Maurice Hewlett


Maurice Henry Hewlett was an English historical novelist, poet and essayist.

Biography

He was born at Weybridge, the eldest son of Henry Gay Hewlett, of Shaw Hall, Addington, Kent. He was educated at the London International College, Spring Grove, Isleworth, and was called to the bar in 1891. He gave up the law after the success of The Forest Lovers. From 1896 to 1901 he was Keeper of Lands, Revenues, Records and Enrolments, a government post as adviser on matters of medieval law.
Hewlett married Hilda Beatrice Herbert on 3 January 1888 in St Peter's Church, Vauxhall, where her father was the incumbent vicar. The couple had two children, a daughter, Pia, and a son, Francis, but separated in 1914, partly due to Hilda's increasing interest in aviation. In 1911, Hilda had become the first woman in the UK to gain a pilot's licence.
He settled at Broad Chalke, Wiltshire. His friends included Evelyn Underhill, and Ezra Pound, whom he met at the Poets' Club in London. He was also a friend of J. M. Barrie, who named one of the pirates in Peter Pan "Cecco" after Hewlett's son.
Hewlett's 1900 novel The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay, about Richard the Lionheart, was a favourite novel of T. E. Lawrence. Lawrence said he had read The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay several times. Another of Hewlett's historical novels was The Queen's Quair, about Mary, Queen of Scots. The Queen's Quair was cited as an influence by Ford Madox Ford, who said that The Queen's Quair "taught me a good deal". Hewlett also wrote six novels based on the Icelandic Family sagas, these include The Light Heart and Thorgils of Treadholt. Hewlett also wrote The Outlaw, A Lover's Tale, Frey and His Wife, and Gudred the Fair.
Hewlett was parodied by Max Beerbohm in A Christmas Garland in the part titled "Fond Hearts Askew".
Hewlett's brother Henry William Hewlett was also a published novelist, writing under the name William Hewlett.
Maurice Hewlett died in London on 15 June 1923 at age 62.

Works

  • Earthwork Out of Tuscany travel
  • The Masque of Dead Florentines verse
  • Songs and Meditations
  • The Forest Lovers historical novel
  • Pan and the Young Shepherd play
  • Youngest of the Angels play
  • Little Novels of Italy short stories
  • The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay historical novel
  • The New Canterbury Tales
  • The Queen's Quair or The Six Years' Tragedy historical novel about Mary, Queen of Scots
  • The Road in Tuscany. A Commentary travel; illustrations by Joseph Pennell
  • Fond Adventures: Tales of the Youth of the World short stories
  • Buondelomente's Saga historical novel
  • The Fool Errant historical novel
  • The Heart's Key historical novel
  • The Love Chase historical novel
  • The Stooping Lady historical novel
  • The Spanish Jade historical novel set in Spain in 1860.
  • Artemision poems
  • Halfway House novel
  • Open Country novel
  • Rest Harrow novel
  • Letters to Sanchia
  • The Agonists, a Trilogy of God and Man
  • The Song of Renny
  • Brazenhead the Great
  • The Countess of Picpus historical novel
  • Mrs. Lancelot: A Comedy of Assumptions historical novel
  • The Lore of Proserpine autobiographical account
  • Bendish historical novel
  • For Two Voices Poem
  • The Little Iliad
  • A Lover's Tale historical novel
  • The Song of the Plow
  • Frey and his Wife
  • Gudrid the Fair historical novel
  • Thorgils of Treadholt historical novel
  • The Village Wife's Lament poems
  • In Green Shade
  • Mainwaring historical novel
  • The Light Heart historical novel
  • Outlaw historical novel
  • Wiltshire Essays
  • Extemporary Essays
  • The Last Essays of Maurice Hewlett
  • The Letters of Maurice Hewlett edited by Laurence Binyon

Filmography