Life and work George Whyte-Melville

whyte-melville (far left) playing in foursomes golf match, c. 1852. j. o. fairlie stands second right.

major george john whyte-melville born in 1821, @ mount melville near st andrews. son of major john whyte-melville , lady catherine anne sarah osborne , grandson on mother s side of 5th duke of leeds. father well-known sportsman , captain of st andrews golf club. grand master of freemasons of scotland 1834 1866.

george tutored privately @ home young robert lee educated @ eton, entered army in 1839, became captain in coldstream guards in 1846 , retired in 1849. married hon charlotte hanbury-bateman in 1847, , had 1 daughter, florence elizabeth, went on marry clotworthy john skeffington, 11th viscount massereene , 4th viscount ferrard.

in 1849 whyte-melville subject of summons maintenance elizabeth gibbs, smartly-dressed , interesting looking young woman , alleged father of child. alleged had known whyte-melville since december 1846 , had given birth child in september 1847. judge found defendant written evidence not proven in whyte-melville s hand allowed complainant apply further summons in order obtain proof.,

after translating horace in 1850, published first novel, digby grand, in 1852, huge success. went on publish twenty-one novels , became popular writer hunting. of heroes , heroines, digby grand, tilbury nogo, honourable crasher, mr sawyer, kate coventry, mrs lascelles, ride hounds, or would-be members of hunt. characters reappear in different novels, such supercilious studgroom, dark , wary steeple-chaser, or fascinating sporting widow.

bones , i, or skeleton @ home, anomaly corpus of work, since far worlds of hunting field or historical romance. instead bones , centres upon urban recluse lives in small, modern villa situated in london cul de sac looking out upon dead wall @ of hospital. famous lyric unusual in unexpected deep melancholy – words paolo tosti s song good-bye! several of novels historical, gladiators being best known. published volumes of poetry, including songs , verses (1869) , legend of true cross (1873). however, portrayal of contemporary sporting society regarded. henry hawley smart said have taken whyte-melville 1 of models when set out on career sporting novelist. words song hunting perhaps best remembered: drink, puppy, drink (whose name familiar readers of flashman papers novels of george macdonald fraser, being mentioned 1 of anti-hero s favourite songs).