He collaborated with the Italian composer Paolo Tosti on a series of romantic ballads and the pair serenaded Queen Victoria at her Diamond Jubilee party in 1897.Īt the age of 50, in 1898, he moved back to Bath where was appointed to appear at the bar on the Western circuit. But, as his songs were now eagerly awaited and performed by the top singers at the fashionable ballad concerts, he found himself mingling with celebrities of the time – for instance setting up an enduring friendship with Ellen Terry. He was officially a pupil by day at the Inns of Court. One volume of verse, ‘A Happy Pair’, was the first book to be illustrated by Beatrix Potter – a copy signed by her fetched £23,000 in 2001.Īt the age of 39 he switched paths and moved to London to train as a barrister, his family now moved into another house he had built near Wimbledon. His output of songs and books of children’s verses were continuous and sufficiently profitable for him to have built a house for his family and some pupils. He stayed on in Oxford as a tutor, married Anna Maria (Minnie) Hardwick from Worle, Somerset, and soon had three children. They won and were quickly disqualified, but the name of the event in future was changed to ‘coxless fours’. Fred volunteered to cox and to vacate the boat after the start to allow the boat to go faster. There were four rowers in the boat plus a cox steering. He curiously made history at Oxford by deliberately jumping out of the Brasenose College boat at Henley regatta. He went to Hereford Cathedral School and, while still an undergraduate at Oxford, to which he won a scholarship, he began to publish both verses and songs, the first at 17. Thanks to his mother and a patient of his father’s resident in the family home who was a cultured Irishman, he was encouraged to develop his love of verse writing and piano playing. He was referred to then as the grand old man of song.įred was the first son of a Portishead doctor, the oldest boy in a family of 13. Later in life he gave regular broadcasts on the fledgling BBC radio about his life and songs. He published over 1500 lyrics and songs, wrote fantasy, science fiction and 50 children’s books, translated opera libretti and was well connected to the musical and theatrical world of the time. Frederick Weatherly was one of the best known names in Britain at the time of his death though largely forgotten today.
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