George Gilbert Desmond facts for kids

George Gilbert Desmond was a British writer, lawyer, and political activist. He was born in 1867. He wrote books for children and worked as a journalist. He also tried to become a Member of Parliament.

Early Life and Learning

George Gilbert Desmond was born in a place called Brockworth. He went to school at Bristol Grammar School. Later, he studied at St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university. After his studies, he became a barrister. A barrister is a special kind of lawyer who represents people in court. He was part of a group of barristers called Middle Temple.

Writing and Journalism

Desmond loved to write. He wrote a regular column called "Nature Notes" for a newspaper called the Daily News. He also wrote several books especially for children. Some of his children's books include Bertha Stories, Snow Sprites, Ring of Nature, and Roll of the Seasons.

World War I Experience

When World War I started, George Gilbert Desmond volunteered to fight. However, he was captured during the war. This meant he became a prisoner-of-war, often called a POW. After the war ended and he was released, he went back to working for the Daily News. He worked as a war correspondent, reporting on the war. Later, he became a special correspondent for the newspaper in Berlin, Germany.

Political Career

George Gilbert Desmond was also very interested in politics. He joined a political group called the Independent Labour Party (ILP). He wrote articles for their newspaper, New Leader. The ILP worked closely with the main Labour Party.

Desmond was active in his local community's politics. From 1920 to 1922, he was the leader of the Labour Party group in Stroud. This group was called the Constituency Labour Party.

He tried several times to become a Member of Parliament (MP). In the 1924 UK general election, he ran for election in Petersfield, but he did not win. In 1926 and 1927, he led the South Western Division of the ILP.

Desmond ran for Parliament again in the 1929 Bath by-election in Bath. He helped the Labour Party get more votes, but he still came in third place. He continued to run in the general elections of 1929, 1931, and 1935 UK general election. Each time, he finished in third place.

He was chosen to be a candidate for the next election, which was expected in 1939 or 1940. Some people wanted him to step aside and support a candidate from the Liberal Party who was part of a group called the Popular Front. However, Desmond did not agree to this. The election never happened because World War II began.