The Bard of Dimbovitza - Siegfried Sassoon’s Own Copy

The Bard of Dimbovitza: Romanian Folk-Songs Collected From The Peasants - by Helene Vacaresco, Carmen Sylva and Alma Strettell. Published in 1914 by Harper & Brothers. This book came from Siegfried Sassoon’s own library and was presented to him by Ottoline Morrell. The book is inscribed and dated in ink on the front endpaper: ‘SS from OM 1916.’ Ottoline Morrell was living at her country home, Garsington Manor, near Oxford at this time, and as can be seen from the bookseller’s label, the book was bought in Oxford. The picture below this shows the provenance monogram label fixed to all Sassoon’s books that were sold at auction by Sotheby’s in 1991. Ottoline Morrell was a very good friend to Siegfried Sassoon and had a massive effect on his life after they met, as can be seen in the Ottoline Morrell page.

Such Bounty - Published in Landour, India in 1958, by Myra Scovel. “Verses written during almost thirty years on the Mission Field in China under Chinese, Japanese and Communist rule, in America on furloughs and in India.” This paperback book, consisting of 48 poems over 62 pages was given to Siegfried Sassoon by the author who wrote an inscription on the first page (above right): “To Siegfried Sassoon, a poor way to show gratitude for all his poems have meant to me, but for Emily’s sake, - - Myra Scovel.” The book carries the Sassoon monogram as provenance.

Frederick Gilman Scovel entered Hamilton College in 1921. He went on to take his medical degree at Cornell, where he met a nurse named Myra Scott. They married after his graduation in 1929 and the following year they and their newborn son sailed for China as employees of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. After language training in Peking, the Scovels were assigned to a hospital in Shantung Province. In 1943 the entire family, which had grown to include four more children, was interned by the Japanese. After six months' detention the Japanese deported them to the United States; Myra Scovel gave birth to a sixth child within hours after their ship docked in New York Harbor. In 1946 the Scovels returned to China, this time to Anhwei Province. They transferred to the Hackett Medical Center in Canton in 1948, remaining there until 1951 when they were forced out by the Chinese Communists. In 1953 they began a six-year term of service to the India Mission, working as professor and librarian at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana. In 1959 they returned to the United States for the last time. Dr. Scovel began a private practice in Stony Point, NY, and Myra Scovel wrote several books, some based on her family's China and India experiences and some written for children.

The King - Siegfried Sassoon’s Own Copy

The King: A Tragedy in a Continuous Series of Scenes, by Stephen Phillips, published in 1912 by Stephen Swift and Co. Ltd. The book carries the Sotheby’s 1991 auction monogram (below) confirming provenance.

Picture Show - By Siegfried Sassoon

Picture Show - By Siegfried Sassoon, published in 1920 by E. P. Dutton & Co. New York. This book is not new to the web site but on thumbing through it recently I found tucked between the pages a newspaper clipping from 1920 cut from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York), and a leaflet relating to the Rochester Children’s Memorial Scholarship Fund. Sassoon had presented a lecture at the Powers Hotel for the Rochester Branch of the Associate Alumnae of Vassar College. The cutting reported the event which can be seen in full on the America page. Always look through your old books, you never know what you might find hidden there!

Siegfried Sassoon describes meeting Norman Loder who is called 'Denis Milden' in Chapter VII (‘Denis Milden as Master’) of his book ‘Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man.’ This covers their first meeting and subsequent hunting with the ‘Southdown’ (known as the ‘Ringwell Hunt’ in the book). Chapter VIII ‘Migration to the Midlands,’ covers a long visit to the ‘Atherstone Hunt,’ which in the book is called the 'Packlestone Hunt’. Loder was Sassoon’s best friend for many years.

I have tried for a long time to find out more about Norman Loder and have just come across this picture (left), in a copy of Baily’s Magazine, No. 638, Volume XCIX, dated April 1913. Norman W. Loder was born on 2nd October, 1885, and died on 2nd August, 1940, aged 54. He married Phyllis Sydney Fisher on 24th October, 1914, and they had one son, John Wilfrid, born 31st December, 1915, died 16th April, 1937. I would be very interested to know the circumstances of Norman Loder’s early death if anyone can furnish me with the details.

ON THIS SITE - Descriptions and links to the pages in more detail - Those in green have been updated or are new

Sassoon Books These are broken down into seven categories which record the books that Siegfried Sassoon wrote himself, comprising of his early poems, autobiographies both fictional and real published in the UK, US and Europe. His poetry published in the UK and the US., and other publications which in this case comprise of his biographies of Meredith, published in the UK and US.

Contributions There are three categories in this section, books in which Siegfried Sassoon has contributed the Introduction or Foreword. Pages covering the six decades in which his poems were published by others, (mainly in anthologies) from 1917 to 1967, and books in which he has contributed other texts, mainly excerpts from his autobiographies.

About Sassoon These are books which contain information about Siegfried Sassoon, written during his lifetime. The books are written by such famous names as Edmund Gosse, David Garnett and Frank Swinnerton. Also included are two books by the renowned bibliographer Geoffrey Keynes. Keynes wrote Sassoons bibliography which has helped enormously in the creation of this web site.

Catalogues An interesting section which covers auction catalogues relating to Siegfried Sassoon’s work. These catalogues give a fascinating look at the library of Siegfried Sassoon when it was sold off after his death and scattered around the world. Sales include Sassoon’s work from the collections of Lady Ottoline Morrell, Stephen Tennant and Max Beerbohm

Modern Day This section includes books that have been written about Siegfried Sassoon or have articles relating to him in the years after his death up to the modern day. These books include the two latest modern biographies written about Sassoon, Jean Moorcroft Wilson’s ‘The Making of a War Poet’ and ‘The Journey from the Trenches’ and Max Egremont’s ‘Siegfried Sassoon - A Biography.’

Periodicals This section covers magazines and periodicals in which Siegfried Sassoon has had his work published or contain stories about him during his lifetime. They include limited runs such as ‘The Owl’ edited by another famous war poet, Robert Graves, and magazines of larger circulation such as the American publication, The Literary Digest,

Book Reviews These contemporary reviews of Sassoon’s books are taken from various literary magazines of the time, the title of each is acknowledged along with the date of the review. I believe that these reviews are important today as they are unbiased and show just how Sassoon’s books were received at the time they were written. It also gives people who are new to Sassoon a glimpse of what each book is about.

Music A small but hopefully growing section highlighting any of Siegfried Sassoon’s poems that have been put to music. This selection includes ‘Three Song Pictures’, by Cyril Bradley Rootham, ‘A Childs Prayer’ also by Rootham and ‘Song Cycle’ by Howard Morgan, which includes ‘Noah’, ‘An Old French Poet’, ‘October’, A Poplar and the Moon’ and ‘Goblin Revel.’

His Library An interesting and varied selection of books in my possession which once formed part of Siegfried Sassoon’s own library. Many are inscribed to Sassoon by well known people such as Edmund Blunden and H. M. Tomlinson. These books were auctioned off after Sassoon’s death and have re-entered the market at various times since enabling me to purchase them and add them to this web site.

Sassoon Biography A short, one page biography of Siegfried Sassoon. This biography has been created as a tiny window into the life of the great poet and writer. Elsewhere on this web site will be found more information about his life and his friends which will go to build up a complete picture of the poet, writer, soldier, hero, country gentleman and lover of an English way of life long since past.

A Soldier’s Declaration This is the Hansard report which covers Sasssoon’s Declaration which he wrote in 1917 and sent to a sympathetic MP to be read out in the House of Commons. Sassoon had wanted to do something to shake the establishment at its heart and to speak out about the insincere way in which he thought the war was being pursued by the British Government. It covers the Commons Debate and his Declaration.

Sassoons Art A new page which showcases some of Siegfried Sassoon’s little known paintings and sketches. Siegfried Sassoon enjoyed sketching and painting and often made drawings in the front of books and sent them as gifts to his friends. He also produced watercolour paintings and caricatures of friends and acquaintances.

Keynes A short, one page biography of Sassoon’s bibliographer, Sir Geoffrey Keynes. Geoffrey Keynes (pronounced “Canes”) maintained a passionate interest in English literature all his life. He produced biographies and bibliographies of English writers such as Sir Thomas Browne, John Evelyn, Siegfried Sassoon, John Donne and Jane Austen. His Sassoon bibliography has helped me enormously.

Robert Ross Siegfried Sassoon first met the art expert and literary critic Robert Ross in June 1913, at a party given by Sir Edmund Gosse. Ross, eighteen years older than Sassoon, was a patron of emerging actors, poets and writers and had a significant effect on Sassoon’s work by encouraging him to write poetry critical of the military hierarchy.

Massingham H.W. Massingham was the editor of the Nation, a leading British radical weekly newspaper, between 1907 and 1923. Massingham published a number of Sassoon’s poems in the paper during these years. He was highly enough thought of by Sassoon to be asked his advice before Sassoon went ahead with his protest and was one of the people to whom Sassoon sent a copy of his original statement at the time.

Crosland A page about the first editor to commercially publish Sassoon’s poetry. In the spring of 1909, having had limited success in getting his work published, Siegfried Sassoon was looking for other publications to contact and sent some poems to T.W.H. Crosland the editor of the journal, ‘The Academy’, who was himself a poet and whose work Sassoon respected.

Robert Graves served in the same battalion as Siegfried Sassoon and they became great friends. Graves was also a talented war poet and had ‘helped’ Sassoon during the period of his protest by convincing the army authorities that Sassoon was suffering from shell-shock, and ought to be confined to a hospital rather than be court-martialled for his refusal to fight. Sassoon had not asked for, nor appreciated this intervention.

Hester Gatty Edith Olivier introduced Sassoon to Hester in 1933 and to the surprise of many people, they were married later the same year. In 1936 they had a son, George, but the marriage would not last. Sassoon, too used to living on is own terms felt smothered by Hester’s attention and in 1945 they had separated, Hester leaving the family home, Heytesbury House, in Wiltshire, eventually to live on the island of Mull.

Lady Ottoline Morrell was an English aristocrat and a society hostess, whose patronage was of great assistance to many artists and intellectuals including Siegfried Sassoon, Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley, T. S. Elliot and D. H. Lawrence to name just a few. Her county residence, Garsington, near Oxford was a retreat for a multitude of invited guests, many of whom would later become known as the ‘Bloomsbury Group.’

Two Aunts The book featured on this page is a copy of the ‘Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and the Salaman and Absal of Jami,’ published by Bernard Quaritch in 1879. The book was given as a gift to Louise Sassoon from her sister Rachel in 1889 and carries an inscription. Louise Sassoon and Rachel [Beer] were both aunts of Siegfried Sassoon and this page contains some details about them.

Godbert’s Godbert’s Restaurant does not play a huge part in the story of Siegfried Sassoon, although he did visit it a number of times while on leave from the front line trenches. However, on trying to find out more about it I discovered that very little is known, and therefore I have created this page. This wonderful old restaurant used to stand on the Rue de Jacobin, Amiens, Northern France, and finally closed its doors in 1973.

Hospital 1916 Siegfried Sassoon recorded in his diary on 22nd July 1916, that the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers boarded a train at Mericourt and travelled to Hengest. From there they marched seven kilometers to La Chausee.... for a fortnight’s rest. The next day the great diarist and memorizer wrote just one line: “Feeling very ill. Temperature 105 at 9pm. Went to New Zealand Hospital at Amiens on Monday morning.”

Poems Every time a poem is mentioned in the text on any page, there will be a link to the full poem on this page. This is by no means a complete list of Sassoon’s poems. Whenever the title of a poem not previously referred to before is added to a page, it will be recorded in full here. This page will grow as more books are added.

Popular Poems This table shows which poems were published in anthologies and how many times during the period approximately 1917 to 1966. A total of 58 books are examined. I know that there may be many other books as yet unseen that also include poems, but 58 is a good start in order to deduce what were considered to be Sassoon’s most popular poems. The list will be updated as other titles are discovered.

Edingthorpe As a child Sassoon spent many a happy holiday with his mother and brothers at the old rectory in Edingthorpe, Norfolk. In 1937 he revisited the village and wrote about his memories in ‘The Old Century and Seven More Years’ [1938], I visited Edingthorpe in 1994 and took the pictures found on this page making reference to their part in Sassoon’s story.

1924 Road Trip In 1924 Siegfried Sassoon was living at 54, Tufton Street, London. On the 6th September he decided to drive to Malvern and visit his great friend, the Neurologist, Henry Head. On this page I have listed all of the places that he passed through on his driving tour, or ‘Road Trip.’ Also, I have included pictures of the hotels that he stayed at overnight or stopped at for food during his journey.

Letters Shown here are letters I have relating to Siegfried Sassoon. These letters have either been written by Sassoon, or written by his friends and associates to him or to other people within his circle. Included is a letter written by Sassoon to a lady suggesting she buy a house in Heytesbury; one written by Sassoon’s friend Robert Ross; one by H W Massingham, one from Geoffrey Keynes; and others relating to Stephen Tennant.

Heytesbury In 1933 Sassoon bought Heytesbury House, a Georgian mansion surrounded by 90 acres of parkland and 130 acres of woods just outside the village of Heytesbury in Wiltshire. Sassoon was living here when he died and the site is much changed now. This page shows how it was at the time, and what has happened to it since.

Mells Siegfried Sassoon died in 1967 a week before his eighty-first birthday. He had made it known that when he died he wished to be buried in the church yard at Mells, Somerset, close to the grave of Father Ronald Knox. Knox had been a Roman Catholic priest who preached at the church in Mells and who helped Sassoon to convert to Roman Catholicism.

America On 28th January, 1920, Siegfried Sassoon arrived in New York. “A lecture tour seemed a way to escape and make money, not only for himself but to help his friends who, imagining him to be rich - because of his name - turned to him often.” (Egremont, Sassoon, 2005, p241.) Here are two reports of lectures given by Sassoon in New York at this time.

Who Was Whom? The people in the Sherston Trilogy were all real, however their real names were not used and Sassoon gave them each a pseudonym. This page gives the pseudonym and the real names of all these people, including a number of place names that feature in the three books. Most of this detection work has been done by others to whom I offer acknowledgment on the page.

Contact Hello, my name is David Gray and I created this web site. Please contact me from this page. I first became interested in Siegfried Sassoon when I picked up an old copy of Memoirs of an Infantry Officer in an old bric-a-brac shop in Peterborough where I live. I find Sassoon incredibly interesting not just for his writing, but also for his amazing bravery, both physically on the battlefield, and morally with regard to his protest.

Links Web sites which may or may not relate to Siegfried Sassoon but could still be of interest to others. These sites include a number which refer directly to Siegfried Sassoon, and others with a military theme relating to the First and Second World Wars. Subjects include the French Resistence in WWII, soldiers who fought in the First World war, and local sites about the city in which I live, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.