Alfred George Gardiner (2 June 1865 – 3 March 1946) was an English journalist, editor and author. His essays, written under the alias "Alpha of the Plough", are highly regarded.[3] He was also Chairman of the National Anti-Sweating League, an advocacy group which campaigned for a minimum wage in industry.[4]
Gardiner was born in Chelmsford, the son of Henry James Gardiner, a cabinet-maker and alcoholic,[citation needed] and his wife, Susanna Taylor.[5] As a boy he worked at the Chelmsford Chronicle and the Bournemouth Directory. He joined the Northern Daily Telegraph in 1887 which had been founded the year before by Thomas Purvis Ritzema. In 1899, he was appointed editor of the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph.[6]
Editor of the Daily Newsedit
In 1902 Ritzema was named general manager of the Daily News. Needing an editor, he turned to his young protégé to fill the role. The choice soon proved a great success; under Gardiner's direction, it became one of the leading liberal journals of its day, as he improved its coverage of both the news and literary matters while crusading against social injustices. Yet while circulation rose from 80,000 when he joined the paper to 151,000 in 1907 and 400,000 with the introduction of a Manchester edition in 1909, the paper continued to run at a loss.
Though close to the owner of the Daily News, George Cadbury, Gardiner resigned in 1919 over a disagreement with him over Gardiner's opposition to David Lloyd George.[6]
Essayistedit
From 1915 he contributed to The Star under the pseudonym Alpha of the Plough.[6] At the time The Star had several anonymous essayists whose pseudonyms were the names of stars. Invited to choose the name of a star as a pseudonym he chose the name of the brightest (alpha) star in the constellation "the Plough." His essays are uniformly elegant, graceful and humorous. His uniqueness lay in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy and amusing manner. The collections Pillars of Society, Pebbles on the Shore, Many Furrows and Leaves in the Wind are some of his best-known writings.
A reviewer of Pebbles on the Shore said Gardiner wrote with "fluency, deftness, lightness, grace, and usually a very real sparkle".[7] The end of the essay "The Vanity of Old Age" is typically neat: "For Nature is a cunning nurse. She gives us lollipops all the way, and when the lollipop of hope and the lollipop of achievement are done, she gently inserts in our toothless gums the lollipop of remembrance. And with that pleasant vanity we are soothed to sleep."[8]
Pebbles on the Shore (writing as "Alpha of the Plough") (1916) ( A later edition, released in 1927 by J. M. Dent, was illustrated by renowned artist, Charles E. Brock.)
Windfalls (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1920)
Leaves in the Wind (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1920)
The Anglo-American Future (1920)
What I saw in Germany: letters from Germany and Austria (1920)
Life of George Cadbury (1923)
The Life of Sir William Harcourt (2 vols.) (1923)
Many Furrows (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1924)
John Benn and the Progressive Movement (1925)
Portraits and Portents (1926)
Certain People of Importance (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1929)
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alfred George Gardiner.
^London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932
^. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
^Black, Clementina (1907). Sweated Industry and the Minimum Wage. London: Duckworth & Co. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
^Essex, England, Select Church of England Parish Registers, 1518-1960
^ abc"Gardiner, Alfred George, 1865-1946, Author and Journalist". British Library of Political and Economic Science. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
^Alpha of the Plough, "The Vanity of Old Age", Windfalls, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London, 1920, p. 17.
^Howson, Susan (2011). Lionel Robbins. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 58. ISBN9781139501095.
Further readingedit
Koss, Stephen (1973). Fleet Street Radical: A.G. Gardiner and the Daily News. London: Allen Lane.
Koss, Stephen (1984). The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain, vol. 2: The Twentieth Century. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Alfred George Gardiner.
May 10, 2024
alfred, george, gardiner, june, 1865, march, 1946, english, journalist, editor, author, essays, written, under, alias, alpha, plough, highly, regarded, also, chairman, national, anti, sweating, league, advocacy, group, which, campaigned, minimum, wage, industr. Alfred George Gardiner 2 June 1865 3 March 1946 was an English journalist editor and author His essays written under the alias Alpha of the Plough are highly regarded 3 He was also Chairman of the National Anti Sweating League an advocacy group which campaigned for a minimum wage in industry 4 A G GardinerBornAlfred George Gardiner2 June 1865 1 Chelmsford Essex EnglandDied3 March 1946 1946 03 03 aged 80 Buckingham Buckinghamshire EnglandOther names Alpha of the Plough Occupation s Journalist editor and authorSpouseAda Claydon m 1888 wbr 2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Editor of the Daily News 3 Essayist 4 Family 5 Books 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life editGardiner was born in Chelmsford the son of Henry James Gardiner a cabinet maker and alcoholic citation needed and his wife Susanna Taylor 5 As a boy he worked at the Chelmsford Chronicle and the Bournemouth Directory He joined the Northern Daily Telegraph in 1887 which had been founded the year before by Thomas Purvis Ritzema In 1899 he was appointed editor of the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph 6 Editor of the Daily News editIn 1902 Ritzema was named general manager of the Daily News Needing an editor he turned to his young protege to fill the role The choice soon proved a great success under Gardiner s direction it became one of the leading liberal journals of its day as he improved its coverage of both the news and literary matters while crusading against social injustices Yet while circulation rose from 80 000 when he joined the paper to 151 000 in 1907 and 400 000 with the introduction of a Manchester edition in 1909 the paper continued to run at a loss Though close to the owner of the Daily News George Cadbury Gardiner resigned in 1919 over a disagreement with him over Gardiner s opposition to David Lloyd George 6 Essayist editFrom 1915 he contributed to The Star under the pseudonym Alpha of the Plough 6 At the time The Star had several anonymous essayists whose pseudonyms were the names of stars Invited to choose the name of a star as a pseudonym he chose the name of the brightest alpha star in the constellation the Plough His essays are uniformly elegant graceful and humorous His uniqueness lay in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy and amusing manner The collections Pillars of Society Pebbles on the Shore Many Furrows and Leaves in the Wind are some of his best known writings A reviewer of Pebbles on the Shore said Gardiner wrote with fluency deftness lightness grace and usually a very real sparkle 7 The end of the essay The Vanity of Old Age is typically neat For Nature is a cunning nurse She gives us lollipops all the way and when the lollipop of hope and the lollipop of achievement are done she gently inserts in our toothless gums the lollipop of remembrance And with that pleasant vanity we are soothed to sleep 8 Family editWith his wife Ada Gardiner had six children 9 Stella Mallon wife of James Joseph Mallon Clive Gardiner father of Patrick Gardiner and Stephen Gardiner Gwen Gardiner Iris Robbins wife of Lionel Robbins Phyllis Gardiner Gilbert GardinerBooks editProphets Priests and Kings 1908 Pillars of Society 1913 The War Lords 1915 Pebbles on the Shore writing as Alpha of the Plough 1916 A later edition released in 1927 by J M Dent was illustrated by renowned artist Charles E Brock Windfalls as Alpha of the Plough 1920 Leaves in the Wind as Alpha of the Plough 1920 The Anglo American Future 1920 What I saw in Germany letters from Germany and Austria 1920 Life of George Cadbury 1923 The Life of Sir William Harcourt 2 vols 1923 Many Furrows as Alpha of the Plough 1924 John Benn and the Progressive Movement 1925 Portraits and Portents 1926 Certain People of Importance as Alpha of the Plough 1929 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alfred George Gardiner 1939 England and Wales Register London England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 1932 A G Gardiner On Saying Please Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 28 February 2014 Black Clementina 1907 Sweated Industry and the Minimum Wage London Duckworth amp Co Retrieved 24 September 2011 Essex England Select Church of England Parish Registers 1518 1960 a b c Gardiner Alfred George 1865 1946 Author and Journalist British Library of Political and Economic Science Archived from the original on 23 December 2012 Retrieved 22 February 2009 Among the Books The Sun 3 1 March 1917 Alpha of the Plough The Vanity of Old Age Windfalls J M Dent amp Sons Ltd London 1920 p 17 Howson Susan 2011 Lionel Robbins Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 58 ISBN 9781139501095 Further reading editKoss Stephen 1973 Fleet Street Radical A G Gardiner and the Daily News London Allen Lane Koss Stephen 1984 The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain vol 2 The Twentieth Century Chapel Hill NC University of North Carolina Press External links editWorks by Alfred George Gardiner at Project Gutenberg Works by Alfred George Gardiner at Faded Page Canada Works by or about Alfred George Gardiner at Internet Archive Works by Alfred George Gardiner at LibriVox public domain audiobooks nbsp Portrait of Gardiner at the National Portrait Gallery Media offices Preceded byR C Lehmann Editor of The Daily News1902 1920 Succeeded byStuart Hodgson nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Alfred George Gardiner Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alfred George Gardiner amp oldid 1176646696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
