Walter John de la Mare (1873 - 1956)

Born 25 Apr 1873 in Charlton, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Constance Elfrida (Ingpen) de la Mare — married 7 Aug 1899 in St Mary, Battersea, London, England

Descendants

Died 22 Jun 1956 at age 83 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England

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Biography

Walter de la Mare is Notable.

Walter de la Mare was born in Kent, England.

Walter de la Mare was an English poet, novelist, and short story writer. His noted works include the iconic poem 'The Listeners', stories and poems for children, and psychological horror stories. The Poetry Foundation notes that 'Walter de la Mare is considered one of modern literature's chief exemplars of the romantic imagination. His complete works form a sustained treatment of romantic themes: dreams, death, rare states of mind and emotion, fantasy worlds of childhood, and the pursuit of the transcendent'. ^[1]

Childhood and Youth

Walter was born on 25 April 1873 in Charlton, Kent to James Delamare and Lucy (Browning) Delamare. ^[2] He was baptised on 25th May 1873 at St. Judes, Peckham. His father was recorded as a gentleman. ^[3] James Delamare worked in the Bank of England as principal of the accountant's bank note office. ^[4] His family were descended from French Huguenot silk merchants, and Walter was later to re-instate the French form of their name. ^[4]

Walter had two brothers, Francis Arthur Edward and James Herbert, and four sisters Florence Mary, Constance Eliza, Ethel (who died in infancy), and Ada Mary.^[5]

James Delamare died in 1877, when Walter was only 4 years old.^[6]

In 1881 Walter was 7, and he living at 5 Bovill Road, Sydenham, with his widowed mother and siblings. ^[7]

Household Members:

Lucy S. De La Mare 43 Widow, Annuitant born Sussex Brighton

Florence M. De La Mare 19 S. Daur. Annuitant born Kent Charlton

Constance L. De La Mare 15 S. Daur born Kent Charlton

Walter J. De La Mare 7 S. Son born Kent Charlton

Ada M. De La Mare 5 S. Daur born Kent Charlton

Martha J. Walston 20 S. Friend born Kent Plumstead

John J. Rowley 32 S Visitor Engineer & draughtsman born Somerset Bristol

Walter attended St Paul's Cathedral School, where he was a chorister. ^[4] He left school in 1890 and joined the statistics department of the Anglo-American Oil Company, where he stayed for 18 years. ^[4]

The 1891 Census shows Walter living at No 12 Estcourt Road, Battersea. In the household were his mother Lucy, who was living on her own means; his brother James, 21, who was working as a bank clerk; and his sister Ada, 15, who had no occupation recorded. Walter himself was now 17, and also working as a clerk - this would have been his job at the Anglo-American Oil Company. ^[8]

Marriage and Family

On 7 August 1899, in the parish of St Mary, Battersea, Walter married Constance Ingpen, the daughter of William Alfred Ingpen, a deceased civil servant: ^[9] William's role had been clerk to the insolvent debtors' court and clerk of the rules. ^[4]

Walter and Constance had two daughters and two sons:

• Florence Elizabeth, born 1899 ^[10]
• Richard Herbert, born 1901^[11]
• Lucy Elfrida, born 1903 ^[12]
• Colin Francis, born 1906 ^[13]

In 1901 Walter and Constance were living at 198 Mackenzie Road Beckenham, Kent with their first child, 1-year-old Florence. Walter was still working as a commercial clerk. ^[14]

In 1908 Henry Newbolt, the government advisor and influential poet, novelist and historian, was able to secure for Walter a grant of £200, allowing him to take the risk of becoming a full-time writer. ^[4]

By the time of the 1911 Census, the three younger children, Richard, Lucy and Colin, had been born. The family were living at 5 Worbeck Road, Anerley South East London. Walter given up his job at the Anglo-American Oil Company and was supporting his family through his writing, recording his occupation as 'Author'. His daughter Florence, now 11, was described as a student. The family also had a 14 year-old domestic servant, Rose Fitsall, living with them. ^[15] The de la Mares son Richard, who was 9 at the time of the census, was to become the chairman of the publishing house Faber and Faber, and publisher of many of his father's works. ^[4]

In 1915 Henry Newbolt was able to further help Walter by arranging a civil list pension.^[4][5]

By 1939 Walter and Constance were living at Hill House, Eton. With them was their daughter Lucy, now Ringwood, and Walter's aunt Ada Ingpen. Walter was once more recorded as an author. ^[16]

In 1940 Walter and Constance moved to South End House, Montpelier Row, Twickenham, Middlesex, where they were both to live for the rest of their lives. ^[4] Constance, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1940, had passed away in 1943. Walter remained living at South End House until his own death in 1956. ^[5]

Death

Walter passed away on 22 June 1956 from a coronary thrombosis. ^{[17] [18]} He left an estate valued at £14872 14s 7d. ^[18]

Honours

• Companion of Honour (1948)
• Order of Merit (1953)

Honorary Degrees from:

• University of St Andrews (1924)
• University of Bristol (1929)
• University of Cambridge (1935)
• University of London (1948)
• University of Oxford (1951)

Honorary Fellowship:

• Keble College, Oxford (1944) ^[4]

Literary Award:

• Awarded the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature (1947)
  for his Collected Stories for Children.^[5]

Selected Works

Novels

• Henry Brocken (1904)
• The Three Mulla Mulgars (1910)
• The Return (1910)
• Memoirs of a Midget (1921)
• Mr. Bumps and His Monkey (1942)

Short Stories

• 15 Short Story Collections published between 1923 and 1971, including the Carnegie Award winning Collected Stories for Children.
• 3 Volumes of Collected Short Stories: 1996. 2000, 2006

Poetry Collections

• 15 Poetry collections published between 1902 and 1952
• Walter de la Mare: The Complete Poems, ed. Giles de la Mare (1969)

Other Works

He also wrote a play, several books of non-fiction, including a study of the author Lewis Carroll, and edited several anthologies. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Poetry Foundation: Entry for Walter de la Mare. Accessed 7 February 2020
2. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Births. Record for: DE LA MARE, WALTER JOHN (Mother BROWNING) GRO Reference: 1873 J Quarter in WOOLWICH UNION Volume 01D Page 871
3. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p73/jud/003. Baptism - Name: Walter John Delamare Gender: Male Record Type: Baptism Baptism Date: 25 May 1873 Baptism Place: Peckham St Jude, Southwark, England Father: James Edward Delamare Mother: Lucy Sophia Delamare Register Type: Parish Registers Ancestry Record 1558 #2306979
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9} Whistler, Theresa, Entry for Walter John de la Mare in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (2004/2006) Accessed online 7 Feb 2020.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Wikipedia contributors, "Walter de la Mare," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_de_la_Mare&oldid=937571354 (accessed February 7, 2020).
6. ↑ Probate - Name: James Edward De La Mare Death Date: 13 Oct 1877 Death Place: Kent, England Probate Date: 27 Oct 1877 Probate Registry: Principal Registry
7. ↑ 1881 - Registration district: Lewisham Sub registration district: Sydenham ED, institution, or vessel: 19 Piece: 739 Folio: 79 Page Number: 40 Ancestry Record 7572 #7803192
8. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 438; Folio: 118; Page: 25; GSU roll: 6095548 Ancestry Record 6598 #20073569
9. ↑ Marriage - Name: Walter John Dela Mare (Clerk of Gayville Road) Gender: Male Marriage Age: 26 Record Type: Marriage Birth Date: abt 1873 Marriage Date: 7 Aug 1899 Marriage Place: St Mary, Battersea, Wandsworth, England Father: James Edward Dela Mare Deceased, clerk Spouse: Constance Elfrida Ingpen aged 36 of Keildon Road (father William Alfred Ingpen, civil servant) Register Type: Parish Register Ancestry Record LMAmarriages #88591
10. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Births. Record for: DE LA MARE, FLORENCE ELIZABETH (Mother INGPEN) GRO Reference: 1899 D Quarter in BROMLEY Volume 02A Page 454
11. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Births. Record for: DE LA MARE, RICHARD HERBERT INGPEN (Mother INGPEN) GRO Reference: 1901 S Quarter in BROMLEY Volume 02A Page 494
12. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Births. Record for: DE LA MARE, LUCY ELFRIDA (Mother INGPEN) GRO Reference: 1903 D Quarter in BROMLEY Volume 02A Page 516
13. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Births. Record for: DE LA MARE, COLIN FRANCIS (Mother INGPEN) GRO Reference: 1906 M Quarter in BROMLEY Volume 02A Page 560
14. ↑ 1901 - Registration district: Bromley Sub-registration district: Beckenham ED, institution, or vessel: 13 Piece: 689 Folio: 9 Page Number: 10 Household schedule number: 59. Ancestry Record 7814 #5192834
15. ↑ 1911 Census of England and Wales- Registration district: Croydon Registration District Number: 39 Sub-registration district: Penge ED, institution, or vessel: 13 Piece: 3417 Ancestry Record 2352 #41999059
16. ↑ 1939 Register - Schedule Number: 26 Sub Schedule Number: 1 Enumeration District: DWJC Registration district: 144/2 Ancestry Record 61596 #1532939
17. ↑ General Register Office for England and Wales, Index of Deaths. Record for: DE LA MARE, WALTER JOHN Age 83 GRO Reference: 1956 J Quarter in MIDDLESEX SOUTH Volume 05F Page 27
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} PROBATE: DE LA MARE Walter John O.M. of Southend House Montpelier Row Twickenham Middlesex died 22 June 1956 Probate London 15 October to Richard Herbert Ingpen De La Mare publisher and Florence Elizabeth Thompson widow. Effects £14872 14s 7d. Name: Walter John De La Mare, Death Date: 22 Jun 1956, Death Place: Middlesex, England, Probate Date: 15 Oct 1956, Probate Registry: London, England

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q981086, en:Wikipedia
• The Listeners at the Poetry Foundation
• Critical Appreciation and Complete List of Works at the Poetry Foundation
• Wikidata: Item Q981086, en:Wikipedia
• Beth Britten's biography of her brother Benjamin Britten the composer, entitled 'My Brother Benjamin', published by The Kensal Press in 1986 (ISBN 0-946041-40-7), includes extensive family trees. Hundreds of friends, professional connections and people in the 'music world' are also mentioned in the text.'My Brother Benjamin' by his sister Beth Britten