Leonard Shoobridge
Encyclopedia
Leonard Knollys Haywood Shoobridge (20 October 1858 – 1 February 1935) was an English writer, archaeologist, poet and politician. He is best known as a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse
(edited by J. B. Priestley
) and co-author with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein of Herculaneum, past, present & future.
, London to William S Shoobridge, a solicitor and his wife Elizabeth, née Wansley. At the age of 13 he was living with his parents at 40 Queen's Gate Terrace, Kensington. He studied at Eton College
and Balliol College, Oxford
where he took honours in classics, and was a student of Sir Arthur Blomfield
, a noted English architect specialising in restoring old buildings and churches. He accompanied George Granville Leveson-Gower
, his lifelong friend, on a trip to India and Ceylon between October 1886 and June 1887.
At the age of 33 Shoobridge remained unmarried, and lived on his own means with his widowed father at Albury Hall, Albury
, Hertfordshire
. In July 1892, he stood as Liberal
candidate for the local seat of Staffordshire, North Western
, a seat previously held by Leveson-Gower, but he came second to the Conservative
candidate, James Heath
(5638 votes, 5406 votes). He became the owner and local J.P.
of The Lea, Tunstall
near Eccleshall
, Staffordshire
. Following the death of his father in 1903, he designed and had constructed a very ornate grave for his parents in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Albury. Little remains because the grave was severely vandalised in 2009.
In 1908, Shoobridge was co-author, with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein, of Herculaneum, past, present & future. The book details the excavation of Herculaneum
– a town in Italy buried, along with Pompeii
, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Shoobridge, according to Waldstein, had been urging him since 1903 to excavate Herculaneum. They worked together researching collections of artefacts in the museum at Naples
and propounded an ambitious project to create an international body for the preservation and further exploration of the site of Herculaneum. This was blocked by the Italian parliament. Reviewing the book, The Times Literary Supplement
suggested that Shoobridge was a moderating influence on Waldstein's extravagant ideas. The Classical Weekly observed, "The main part of the book, all that requires real research or approximation thereto, seems to be the work of Mr. Shoobridge."
Shoobridge was a man of many talents. In 1910, he published a book of his poetry: Poems by Leonard Shoobridge. The Times Literary Supplement, reviewing the book, wrote,
Shoobridge bought a house in France and painted there, and during World War I
, directed Red Cross
work in Italy, under Lord Monson. In 1926, he was a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse
, a collection of poems which was edited by the novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley
.
Shoobridge died in 1935, at his house near Nice
in the south of France at the age of 76.
Book of Bodley Head Verse
The Book of Bodley Head Verse was edited by J. B. Priestley and published by The Bodley Head in 1926.Poets included were:Lascelles Abercrombie — A. E. — T. B. Aldrich — Kenneth Ashley — Maurice Baring — Aubrey Beardsley — Henry C...
(edited by J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
) and co-author with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein of Herculaneum, past, present & future.
Biography
Shoobridge was born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London to William S Shoobridge, a solicitor and his wife Elizabeth, née Wansley. At the age of 13 he was living with his parents at 40 Queen's Gate Terrace, Kensington. He studied at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
where he took honours in classics, and was a student of Sir Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
, a noted English architect specialising in restoring old buildings and churches. He accompanied George Granville Leveson-Gower
George Leveson-Gower
Sir George Granville Leveson-Gower KCB , was a British civil servant and Liberal politician. He held political office as Comptroller of the Household between 1892 and 1895 and later served as a Commissioner of Woods and Forests from 1908 to 1924...
, his lifelong friend, on a trip to India and Ceylon between October 1886 and June 1887.
At the age of 33 Shoobridge remained unmarried, and lived on his own means with his widowed father at Albury Hall, Albury
Albury, Hertfordshire
Albury is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England, about five miles west of Bishop's Stortford. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 537....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. In July 1892, he stood as Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate for the local seat of Staffordshire, North Western
North West Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North West Staffordshire was a constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held using the first past the post voting system.-History:...
, a seat previously held by Leveson-Gower, but he came second to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate, James Heath
Sir James Heath, 1st Baronet
Sir James Heath, 1st Baronet was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Clifton College....
(5638 votes, 5406 votes). He became the owner and local J.P.
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of The Lea, Tunstall
Tunstall, Stafford
Tunstall is a small village near Eccleshall in the borough of Stafford in Staffordshire, England....
near Eccleshall
Eccleshall
Eccleshall is a town in Staffordshire, England. It is located seven miles north west of Stafford, and six miles west of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France.-History:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. Following the death of his father in 1903, he designed and had constructed a very ornate grave for his parents in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Albury. Little remains because the grave was severely vandalised in 2009.
In 1908, Shoobridge was co-author, with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein, of Herculaneum, past, present & future. The book details the excavation of Herculaneum
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt...
– a town in Italy buried, along with Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Shoobridge, according to Waldstein, had been urging him since 1903 to excavate Herculaneum. They worked together researching collections of artefacts in the museum at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and propounded an ambitious project to create an international body for the preservation and further exploration of the site of Herculaneum. This was blocked by the Italian parliament. Reviewing the book, The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.-History:...
suggested that Shoobridge was a moderating influence on Waldstein's extravagant ideas. The Classical Weekly observed, "The main part of the book, all that requires real research or approximation thereto, seems to be the work of Mr. Shoobridge."
Shoobridge was a man of many talents. In 1910, he published a book of his poetry: Poems by Leonard Shoobridge. The Times Literary Supplement, reviewing the book, wrote,
-
-
- He called the breezes of the south
- To play upon the clustering hair
- To linger on the roseate mouth
- Sweet sighs evoking there
-
-
-
- Sighs in the soul, and fear and all
- A host of fancy's shimmering lights
- Gleams in the dusk, when love-notes call
- Through perfumed sultry nights.
-
Shoobridge bought a house in France and painted there, and during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, directed Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
work in Italy, under Lord Monson. In 1926, he was a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse
Book of Bodley Head Verse
The Book of Bodley Head Verse was edited by J. B. Priestley and published by The Bodley Head in 1926.Poets included were:Lascelles Abercrombie — A. E. — T. B. Aldrich — Kenneth Ashley — Maurice Baring — Aubrey Beardsley — Henry C...
, a collection of poems which was edited by the novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
.
Shoobridge died in 1935, at his house near Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in the south of France at the age of 76.