John Galsworthy

A love affair between John Galsworthy and Ada Nemesis Pearson Cooper began in 1985. This was in spite of the fact that she was the wife of his first cousin Major Arthur Galsworthy. For ten years they met clandestinely in a farmhouse in Devon. It is said that Irene in ‘The Forsyte Saga’ was modeled after Ada.

The couple got married on September 23, 1905, after Ada’s divorce came through. They did not have any children and remained together till his death in 1933.

Towards the end of his life Galsworthy developed brain tumor and died on January 31, 1933 in his London home. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered over the chalk hills of South Downs. A memorial was erected in his honor at the Highgate New Cemetery in North London.

John Galsworthy was born on August 14, 1867, in Kingston Hill in a wealthy family. His ancestors came from Devonshire farming stock; but at the time of his birth, they had accumulated considerable property and also owned shipping business.

His father, also named John Galsworthy, was an established solicitor and company director in London. He was quite charming and young Galsworthy used to idolize him. His mother, Blanche Bailey Galsworthy, was very religious and at the same time very fussy.

Junior John Galsworthy was the eldest son of his parents. He started his education under the tutors at home and later was admitted to a preparatory school at Bournemouth at the age of nine. From there he went to Harrow, where he distinguished as an athlete.

After passing out from Harrow young John Galsworthy was admitted to New College, Oxford. In 1889, he passed out from there with a degree in jurisprudence.

In 1890, he was called to bar; but as he wanted to specialize in marine law he joined his family’s shipping business and spent time travelling around the world.

In 1904, Galsworthy published his first novel under his own name. Titled ‘The Island Pharisees’, the story is about an unusual young man called Richard Shelton. Galsworthy considered this book to be one of his most important works.

Two years later in 1906, Galsworthy published his first play, ‘Silver Box’. It depicts how different standards of justice are applied to people belonging to different classes and how theft by a rich and a poor man attract different repercussion. It was much appreciated by the critics.

In 1906, he also published ‘Man of Property’, which was later included in his famous trilogy ‘The Forsyte Saga’. Through this work, Galsworthy launched a scathing attack on upper middle class families, to which he himself belonged.

He then continued writing a number of novels, short stories and plays. Although he is now more famous as a novelist, initially he was better known as a playwright. ‘Strife’, written in 1907, is one of his most successful plays. It portrays the confrontation of labour and capital.

Interestingly, ‘Strife’ was initially refused by several theatre managers. Ultimately, it opened on March 9, 1909 at Duke of York’s Theatre and received good reviews. By and by, it opened in other theatres and became very popular. The play has also been adapted for several television productions.

John Galsworthy is best remembered for his trilogy ‘The Forsyte Saga’. First published under that name in 1922, it is actually a series of three novels and two interludes written between 1906 and 1921. These books chronicle the life of three generations in an upper middle class extended family, almost similar to his own.

’The Skin Game’ (1920) and ‘Loyalties (1922) are two of his best known plays. Among them, the former had been made into films twice in a decade. However, Galsworthy considered ‘Loyalties’ to be his best. In an interview, he had said that it was his only play, which he knew, no theater manager would refuse.