R.H. Mottram

by George J. Dance

R.H. Mottram (1883-1971).

Ralph Hale Mottram (October 30, 1883 - April 16, 1971) was an English poet and prose writer, best known as a novelist, particularly for his Spanish Farm trilogy.

Life

Mottram was born in Norwich, Norfolk, the oldest son of James Mottram and his 2nd wife, Fanny Ann (Hale). His father was the chief clerk of Gurney's Bank in Norwich, and Mottram had an idyllic childhood growing up in 'Bank House' – a magnificent George II mansion on Bank Plain – which was later Barclay's Bank and is now a youth centre.

He was educated at the City of Norwich School. He also spent a summer at M. Rosselet's school in Lausanne, Switzerland, improving his French.

Career

he began work as a clerk at Gurney's Bank on the 3rd December 1899, shortly after it was acquired by Barclays Bank.

His father was trustee of the marriage settlement of Ada Galsworthy, wife of novelist John Galsworthy. Ada encouraged Ralph Mottram to begin writing, and he published 2 slim volumes of poetry appeared in 1907 and 1909 under the name of "J. Marjoram".

when World War I began in 1914 Mottram joined the Norfolk Regiment; he he was given a commission and posted to Flanders. He saw active service on the front, but, thanks to his ability to speak French, he was later transferred behind the front line as a liaison officer dealing with complaints by the locals of damage inflicted by British troops.

After the war Mottram returned to the bank, and began writing fiction.

In 1918 he married Margaret (Allan); they were married for 52 years, and had 2 sons and a daughter. They Mottrams were non-conformist and worshipped at the Octagon Chapel, Norwich in Colegate.

With John Galsworthy's help and encouragement, Mottram wrote his debut novel, The Spanish Farm, a fictionalized account of his war experiences. No publisher would accept it until John Galsworthy wrote a preface, which convinced London publisher Chatto & Windus to bring it out. The novel became a best-seller, and Mottram wrote 2 further volumes in the story, published in each of the next 2 years, followed by publication of the complete trilogy in 1927.

He was a defender of Mousehold Heath, a large open space in the heart of Norwich.

He also wrote a biography of John Galsworthy.

During World War II, Mottram became friendly with American poet Hyam Plutzik who was stationed at the Shipdham Airbase. Plutzik's poem "On the Airfield at Shipdham" is dedicated to Mottram.

Mottram was a founder of the Norwich Society and acted as the society's secretary for 20 years. He became a local councillor, and a member of the Norwich Public Libraries Committee from 1929 to 1963. He also served as a local magistrate, and as Lord Mayor of Norwich during the coronation year of 1953.

When his wife died in 1970, Mottram went to live with his daughter at King's Lynn, Norfolk. He died in King's Lynn, 16 April 1971.

He is buried in the Rosary Cemetery, Norwich. Mottram once said that "I knew, when I was four years old, exactly where I could be buried."

Recognition

The Spanish Farm won the 1924 Hawthornden Prize.

In 1966 Mottram received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of East Anglia.

On St. James' Hill on Mousehold Heath, there is a sculpture dedicated to Mottram.

In popular culture

The Spanish Farm was filmed in 1927 as Roses of Picardy.

Publications

R.H. Mottram (1883-1971), The Spanish Farm, 1924. Simon Publishing, 2001. Courtesy Amazon.com.

Poetry

• Repose, and other verses (as "J. Marjoram"). London: Alston Rivers, 1908.
• New Poems (as "J. Marjoram"). London: Duckworth, 1909.
• Poems: New and old. London: Duckworth, 1930.
• Twelve Poems. Stoke Ferry, UK: Daedalus Press, 1968.

Novels

• The Apple Disdained. London: Elkin Mathews & Marrot, 1928.
• The English Miss. London: Chatto & Windus, 1928.
• A Rich Man's Daughter. New York: Harper, 1930.
• Europa's Beast. London: Chatto & Windus, 1930.
• The New Providence. London: Chatto & Windus, 1930.
• The Lost Christmas Presents. London: Lindsey Press, 1931.
• Dazzle. London: Ward, Lock, 1932.
• Home for the Holidays. London: Chatto & Windus, 1932.
• The Lame Dog. London: Chatto & Windus, 1933
  • also published as At the Sign of the Lame Dog. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1933.
• Bumphrey's. London: John Murray, 1934.
• Flower Pot End. London: John Murray, 1935.
• Portrait of an Unknown Victorian. London: 1936.
• Time to Be Going: A novel. London: Hutchinson, 1937.
• Miss Lavington London: Hutchinson, 1939.
• You Can't Have It Back! London: Hutchinson, 1939.
• The World Turns Slowly Round. London & New York: Hutchinson, 1942.
• Visit of the Princess: A romance of the 1960s. London: Hutchinson, 1946.
• Come to the Bower. London & New York: Hutchinson, 1949.
• The Broads. London: Robert Hale, 1952.
• The Part That Is Missing. London: Hutchinson, 1952.
• Scenes that are Brightest. London: Hutchinson, 1956.
• Young Man's Fancies. London: Hutchinson, 1959.
• Musetta. London: Hutchinson, 1960.
• Time's Increase. London: Hutchinson, 1961.
• To Hell, with Crabb Robinson. London: Hutchinson, 1962.
• Behind the Shutters. London: Hutchinson, 1968.

Spanish Farm trilogy

• The Spanish Farm. London: Chatto & Windus, 1924.
• Sixty-Four, Ninety-Four. London: Chatto & Windus, 1925.
• The Crime at Vanderlynden's. London: Chatto & Windus, 1926.
• The Spanish Farm trilogy, 1914-1918. London: Chatto & Windus, 1927; Harmondsworth, UK, & New York: Penguin, 1979.

Our Mr. Dormer trilogy

• Our Mister Dormer. London: Chatto & Windus, 1927; New York: L. Mac Veagh / Dial Press, 1927
• The Boroughmonger. London: Chatto & Windus, 1929.
• Castle Island. London: Chatto & Windus, 1931.

Short fiction

• The Headless Hound, and other stories. London: Chatto & Windus, 1931.

Non-fiction

• Ten Years Ago. Armistice and other memories. London: Chatto & Windus, 1928; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1971.
• A History of Financial Speculation. London: Chatto & Windus, 1929.
• Three Personal Records of the War (with John Easton & Eric Partridge). London: Scholartis Press, 1929
  • also published as Three Men's War: The personal records of active service. New York & London: Harper, 1930.
• Miniature Banking Histories. London: Chatto & Windus, 1930.
• John Crome of Norwich. London: John Lane, 1931.
• East Anglia: England's eastern province. London: Chapman & Hall, 1933.
• A Scientific Survey of Norwich and District. London: British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1935.
• Journey to the Western Front: Twenty years after. London: [[George Bell}|G. Bell]], 1936.
• The Westminster Bank, 1836-1936 London: Westminster Bank, 1936.
• Old England. London: The Studio / New York: Studio Publications, 1937.
• Autobiography with a Difference. London: R. Hale, 1938; New York: Appleton-Century, 1939.
• Trader's Dream The Romance of the British East India Company London & New York: Appleton-Century, 1939.
• Buxton the Liberator. London & New York: Hutchinson, 1946.
• Hibbert Houses, A Record. London: Lindsey Press, 1947.
• Norfolk. London: P. Elek, 1948.
• The Glories of Norwich Cathedral (with A.W. Kerr). London: Winchester, 1948.
• East Anglia, a new guide book. Collins, for Festival of Britain Office, 1951.
• If Stones Could Speak: An introduction to an almost human family. London: Museum Press, 1953.
• John Galsworthy. London Longmans, Green, for : British Council / National Book League, 1953.
• The Window Seat; or, Life observed. London: Hutchinson, 1954
• For Some We Loved. Hutchinson, 1956.
• Another Window Seat; or Life observed, volume two, 1919-1953. London: Hutchinson, 1957.
• Vanities and Verities. London: Hutchinson, 1958.

Edited

• Louise Jermy, Memories of a Working Woman. Norwich, UK: Goose & Son, 1934.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

• New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors

External links

Poems

• "The Deserted Church Tower on Sidestrand Cliff"

Books

• R.H. Mottram at Amazon.com
• R.H. Mottram at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

About

• Mottram, R.H. in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
• Ralph Hale Mottram at Literary Norfolk
• Ralph Hale Mottram at Everything2.com
• R.H. Mottram at Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers in the Great War
• R. H. Mottram, looking back to Trollope and forward to Bellow by Patrick T. Reardon