Dick Francis
Encyclopedia
Richard Stanley "Dick" Francis CBE
(31 October 1920 – 14 February 2010) was an English jockey
and crime writer, many of whose novels centre around horse racing
.
, Pembrokeshire
, Wales
. Some sources report his birthplace as the inland town of Lawrenny, but at least two of his obituaries stated his birthplace as the coastal town of Tenby
. His autobiography says that he was born at his maternal grandparents' farm at Coedcanlas on the estuary of the River Cleddau
, roughly a mile north-west of Lawrenny. He was the son of a jockey
and stable manager and he grew up in Berkshire
, England
. He left school at 15 without any qualifications, with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938. During World War II
, he served in the Royal Air Force
, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including the Spitfire
and Hurricane
. In October 1945, he met Mary Margaret Brenchley (17 June 1924 - 30 September 2000), whom he married in June 1947 in London; they had two sons, Merrick and Felix (born 1953). In the 1980s, Francis and his wife moved to Florida; in 1992, they moved to the Cayman Islands, where Mary died of a heart attack. In 2006, Francis had a heart bypass operation; in 2007 his right leg was amputated. He died of natural causes on 14 February 2010 at his Caribbean home in Grand Cayman, survived by both sons.
National Hunt racing
. He won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey
in the 1953–54 season.
From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
. In 1957 he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall. His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch
, in the 1956 Grand National
when the horse inexplicably fell when close to winning the race.
, set in the world of racing. Subsequently he regularly produced a novel a year for the next 38 years, missing only 1998 (during which he published a short-story collection). Although all his books were set against a background of horse racing, his male heroes held a variety of jobs from artist (In the Frame and To the Hilt) to private investigator (Odds Against, Whip Hand
, Come to Grief, Under Orders
—all starring injured ex-jockey Sid Halley
, one of only two heroes used more than once). All the novels are narrated by the hero, who in the course of the story discovers himself to be more resourceful, brave, tricky, than he had thought, and usually finds a certain salvation for himself as well as bestowing it on others. Details of other people's occupations fascinated Francis, and the reader finds him—or herself immersed in the mechanics of such things as photography, accountancy, the gemstone trade, restaurant service on transcontinental trains—but always in the interests of the plot. Dysfunctional families were a subject which he exploited particularly well (Reflex
, a baleful grandmother, Hot Money
, a multi-millionaire father and serial ex-husband, Decider, the related co-owners of a racecourse).
Francis is the only three-time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America
's Edgar Award
for Best Novel, winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand
in 1981, and Come To Grief in 1996. Britain's Crime Writers Association awarded him its Gold Dagger Award for fiction in 1979 and the Cartier Diamond Dagger
lifetime achievement award in 1989. In 1996 he was given the Mystery Writers of America
Grand Master Award, the highest honour bestowed by the MWA. He was created an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983 and promoted to Commander of the British Empire
(CBE) in 2000.
Many of Francis' books are featured in volumes of Reader's Digest Condensed Books
.
Francis' manager (and co-author of his later books) was his son Felix Francis, who left his post as teacher of A-Level Physics at Bloxham School
in Oxfordshire in order to work for his father and who was the inspiration behind a leading character in the novel Twice Shy. His other son Merrick, formerly a racehorse trainer, later ran his own horse transport business, which inspired the novel Driving Force.
He was elected in 1999 a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(31 October 1920 – 14 February 2010) was an English jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
and crime writer, many of whose novels centre around horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
.
Personal life
Francis was born in CoedcanlasCoedcanlas
Coedcanlas is a hamlet and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Daugleddau estuary, 8 km north of Pembroke. It is part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Some sources report his birthplace as the inland town of Lawrenny, but at least two of his obituaries stated his birthplace as the coastal town of Tenby
Tenby
Tenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay.Notable features of Tenby include of sandy beaches; the 13th century medieval town walls, including the Five Arches barbican gatehouse ; 15th century St...
. His autobiography says that he was born at his maternal grandparents' farm at Coedcanlas on the estuary of the River Cleddau
River Cleddau
The River Cleddau consists of the Eastern and Western Cleddau rivers in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. They unite to form the Daugleddau estuary, which forms the important harbour of Milford Haven....
, roughly a mile north-west of Lawrenny. He was the son of a jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
and stable manager and he grew up in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He left school at 15 without any qualifications, with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including the Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. In October 1945, he met Mary Margaret Brenchley (17 June 1924 - 30 September 2000), whom he married in June 1947 in London; they had two sons, Merrick and Felix (born 1953). In the 1980s, Francis and his wife moved to Florida; in 1992, they moved to the Cayman Islands, where Mary died of a heart attack. In 2006, Francis had a heart bypass operation; in 2007 his right leg was amputated. He died of natural causes on 14 February 2010 at his Caribbean home in Grand Cayman, survived by both sons.
Horse racing career
After leaving the RAF in 1946, Francis became a celebrity in the world of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...
. He won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey
British jump racing Champion Jockey
In Great Britain's National Hunt racing, the title of Champion Jockey is bestowed on the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a racing season. From its inception in 1900 through to 1925, the award was given to the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a calendar year...
in the 1953–54 season.
From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. In 1957 he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall. His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch
Devon Loch
Devon Loch was a famous racehorse that is probably best remembered for its involvement in the 1956 Grand National steeplechase, when owned by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother....
, in the 1956 Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
when the horse inexplicably fell when close to winning the race.
Writing career
Francis wrote more than 40 international best-sellers. His first book was his autobiography The Sport of Queens (1957) which led to him becoming the racing correspondent for London's Sunday Express newspaper, remaining in the job for 16 years. In 1962 he published his first thriller Dead CertDead Cert
Dead Cert is Dick Francis' first novel, published in 1962. Featured in the 2007 book 100 Must-Read Crime Novels. It was filmed by Tony Richardson in 1974.-Synopsis:...
, set in the world of racing. Subsequently he regularly produced a novel a year for the next 38 years, missing only 1998 (during which he published a short-story collection). Although all his books were set against a background of horse racing, his male heroes held a variety of jobs from artist (In the Frame and To the Hilt) to private investigator (Odds Against, Whip Hand
Whip Hand
Whip Hand is a crime novel by Dick Francis, the second novel in the Sid Halley series. The novel received Gold Dagger Award for Best Novel of 1979 and the Edgar Award for Best Novel of 1980...
, Come to Grief, Under Orders
Under Orders
Under Orders is the title of a novel by Dick Francis, published on 7 September 2006.This is the fourth Francis novel to feature Sid Halley, jockey turned private detective....
—all starring injured ex-jockey Sid Halley
Sid Halley
Sid Halley is a fictional character and private detective who is the central character in four Dick Francis novels, Odds Against, Whip Hand, Come to Grief and Under Orders...
, one of only two heroes used more than once). All the novels are narrated by the hero, who in the course of the story discovers himself to be more resourceful, brave, tricky, than he had thought, and usually finds a certain salvation for himself as well as bestowing it on others. Details of other people's occupations fascinated Francis, and the reader finds him—or herself immersed in the mechanics of such things as photography, accountancy, the gemstone trade, restaurant service on transcontinental trains—but always in the interests of the plot. Dysfunctional families were a subject which he exploited particularly well (Reflex
Reflex
A reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...
, a baleful grandmother, Hot Money
Hot Money
-Plot:The drama tells the story of three workers at the Bank of England incinerating plant in Essex. The trio, led by Bridget , hatch a plan to steal thousands of pounds by stashing the notes in their underwear.-Cast:-Production:...
, a multi-millionaire father and serial ex-husband, Decider, the related co-owners of a racecourse).
Francis is the only three-time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
's Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best Novel, winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand
Whip Hand
Whip Hand is a crime novel by Dick Francis, the second novel in the Sid Halley series. The novel received Gold Dagger Award for Best Novel of 1979 and the Edgar Award for Best Novel of 1980...
in 1981, and Come To Grief in 1996. Britain's Crime Writers Association awarded him its Gold Dagger Award for fiction in 1979 and the Cartier Diamond Dagger
Cartier Diamond Dagger
The Cartier Diamond Dagger is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain to authors who have made an outstanding lifetime's contribution to the genre. The 2011 winner is Lindsey Davis.-Winners:* 1986 - Eric Ambler* 1987 - P. D...
lifetime achievement award in 1989. In 1996 he was given the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
Grand Master Award, the highest honour bestowed by the MWA. He was created an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983 and promoted to Commander of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 2000.
Many of Francis' books are featured in volumes of Reader's Digest Condensed Books
Reader's Digest Condensed Books
The Reader's Digest Condensed Books were a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by Reader's Digest and distributed by direct mail. Each volume contained several current best-selling novels , abridged...
.
Francis' manager (and co-author of his later books) was his son Felix Francis, who left his post as teacher of A-Level Physics at Bloxham School
Bloxham School
Bloxham School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in the village of Bloxham, three miles from the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It was founded in 1860 by the Reverend Philip Reginald Egerton and has since become a member of the Woodard Corporation...
in Oxfordshire in order to work for his father and who was the inspiration behind a leading character in the novel Twice Shy. His other son Merrick, formerly a racehorse trainer, later ran his own horse transport business, which inspired the novel Driving Force.
He was elected in 1999 a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
.
External links
- Obituary: Dick Francis BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, news.bbc.co.uk - 2001 audio interview by Bill Thompson of Eye on Books, discussing the end of his writing, eyeonbooks.com
- Official Dick Francis Website, dickfrancis.com
- Dick Francis Reading Group, dickfrancisbooks.com
- Czech Dick Francis Website, dick-francis.cz
- Dick Francis - Daily Telegraph obituary, telegraph.co.uk