H. B. Marriott Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. B. Marriott Watson
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| Born | Henry Brereton Marriott Watson 20 December 1863 Caulfield, Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 30 October 1921 (aged 57) England, U.K. |
| Pen name | H.B. Marriott Watson |
| Occupation | Writer, novelist, journalist, editor |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Genre | Fiction, adventure fiction, fantasy fiction, historical fiction, horror fiction, mystery fiction, romance fiction, non-fiction, essay, literary criticism |
| Spouse | Rosamund Marriott Watson (1894–1911) |
| Children | Richard |
Henry Brereton Marriott Watson (born December 20, 1863 – died October 30, 1921), known as H. B. Marriott Watson, was a writer from Australia who also lived in Britain. He wrote many novels, short stories, and worked as a journalist.
During his life, Marriott Watson was a very popular author. He was best known for his exciting adventure stories, historical tales, and romance novels. He published over forty books between 1888 and 1919. These included many collections of short stories.
He lived in New Zealand for a long time, from 1872 to 1885. He often used his childhood home in New Zealand as the setting for his books.
Marriott Watson and his wife, the English poet Rosamund Marriott Watson, were well-known in the writing world in Britain. They knew many other famous writers of their time. These included J. M. Barrie (who wrote Peter Pan), Stephen Crane, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, and H. G. Wells (who wrote The War of the Worlds). Their only son, Richard Marriott Watson, was also a poet. Sadly, he was one of many sons of writers who died during World War I.
Even though he is not as famous today, Marriott Watson's spooky stories from the late 1800s are important. His collections like Diogenes of London (1893) and The Heart of Miranda (1898) are similar to those by other horror writers of his time.
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About H. B. Marriott Watson
Henry Brereton Marriott Watson was born in Caulfield, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. His parents were Henry Crocker Marriott Watson and Annie McDonald Wright. His father was an Anglican priest. Henry spent nine years traveling with his father as he worked in different places across Victoria.
In 1872, his family moved to New Zealand. His father took a job at St John's in Christchurch. Marriott Watson spent much of his childhood there. Later, he would use New Zealand as the setting for many of his novels.
Early Life and Education
Marriott Watson went to school at Christ Church Grammar School and Canterbury College. In 1885, he moved to England to become a journalist.
He worked for several newspapers and magazines. These included the St. James's Gazette, Black and White, and the Pall Mall Gazette. He also worked for the National Observer under W.E. Henley. While working there, Marriott Watson introduced Henley to H.G. Wells.
Writing Career and Connections
As an editor, Marriott Watson met many people in the publishing and writing world. He was a member of the Savile Club. He was also invited to special lunch meetings with writers from The Saturday Review. These meetings took place at the famous Cafe Royale.
The Saturday Review was one of the first to review his first novel, Marahuna (1888). This helped him start his career as a professional writer. He also worked with J. M. Barrie to write a play called Richard Savage. It opened in London in 1891.
In 1894, Marriott Watson married the English poet Rosamund Tomson. They had their first and only son, Richard, on October 6, 1895. Rosamund changed her pen name to Rosamund Marriott Watson to honor her husband.
Later Works and Family Life
Marriott Watson kept writing novels throughout the 1890s. Many of his books were exciting adventure stories, historical tales, and romance novels. He also wrote supernatural and spooky stories during this time. These were published as short stories in collections like Diogenes of London (1893) and The Heart of Miranda (1898). One of his most famous spooky stories was the vampire tale The Stone Chamber. It was published just one year after Bram Stoker's famous novel Dracula.
After the writer Stephen Crane died in 1900, his partner asked Marriott Watson to finish Crane's unfinished novel, The O'Ruddy. However, he chose not to. Marriott Watson had been a long-time friend and helper to Crane. He was one of the first to review Crane's novel The Red Badge of Courage five years earlier. His review was very important in England.
When Rosamund died in 1911, Marriott Watson tried to keep her writing known. His novel Rosalind in Arden (1913) included many references to her poems. He also wrote about his belief in spiritualism, after trying to contact her through a seance with a medium.
Their only son, Richard, was an officer in the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles. He was killed on March 24, 1918, during a battle in World War I. Marriott Watson was deeply saddened by this loss. He died at the age of 57.
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H. B. Marriott Watson
