Ian Holbourn facts for kids
Ian Holbourn (born John Bernard Stoughton Holbourn on November 5, 1872 – died September 14, 1935) was a fascinating person. He was the owner, or laird, of the remote Scottish island of Foula. He also worked as a professor and lecturer for the University of Oxford and was a writer.
Early Life and Work
Ian Holbourn studied at the Slade School of Art and Merton College at Oxford University. When he was young, he fell in love with the distant Scottish island of Foula. Around 1900, he managed to buy the island, which made him its laird.
He helped start Ruskin College and worked there for many years. He also became a professor for the University of California's art and architecture program. Holbourn played a big part in growing the art department at Carleton College in Minnesota, where he taught art and archaeology part-time.
Surviving the Lusitania Sinking
Ian Holbourn was a passenger on the RMS Lusitania during its final trip in May 1915. This was during the First World War. On the ship, he became friends with 12-year-old Avis Dolphin. Avis was traveling to England with two nurses.
Professor Holbourn knew that ocean liners faced dangers during wartime. He tried to get Captain William Thomas Turner to hold lifeboat drills and show passengers how to wear lifejackets. However, his safety warnings were not welcomed.
When the ship was hit by a torpedo, Holbourn quickly helped Avis Dolphin and her nurses. He guided them to his cabin and made sure they had life belts, even giving up his own. He then led them to the decks and into a lifeboat. Sadly, this lifeboat turned over while being lowered into the water. Avis was saved, but her nurses were not.
Holbourn himself jumped into the ocean. He found himself surrounded by many people and parts of the ship. He tried to reach a nearby boat but stopped to help a man floating close by. By the time Holbourn reached a boat, the man he had helped had passed away.
A fishing boat called Wanderer of Peel rescued Holbourn. He was later moved to another boat, the Stormcock. He was one of more than 750 people saved from the Lusitania who arrived in Queenstown, Ireland, that night.
His Books and Writings
After the Lusitania sinking, Holbourn continued to write. He remained good friends with Avis Dolphin for his whole life. One of his books, The Child of the Moat (1916), was written especially for Avis. She had told him that books for girls were often boring.
On most of his published works, he was known as Ian Bernard Stoughton Holbourn. Some of his books include:
- Jacopo Robusti, Called Tintoretto. (1903).
- Children of Fancy (Poems). (1915).
- The Need for Art in Life. (1915).
- The Child of the Moat, A Story for Girls, 1557 A.D. (1916).
- The Isle of Foula. (Published in 1938 after his death).
- An Introduction to the Architectures of European Religions (1909).
Family Life
Ian Holbourn was married to Marion Constance Archer-Shepherd. They had three sons together.
