Ralph Hale MottramFRSL (30 October 1883 – 16 April 1971) was an English writer. A lifelong resident of Norfolk, he was well known as a novelist, in particular for his "Spanish Farm trilogy",[1] and as a poet of World War I.
Mottram was born in Norwich, Norfolk, the oldest son of James Mottram and his second wife, Fanny Ann (nee Hale). The Mottrams were non-conformist and worshipped at the Octagon Chapel in Colegate.[2] He grew up in Bank House, a George II mansion on Bank Plain, the headquarters of Gurney's Bank, later taken over by Barclays Bank (and now a youth centre). He was educated at the City of Norwich School. Mottram's father James was the chief clerk of Gurney's Bank, and was trustee of the marriage settlement of Ada Galsworthy, wife of novelist John Galsworthy. Ada encouraged the young Ralph Mottram to begin writing, and he published two slim volumes of poetry which appeared in 1907 and 1909 under the pseudonym of "J. Marjoram".[3] He remained close friends of the Galsworthys and would later write personal portraits of them.
First World Waredit
Mottram was posted to the Western Front with the 9th Norfolk Regiment, the 6th Division of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in October 1915, where he took part in defending the Ypres Salient. After intermittent periods of hospitalisation, his proficiency in the French language earned him a position as a Divisional Claims Officer. Eventually he was assigned to the Claims Commission's HQ at Boulogne and was promoted to lieutenant. In 1918 he married Margaret (Madge) Allan. They had two sons and a daughter and were married for over fifty years.
Careeredit
Mottram went from being a bank clerk in Norwich before the war, to becoming Lord Mayor of the city in 1953, the year of the Queen'scoronation. He had begun working at Gurney's Bank in December 1899, and after the war continued to work for them whilst writing in his spare time. The Spanish Farm, for which John Galsworthy had provided a preface, won the 1924 Hawthornden Prize. In 1927 it was made into a silent film entitled Roses of Picardy. The American author William Faulkner greatly admired The Spanish Farm trilogy, comparing it with Stephen Crane'sThe Red Badge of Courage for its insights into the reality of war. The scholar Max Putzel summarised this by stating: "Mottram had given Faulkner an example for dealing with war by indirection, understating or disguising the powerful emotions Crane had boldly undertaken to summon up".[4] Mottram wrote the Galsworthy number for the National Book League's "Writers and their Work" series, and penned numerous books on the subjects of his home city, county and the wider region of East Anglia. During World War II he was a British Council representative to the United States Airforce division based in Norfolk. He worked with others towards the foundation of the University of East Anglia which opened in 1963, and which made him an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1966. As a conservationist, he was a defender of Mousehold Heath,[2] a large open space in the heart of Norwich, and was a chairman of the Norwich Society. On St James' Hill overlooking the city, there is a memorial plinth dedicated to him, which depicts the skyline of Norwich.[2]
Deathedit
After his wife's death in 1970, Mottram moved to King's Lynn to live with his daughter and died the following year. He is buried in the non-denominational Rosary Cemetery, Norwich,[1][2] where a headstone stands in memory of the couple and their three children. Being a non-member of the established Church of England, Mottram once said: "I knew, when I was four years old, exactly where I could be buried."
Worksedit
Repose and other verses (1907), as "J. Marjoram"[5]
New Poems (1909), as "J. Marjoram"
The Spanish Farm (1924), a trilogy with Sixty-Four, Ninety-Four and The Crime at Vanderlynden's
Sixty-Four, Ninety-Four! (1925)
The Crime at Vanderlynden's (1926)
Our Mr. Dormer (1927), a trilogy with The Boroughmonger and Castle Island
The Apple Disdained (1928)
Ten Years Ago. Armistice and other Memories (1928)
The English Miss (1928)
"Six Walks in Norwich", chapter in Official Guide to the City of Norwich (England) (1929), reprinted many times
A History of Financial Speculation (1929)
The Boroughmonger (1929)
Three Personal Records of the War (1929), with John Easton and Eric Partridge; republished as Three Men's War: The Personal Records of Active Service (1930)
A Rich Man's Daughter (1930)
Miniature Banking Histories (1930)
Europa's Beast (1930)
The Old Man of the Stones: A Christmas Allegory (1930)
Success to the Mayor: A Narrative of the Development of Local Self-Government in a Provincial Centre (Norwich) during Eight Centuries (1937)
There was a Jolly Miller (1938)
Autobiography with a Difference (1938), with 16 collotype illustrations by A. H. Mottram - Alfred Hugh Mottram (1886–1953) was an architect and the younger brother of R. H. Mottram
The Twentieth Century. A Personal Record (1969), memoir
Referencesedit
^ abCameron Self, Mousehold Heath, Norwich in Literary Norfolk, 2011. Accessed 24 February 2013.
^ abcdCameron Self, Ralph Hale Mottram (1883-1971) in Literary Norfolk, 2011. Accessed 24 February 2013.
^"The R. H. Mottram letters". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
^Patrick Reardon (10 December 2015). "The underappreciation of R. H. Mottram's World War I novels". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^Authors Mos-Moz, New General Catalogue of Old Books and Authors. Accessed 24 February 2013.
Further readingedit
Hugh Cecil, The Flower of Battle: British Fiction Writers of the First World War (Secker & Warburg, 1995); chapter 5.
Gilbert Henry Fabes, The First Editions of Ralph Hale Mottram (Myers & Co., 1934); includes two essays and a short story by RHM.
Rachel Young, A Mottram Miscellany (The Larks Press, 1997); letters written to the Mottram family, 1730-1900.
April 26, 2024
ralph, hale, mottram, frsl, october, 1883, april, 1971, english, writer, lifelong, resident, norfolk, well, known, novelist, particular, spanish, farm, trilogy, poet, world, contents, early, life, first, world, career, death, works, references, further, readin. Ralph Hale Mottram FRSL 30 October 1883 16 April 1971 was an English writer A lifelong resident of Norfolk he was well known as a novelist in particular for his Spanish Farm trilogy 1 and as a poet of World War I Contents 1 Early life 2 First World War 3 Career 4 Death 5 Works 6 References 7 Further readingEarly life editMottram was born in Norwich Norfolk the oldest son of James Mottram and his second wife Fanny Ann nee Hale The Mottrams were non conformist and worshipped at the Octagon Chapel in Colegate 2 He grew up in Bank House a George II mansion on Bank Plain the headquarters of Gurney s Bank later taken over by Barclays Bank and now a youth centre He was educated at the City of Norwich School Mottram s father James was the chief clerk of Gurney s Bank and was trustee of the marriage settlement of Ada Galsworthy wife of novelist John Galsworthy Ada encouraged the young Ralph Mottram to begin writing and he published two slim volumes of poetry which appeared in 1907 and 1909 under the pseudonym of J Marjoram 3 He remained close friends of the Galsworthys and would later write personal portraits of them First World War editMottram was posted to the Western Front with the 9th Norfolk Regiment the 6th Division of the British Expeditionary Force BEF in October 1915 where he took part in defending the Ypres Salient After intermittent periods of hospitalisation his proficiency in the French language earned him a position as a Divisional Claims Officer Eventually he was assigned to the Claims Commission s HQ at Boulogne and was promoted to lieutenant In 1918 he married Margaret Madge Allan They had two sons and a daughter and were married for over fifty years Career editMottram went from being a bank clerk in Norwich before the war to becoming Lord Mayor of the city in 1953 the year of the Queen s coronation He had begun working at Gurney s Bank in December 1899 and after the war continued to work for them whilst writing in his spare time The Spanish Farm for which John Galsworthy had provided a preface won the 1924 Hawthornden Prize In 1927 it was made into a silent film entitled Roses of Picardy The American author William Faulkner greatly admired The Spanish Farm trilogy comparing it with Stephen Crane s The Red Badge of Courage for its insights into the reality of war The scholar Max Putzel summarised this by stating Mottram had given Faulkner an example for dealing with war by indirection understating or disguising the powerful emotions Crane had boldly undertaken to summon up 4 Mottram wrote the Galsworthy number for the National Book League s Writers and their Work series and penned numerous books on the subjects of his home city county and the wider region of East Anglia During World War II he was a British Council representative to the United States Airforce division based in Norfolk He worked with others towards the foundation of the University of East Anglia which opened in 1963 and which made him an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1966 As a conservationist he was a defender of Mousehold Heath 2 a large open space in the heart of Norwich and was a chairman of the Norwich Society On St James Hill overlooking the city there is a memorial plinth dedicated to him which depicts the skyline of Norwich 2 Death editAfter his wife s death in 1970 Mottram moved to King s Lynn to live with his daughter and died the following year He is buried in the non denominational Rosary Cemetery Norwich 1 2 where a headstone stands in memory of the couple and their three children Being a non member of the established Church of England Mottram once said I knew when I was four years old exactly where I could be buried Works editRepose and other verses 1907 as J Marjoram 5 New Poems 1909 as J Marjoram The Spanish Farm 1924 a trilogy with Sixty Four Ninety Four and The Crime at Vanderlynden s Sixty Four Ninety Four 1925 The Crime at Vanderlynden s 1926 Our Mr Dormer 1927 a trilogy with The Boroughmonger and Castle Island The Apple Disdained 1928 Ten Years Ago Armistice and other Memories 1928 The English Miss 1928 Six Walks in Norwich chapter in Official Guide to the City of Norwich England 1929 reprinted many times A History of Financial Speculation 1929 The Boroughmonger 1929 Three Personal Records of the War 1929 with John Easton and Eric Partridge republished as Three Men s War The Personal Records of Active Service 1930 A Rich Man s Daughter 1930 Miniature Banking Histories 1930 Europa s Beast 1930 The Old Man of the Stones A Christmas Allegory 1930 The New Providence 1930 Poems New and Old 1930 The Lost Christmas Presents 1931 Castle Island 1931 John Crome of Norwich 1931 The Headless Hound and other stories 1931 Through the Menin Gate 1932 Home for the Holidays 1932 Dazzle 1932 The Lame Dog 1933 US edition At the Sign of the Lame Dog 1933 East Anglia England s Eastern Province 1933 The Contribution of a Provincial Centre Norwich to English Letters chapter 3 in Essays by Divers Hands Vol XIII 1934 The Banquet 1934 Bumphrey s 1934 Strawberry Time 1934 from the Golden Cockerel Press engravings by Gertrude Hermes Town Life and London chapter in Early Victorian England 1830 1865 1934 edited by G M Young Flower Pot End 1935 Early Morning 1935 Journey to the Western Front Twenty Years After 1936 The Westminster Bank 1836 1936 1936 Portrait of an Unknown Victorian 1936 The Norwich Players 1936 Maddermarket Theatre etc preface by Nugent Monck Old England Illustrated by English Paintings of the 18th and early 19th centuries 1937 Time to Be Going 1937 Noah 1937 no 9 of Rich amp Cowan s Biblical Biographies series Success to the Mayor A Narrative of the Development of Local Self Government in a Provincial Centre Norwich during Eight Centuries 1937 There was a Jolly Miller 1938 Autobiography with a Difference 1938 with 16 collotype illustrations by A H Mottram Alfred Hugh Mottram 1886 1953 was an architect and the younger brother of R H Mottram Miss Lavington 1939 You Can t Have It Back 1939 Trader s Dream The Romance of the British East India Company 1939 Bowler Hat A Last Glance at the Old Country Banking 1940 The Ghost and the Maiden 1940 The World Turns Slowly Round 1942 The Corbells At War 1943 Assault upon Norwich 1943 reporting on air raids Visit of the Princess a Romance of the 1960s 1946 Buxton the Liberator 1946 Hibbert Houses A Record 1947 The English Counties Illustrated 1948 chapters on Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire edited by C E M Joad Norfolk 1948 from the Paul Elek Vision of England series The Glories of Norwich Cathedral 1948 The Gentleman of Leisure A Romance 1948 Come to the Bower 1949 East Anglia 1951 no 4 in the About Britain series One Hundred and Twenty Eight Witnesses 1951 The Broads 1952 the Norfolk Broads from the Regional Books series The Part That Is Missing 1952 If Stones Could Speak An Introduction to an Almost Human Family 1953 a social history of Norwich John Galsworthy 1953 no 38 of the Writers and their Work series The City of Norwich Museums 1894 1954 A Diamond Jubilee Record 1954 The Window Seat or Life Observed 1883 1918 1954 autobiography Over the Wall 1955 For Some We Loved an Intimate Portrait of Ada and John Galsworthy 1956 Scenes that are Brightest 1956 Another Window Seat or Life Observed 1919 1953 1957 autobiography Vanities and Verities 1958 more autobiography No One Will Ever Know or The Hidden Life of Gregory Wantage 1958 Young Man s Fancies 1959 Musetta 1960 Time s Increase 1961 To Hell with Crabb Robinson 1962 Happy Birds 1964 Maggie Mackenzie 1965 The Speaking Likeness 1967 Behind the Shutters 1968 Twelve Poems 1968 with a dedicatory poem by Edmund Blunden and illustrations by Rigby Graham The Twentieth Century A Personal Record 1969 memoirReferences edit a b Cameron Self Mousehold Heath Norwich in Literary Norfolk 2011 Accessed 24 February 2013 a b c d Cameron Self Ralph Hale Mottram 1883 1971 in Literary Norfolk 2011 Accessed 24 February 2013 The R H Mottram letters archiveshub jisc ac uk Retrieved 3 March 2022 Patrick Reardon 10 December 2015 The underappreciation of R H Mottram s World War I novels Chicago Tribune Retrieved 25 April 2022 Authors Mos Moz New General Catalogue of Old Books and Authors Accessed 24 February 2013 Further reading editHugh Cecil The Flower of Battle British Fiction Writers of the First World War Secker amp Warburg 1995 chapter 5 Gilbert Henry Fabes The First Editions of Ralph Hale Mottram Myers amp Co 1934 includes two essays and a short story by RHM Rachel Young A Mottram Miscellany The Larks Press 1997 letters written to the Mottram family 1730 1900 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ralph Hale Mottram amp oldid 1211858174, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
