Edward Tennant (poet) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lieutenant The Honourable Edward Tennant
Portrait drawing of Tennant by John Singer Sargent (1915)
Born	Edward Wyndham Tennant 1 July 1897 Stockton House, Stockton, Wiltshire, England
Died	22 September 1916(1916-09-22) (aged 19) Somme, France
Cause of death	Killed in action
Resting place	Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont, Somme, France
Education	Winchester College
Known for	War poetry
Parents	Edward Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner (father) Pamela Wyndham (mother)
Relatives	Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (paternal aunt) David Tennant (brother) Stephen Tennant (brother) Emma Tennant (niece) Stella Tennant (great-niece)
Military career
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1916
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Grenadier Guards
Battles/wars	World War I

Lieutenant The Hon. Edward Wyndham Tennant (born July 1, 1897 – died September 22, 1916) was a young British war poet. He was sadly killed during a major battle in World War I, called the Battle of the Somme.

Early Life and Family

Edward Tennant was born at Stockton House in Wiltshire, England. His father was Edward Tennant, who later became known as Lord Glenconner in 1911. His mother was Pamela Wyndham, a writer. She later married Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon.

Edward had two younger brothers, Stephen Tennant and David Tennant. David was famous for starting a club called the Gargoyle Club.

Edward went to school at Winchester College. When he was seventeen, he left school to join the Grenadier Guards. This was in the very first weeks of World War I.

Friends and family called Edward by the nickname Bim. No one knows for sure where this nickname came from. There was a rumor that he was going to marry Nancy Cunard before he died. However, a family member, Colin Tennant, said this was not true. Nancy Cunard's biographer also found no evidence of this.

Death and Memorial

Edward Tennant was killed in action during the war. He is buried in France at the Guillemont Road Cemetery in Guillemont. This cemetery is near where his friend and relative, Raymond Asquith, was also killed. Raymond was the eldest son of the Prime Minister at the time, H. H. Asquith.

The words on Edward's gravestone say: "KILLED IN ACTION IN HIS TWENTIETH YEAR."

A special memorial for Edward Tennant was placed in Salisbury Cathedral. It was made by a sculptor named Allan G. Wyon.

Memorial to Edward Tennant at Salisbury Cathedral

The memorial has two messages carved into it. The one above his portrait says: "When things were at their worst he would go up and down in the trenches cheering the men, when danger was greatest his smile was loveliest."

The message below his portrait reads:

In proud and unfading memory of
EDWARD WYNDHAM TENNANT
4th Batt. Grenadier Guards, eldest son of Lord and Lady
Glenconner, who passed to the fuller life in the battle of
the Somme 22nd September 1916 Aged 19 years.
He gave his earthly life to such matter as he set great
store by: the honour of his country and his home.

His Writings

Edward Tennant was known for his poetry. He wrote two collections of poems:

• Verses by A Child (printed privately in 1909)
• Worple Flit and other poems (published after his death in 1916)