Frank Hird
Frank Hird Westminster, London | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) | Writer, journalist |
Spouse |
Gladys Sinclair
(m. 1921–1937) |
Partner | Lord Ronald Gower |
Robert Francis Hird
Early life
Robert Francis Hird was born in 1873 in Hull, England, the son of James Hird.[1]
At first he was the secretary of Henry Thring, 1st Baron Thring, but he later became a journalist and author.[2]
Relationship with Lord Ronald Gower
Frank Hird met
About them, Oscar Wilde remarked, on one occasion, "Frank may be seen, but not Hird."[4] The nickname of Hird was "The Bébé" (he also signed his letters like this).[2] They lived together and to regularize their relationship, Gower took the unusual step of legally adopting Hird.[5][dubious – discuss]
Later in life Gower bought Hammerfield, a large Victorian house at Penshurst, Kent.
On 15 November 1914, Hird organized a concert at the Pump Room on The Pantiles, in Tunbridge Wells, for the Belgian Colony who lived there. Nearly 600 people, mostly Belgians, attended and the Kent & Sussex Courier described it as "a gathering unique in the history of the town". The entire programme was in French, and one of the attendees told Hird that it was "just like being at home".[7]
In November 1914, Hird volunteered at West Hall VAD Hospital, and in October 1915, he was appointed Secretary to the newly opened Kingswood Park VAD Hospital. From 1917-1918, during
Later life
Gower died in 1916 and in 1920, Hird proposed to Delia Whitaker, one of Gower's friends, but she rejected him.[8] By 1921, Hird was engaged to "a nice young lady, suitable in every way and with money", Gladys Sinclair. Or so he thought. She was actually 42, 6 years younger than Hird at the time, and not so wealthy. The marriage, which took place on 5 July 1921, was suggested by her uncle, Colonel Hugh Sinclair.[2] Gladys Sinclair (d. 6 May 1943) was the daughter of Walter Sinclair and Kathleen Dickinson.[1]
Hird died on 2 November 1937 in
Works
- Fries Good Angel, a one-act comedy, by Frank Hird and Cecil Crofton, produced by Percy Alarshall at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, on 23 May 1894
- The Revenge of Elspeth Donnacombe, short story, 4 May 1895
- A Day of Solitude Royal, short story, 19 October 1895
- Venetian Beads, published in The Girl's Own Paper, 1 February 1896
- The Saunterers, short story, 11 April 1896
- The Binding of a Book (1897)
- A Feminine Impulse, short story, 17 July 1897
- The Cry of the Children: An Exposure of Certain British Industries in Which Children are Iniquitously Employed (1898)
- Rosa Bonheur (1904)
- Mrs Ashley's Opinion (1904), a costume play
- Victoria the Woman (1908)
- The Deeper Stain (1909)
- The Romance of a Great Singer – A Memoir of Mario, with Mrs Godfrey Pearse (1910)
- Lancashire Stories: Containing All That Appeals To The Heart And The Imagination In The Lancashire Of To-Day And Of Many Yesterdays (c.1912)
- The Bannantyne Sapphires (1928)
- The fourth road (1934)
- H. M. Stanley. The authorized life, the biography of Henry Morton Stanley, (1935)
References
- ^ a b c Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
- ^ ISBN 9780571288922. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ISBN 0472030000. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Hyde, H. Montgomery (1970), The Love That Dared not Speak its Name, Little, Brown, p. 156
- ^ ISBN 9781405527163. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Colossal Fraud - sab 15 feb 1913 Page 11". The West Australian: 11. 1913. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ a b "King's Day 15th November 1914". BelgiansRTW. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ ""CARISSIMA MAMMA". LETTERE DI NORINA E DELIA A TINA WHITAKER". fondazionewhitaker. Retrieved 5 January 2018.