. ^{[17][18][19][20]}

Probate took place on 16 February 1942. Oddly, his widow's sister, Iris, was the main beneficiary. ^[21]

Sylvia Chesterman died on 20 June 1981.^[12]

Some of Chesterman's Books

• Quiristers or Paule's. A Historical Phantasy, Etc (W. Straker, 1922)
• In England Once (Oxford, 1926)
• Proud Sir Prim and other Verses (Oxford, 1926)
• The New Decamron (Ed. 1927)
• Hey Ho! Gammon and Spinach (W. Collins & Sons, 1927)
• The Odd Spot (Oxford, 1928)
• Kings and Other Things (Methuen & Co, 1931)
• The First Boy in the World and Other Stories from the Old Testament (1933)
• The Freedom of the Garden (Illustr. Oxford 1932)^[22]
• Short Play: The Pie and the Tart.^[23]
• The Highway. Illustr. W. Hodges. (1935)
• A Maid in Armour (London, 1936) (New York, 1936)
• Seven for a Secret (Oxford, 1936)
• Spanish Gold (Song, Mus. Howard Fisher. New York, Boosey and Hawkes Inc.) ^[24]
• Playing with History (1936, Teaching of English series, Plays)
• The Foundations of History, Book B. Father Time's Tales. (Illustr., 1938 ^[25]
• Crusaders (Oxford, 1946)
• Drums Across the Water (1939) (New York, 1939)
• Told in Sherwood (Nelson, 1952)^[26][27][9]

Poems

His poems were characterised by his natural gift for humour and rhythm, and reflected his love of history.

London Calling Christopher Wren^[28]

Clever men

Like Christopher Wren

Only occur just now and then.

No one expects

In perpetuity

Architects of his ingenuity;

No, never a cleverer dipped his pen

Than clever Sir Christopher - Christopher Wren,

With his chaste designs

On classical lines,

His elegant curves and neat inclines.

For all day long he'd measure and limn

Till the ink gave out or the light grew dim.

And if a Plan

Seemed rather baroque or too 'Queen Anne'

(As Plans well may),

He'd take a look

At his pattern book

And do it again in a different way.

Every day of the week was filled

With a church to mend or a church to build,

And never went by an hour but when

London needed Sir Christopher Wren.

'Bride's in Fleet Street lacks a spire

Mary-le-Bow a nave and choir.'

'Please to send the plans complete

For a new Saint Stephen's, Coleman Street.'

'Pewterer's Hall is much too tall,

Kindly lower the NW wall.'

'Salisbury Square,

Decidedly bare

Can you put one of your churches there?'

Dome of St Paul's is not yet done,

Dean's been waiting since half-past one

London calling from ten till ten,

London calling Christopher Wren!

Another example is King Charles the First - easy to memorise and useful for remembering details about the prelude to the English Civil War. English school children were still learning this poem in the 1970s.

King Charles the First^[29]

King Charles the First to Parliament came,

Five good Parliament men to claim;

King Charles he had them each by name:

Denzyl Holles and Jonathan Pym,

And William Strode and after him,

Arthur Hazelrigg Esquire

And Hampden, Gent, of Buckinghamshire.

The man at the gate said ‘Tickets, please,’

Said Charles, ‘I’ve come for the five M.P.’s.’

The Porter said ‘Which?’ and Charles said ‘These:

Denzyl Holles and Jonathan Pym,

And William Strode and after him,

Arthur Hazelrigg Esquire

And Hampden, Gent, of Buckinghamshire.’

In at the great front door he went,

The great front door of Parliament,

While, out at the back with one consent

Went Denzyl Holles and Jonathan Pym,

And William Strode and after him,

Arthur Hazelrigg, Esquire

And Hampden, Gent, of Buckinghamshire.

Into the street strode Charles the First,

His nose was high and his lips were pursed,

While, laugh till their rebel sides near burst, did

Denzyl Holles and Jonathan Pym,

And William Strode, and after him

Arthur Hazelrigg Esquire,

And Hampden, Gent, of Buckinghamshire.

Sources

1. ↑ Hugh Chesterman 1884 in England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
2. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915. Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
3. ↑ Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
4. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the London, England, Church of England, Births and Baptisms 1813-1923). Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
5. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in household of Charles F Chesterman, Willesden, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom. England and Wales Census, 1891. FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing PRO RG 12, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
6. ↑ Hugh Chesterman, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; 1901 England, Scotland and Wales census, citing Worksop subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. England and Wales Census, 1901. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
7. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930. Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
8. ↑ Hugh Chesterman, Ely St Mary, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom; from 1911 England and Wales census, citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. England and Wales Census, 1911. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 NOv 2022.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6} Hugh Chesterman in Jerome Nicholas Vlieland Blog. Retrieved from jnvlieland blogspot (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
10. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938. Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
11. ↑ Hugh Chesterman and null, 1926; in England and Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005, citing 1926, quarter 2, vol. 3A, p. 77, Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Family Knowledge from Jerome Nicholas Vlieland. Sylvia Wyse West. Retrieved from Jerome Nicholas Vlieland Blogspot (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
13. ↑ Sherry, Norman (2016)., The Life of Graham Greene (Vol 1.) (1904-1939). Random House. Retrieved from Google Books (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
14. ↑ Gardner, Emelyn E., (1927)., A Handbook Of Children's Literature, Methods And Materials. Retrieved from the Internet Archive (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
15. ↑ Retrieved from 28 days later (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
16. ↑ Gloucestershire Echo. Tuesday 4 Nov 1941. Retrieved from the British Newspaper Archive (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
17. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1965. Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
18. ↑ Retrieved from Find A Grave (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
19. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images; Memorial page for Lieut Hugh Chesterman (20 Mar 1884–3 Nov 1941), Find a Grave Memorial ID 59035422, citing St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Islip, Cherwell District, Oxfordshire, England; Maintained by Wertypop (contributor 46806984). Retrieved from Find A Grave (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
20. ↑ Hugh Chesterman in the England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976. Retrieved from Ancestry Sharing (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
21. ↑ Hugh Chesterman, 16 February 1942 in England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957. FamilySearch Online Database, citing Probate, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
22. ↑ Biblio. Tweedsmuir, Susan., The Freedom of the Garden. Retrieved from Biblio (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
23. ↑ KTBS 10th Language English, (p.79)., Retrieved from (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
24. ↑ American University Digital Research Archive. Spanish Gold. Retrieved from Audra (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
25. ↑ Watson, George, Willison, Ian. R., (1972)., The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, Band 4. CUP Archive. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
26. ↑ Books by Hugh Chesterman. Retrieved from Biblio (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
27. ↑ Works by Hugh Chesterman. List. Retrieved from Google books (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
28. ↑ Sir Christopher Wren by Hugh Chesterman. Retrieved from (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.
29. ↑ King Charles the First. by Hugh Chesterman. Retrieved from (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.

• Book Illustrator: Retrieved from Google books (Here;) Accessed 1 Nov 2022.
• Inspirations from the Bookshelf. Hugh Chesterman and Dr Seuss. Retrieved from words and pics (Here;) Accessed 2 Nov 2022.