Robert Von Ranke Graves (1895 - 1985)

Ancestors

Robert Graves was a writer who published novels, poems and a comprehensive work on Greek mythology.

Biography

Born in Wimbledon, Surrey, England in 1895, his birth was registered in the third quarter of that year. ^[1] His parents were Alfred Perceval Graves and his second wife, Amalie Elisabeth Sophie von Ranke.

Robert first appeared on the 1901 census, living at 1 Lauriston Road, Wimbledon, Surrey, England with his parents, siblings, and several servants. These included a cook, a housemaid, a parlourmaid, "lady nurse" and a sick nurse. ^[2] The fact that there was a 'sick nurse' living in the household may refer to the measles, followed by double pneumonia which Robert suffered as a little boy, almost ending his life.

Nevertheless, Robert was sent to boarding school (Charterhouse School), and appears there on the 1911 census, in Godalming, Surrey, England. ^[3]

When World War I began in 1914, Robert enlisted almost immediately. He was first billeted with the Third Battalion of the Royal Welch [sic] Fusiliers as a second lieutenant. He then became lieutenant and Captain in 1915, and quickly established himself as a war poet; he became friends with Siegfried Sassoon. Later, he also became friends with Wilfred Owen, another war poet. Robert was severely wounded at the Battle of the Somme (so severely, that he was reported as having died from his wounds). He spent the remainder of the war in England.

I thought of going back to France, but realized the absurdity of the notion. Since 1916, the fear of gas obsessed me: any unusual smell, even a sudden strong scent of flowers in a garden, was enough to send me trembling. And I couldn't face the sound of heavy shelling now; the noise of a car back-firing would send me flat on my face, or running for cover. Robert Graves

In 1918 he married Nancy Nicholson, ^[4] but the marriage eventually broke down, due in part to an increasing closeness with the American poet Laura Riding.

He never fully recovered from his 'shell shock' and described himself thus:

Very thin, very nervous and with about four years' loss of sleep to make up, I was waiting until I got well enough to go to Oxford on the Government educational grant. I knew that it would be years before I could face anything but a quiet country life. My disabilities were many: I could not use a telephone, I felt sick every time I travelled by train, and to see more than two new people in a single day prevented me from sleeping. I felt ashamed of myself as a drag on Nancy, but had sworn on the very day of my demobilization never to be under anyone's orders for the rest of my life. Somehow I must live by writing.

In 1919, he began studying English Language and Literature at Oxford University, becoming friends with "T E" Lawrence. He failed his BA, but was allowed to convert it to a BLitt, then took up a teaching post as Professor of English Literature at Cairo University.

Robert Graves, 1929

Upon returning to Britain, he met (and later married) his second wife, (who had been divorced from historian Alan Hodge) ^[5] and the couple moved to Spain.

Robert turned down a CBE in 1957. He was Oxford Professor of Poetry from 1961 to 1966, ^[6] communicating frequently with Spike Milligan.He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962, but was rejected because he was seen mainly as a poet.

Robert Graves became ill in the 1970s, and grew increasingly frail until his death from heart failure at the age of 90. He was buried in Deià, Spain, and his second wife was later buried with him.

Grave of Robert Graves, 1985

Bibliography

For complete bibliography, please see freespace page

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales birth registration: Kingston on Thames [district], Volume 2a, Page 326, September quarter 1895, mother's maiden name VON-RANKE
   GRO online
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9XX-NQS : 20 May 2019), Robert Ranke Graves in household of Alfred Perceval Graves, Wimbledon, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Wimbledon subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW8H-GRL : 7 July 2019), Robert Von Ranke Graves, Godalming, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ Marriages (Parish Register) England. St James, Piccadilly, Middlesex. 1918. GRAVES, Robert Ranke and NICHOLSON, Annie Mary Prydie. Collection: Westminster Marriages. City of Westminster Archives Centre. findmypast : accessed 11 October 2018.
5. ↑ GRO Consular Marriages (1849-1965). Palma, Spain. 1946-1950. GRAVES, Robert R and GRAVES, Beryl A. Ref: MCON. Vol. 44. p. 403. Line: 80. British Armed Forces And Overseas Banns And Marriages. findmypast : accessed 29 April 2020.
6. ↑ Wikipedia: Oxford Professor of Poetry

See Also:

• Wikipedia: Robert_Graves