J. Meade Falkner

John Meade Falkner ( born May 8, 1858 in Manningford Bruce, Wiltshire, † July 22, 1932 ) was a British author and antiquarian, who is best known for his novel Moonfleet. He was also a successful businessman who was CEO of the company Armstrong Whitworth during World War II.

Life

John Meade Falkner was born in 1858 the son of a country clergyman. After his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth as well as visiting the Marlborough College, he studied history at Hertford College, Oxford University and completed this study in 1882.

Subsequently, he was first a teacher (master) at the Derby School. He worked for a time as a private tutor ( private tutor ) before he traveled widely in Europe. After his return, he found a job with the family of Sir Andrew Noble, the owner of Armstrong Whitworth Co. He was an employee in the company, an arms manufacturer based in Newcastle, and there rose in a senior position. Later he took over after the death of Sir Andrew Noble on 22 October 1915 its position as CEO of Armstrong Whitworth.

After his retirement in 1921 he was both an honorary professor of paleography at the University of Durham and librarian of the dean and the chapter of Durham Cathedral. In this position he was able to deepen his interest in church history and architecture, heraldry and books.

Despite his many travels he found Durham to be his hometown and lived from 1902 until his death in 1932 in direct proximity to the cathedral in the Divinity House ( "House of divinity " ), now the Music School of the University of Durham.

His literary activity was awakened by numerous private and business trips abroad, where he also contributed countless booksellers books together. In addition to three novels and anthologies, he also wrote three topographical reference books to Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Bath as well as a history of Oxfordshire.