• Article |
• Discussion |
• Edit |
• History

JOHN MEADE FALKNER - 'MOONFLEET' AUTHOR TAUGHT AT DERBY SCHOOL

Our ever-expanding 'Famous Residents' section covers all manner of categories - born or resident in Derbyshire, died or buried in the county, or 'just pasing through'. One of the latter category was the celebrated polymath John Meade Falkner, author of the well-known novel Moonfleet. Here our literary detective Peter Seddon explores the link.

John Meade Falkner aged 25 in 1883, the year before he came to teach at Derby School

John Meade Falkner (1858 to 1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel Moonfleet. He was also an accomplished academic and an extremely successful businessman who became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth during World War I. A veritable polymath indeed.

He was born on 8 May 1858 at Manningford Bruce, Wiltshire, but spent much of his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth in Dorset. He was educated at Marlborough College (1873-77) and Hertford College, Oxford (1878-82), from where he graduated with a Third Class degree in history.

On leaving Oxford his path crossed that of a young Eton scholar John Noble in January 1883. Falkner was duly engaged by the boy's father Sir Andrew Noble to tutor him. The position was in Newcastle where Sir Andrew ran Armstrongs, one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Falkner eventually followed him as chairman in 1916, but in the meantime had forged a literary career too.

Derbyshire plays a small but pivotal part in the early stages of Falkner's working life, for when he had been tutor to the Noble family for little over a year he was offered an opportunity to teach at Derby School, a highly-respected establishment for boys which at that time was based at St. Helen's House, King Street, Derby.

Falkner accepted a 'temporary engagement' at Derby School for the summer term of 1884 - he was then aged 26, yet to be published as a serious author, and still unsure of his long-term plans.

The headmaster at that time was the Reverend Walter Clark - he was sufficiently impressed by Falkner to offer him a permanent teaching post.

Had Falkner accepted the offer he might well have become a career 'schoolmaster' and little else, for his close link with the Noble family would have been severed in favour of a more conventional working life. In the event Falkner thought long and hard about the possibility of staying in Derby, and discussed the matter with Andrew Noble.

Perhaps fearing he would 'lose his man' forever, Noble made a generous counter offer to Falkner to become permanent tutor to his family. Falkner decided to accept - thus it was that he left Derby Schoool and returned to Newcastle, a decision which shaped his life.

Freed of the everyday pressures of routine 'employment', he found time to write.

His first succes was the acclaimed supernatural 'ghost story' The Lost Stradivarius (1895). There is a suggestion in the narrative that Falkner drew on some of his most recent travelling experiences, for significant parts of the action take place at a large country house named 'Royston' in Derbyshire.

He continued writing thereafter and soon produced his best-known success, the classic smuggling yarn Moonfleet (1898). It is curious to note that Moonfleet was still being used as a set text in English Literature classes at Derby School in the 1970s - quite possibly established by long-tradition as a tacit nod to the Falkner link.

Falkner's loyalty to the noble family rather than Derby School also opened up the way for him to succeed in industry.

Besides his literary and commerce skills he also had a great interest in ancient history, and in his business travels around the world, Falkner brought back antiquarian treasures of all kinds.

After his retirement from business in 1921 he became Honorary Reader in Paleography at Durham University, as well as Honorary Librarian to the Dean and Chapter Library of Durham Cathedral.

Falkner fell in love with Durham and, although he spent his later years travelling frequently, he called Durham his home, living in the Divinity House on Palace Green in front of the cathedral from 1902 until his death in 1932.

There is a commemorative plaque there, while his monument is in the south cloister of the cathedral.

In addition to his three novels and his poetry, he also authored three topographical guides (Oxfordshire, Bath and Berkshire) and a History of Oxfordshire.

In the many biographical articles written about John Meade Falkner, his spell as a master at Derby School is touched upon only briefly. That is perfectly understandable, for his stay in Derby was a transitory one indeed.

Nevertheless he takes his place among Derbyshire's 'Famous Residents' with justification. And surely the county must take some small credit for his success - for had he enjoyed his time at Derby School that little bit more, he might have remained there indefinitely......to enjoy the undeniable delights of Derby but never to forge his celebrated career in literature and industry!

FEEDBACK

Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not comment on it? Perhaps you disagree with something in it, or you know something the writer doesn't and can add some extra facts. You may want to ask a question about this article. Making a contribution is easy - either click 'edit' to insert more information or 'discussion' and then 'add comment.' This is your site. Please feel free to use it to the full and share your memories, thoughts and knowledge about Derbyshire with others.

If there is no 'edit' link showing it means the article has either previously been published in the Derby Evening Telegraph, or it has been protected by the site administrator and cannot be edited.'

County:  Derbyshire

Return to You_and_Yesterday