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- John Ford was born on 17 April 1586 in Ilsington, Devon, Kingdom of England [now England, UK]. He was a writer, known for My Sister, My Love (1966), 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (1971) and Dommage qu'elle soit une putain (1961). He died in 1639.
- Writer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
John Gay was born on 30 June 1685 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Emma (1996), Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945) and The Beggar's Opera (1953). He died on 4 December 1732 in London, England, UK.- Captain (later Vice Admiral) William Bligh will be remembered as the infamous captain of the HMS Bounty. He went to sea at the age of 15 as sailing master to the famous explorer Captain James Cook on his 2nd voyage round the world (1772-4) aboard the HMS Resolution. It was he who discovered bread-fruit at Otaheite (Tahiti). In 1787, then lieutenant, he was chosen by Sir Joseph Banks to command the Bounty on a voyage to Tahiti to collect plants of the bread-fruit tree and introduce them to the West Indies. On the return voyage, on 28 April 1789, first mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny, and Bligh and 18 of his supporters were cast adrift in an open boat without charts. The mutineers went back to Tahiti. Bligh was an excellent navigator and managed to 'captain' his boat to Timor in the East Indies. They landed there in June after having travelled nearly 4,000 miles across the Pacific. There he met British authorities and sailed back to England, to be exonerated for his conduct and promoted. In 1791 he set sail for the Society Islands. In 1794 he received the medal of the Society of Arts and in 1801 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. Bligh served under Lord Nelson in command of the Glatton at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He then became a colonial administrator in Australia. He was made Governor of New South Wales in 1805 which was a penal colony. He was deposed in 1808 and imprisoned (1808-10) by mutinous soldiers during the so-called 'Rum Rebellion' inspired by John MacArthur. On his return to England, Bligh was exonerated of all blame. He was promoted to Rear-admiral in 1811 and Vice-admiral of the Blue in 1814, he was not, however, given any important command. He effectively retired in 1811.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Born the youngest of ten children of John Coleridge, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (always called "Col") was bullied so viciously by his elder brother that he ran away from home at the age of seven. Though he was discovered and returned the next morning, the memory of that night would provide fodder for his later poetry. After his father's death, Col was sent to live with his hard-drinking Uncle John Bowden, who would often take his ten-year-old nephew with him to the taverns.
After the deaths of two of his siblings in the early 1790s, Col wrote "Monody," and in trying to conquer both his melancholy and an illness, he became addicted to laudanum opium. After unsuccessful attempts to handle both college and mounting debts, Col ran away and joined the army in 1793. As he was entirely unsuited to military service, his brother managed to arrange his discharge by reason of insanity and Col returned to college, where he became good friends with a political radical named Robert Southey. Col met and married Robert Southey's sister-in-law, Sara Fricker, and tried to be a respectable family man. Depressed by the death of his infant son and persistent illness, Col moved to Malta, where he spied for the British Crown. He separated from his wife, became estranged from his children, and despite numerous tries, was unable to break his opium habit. Samuel Taylor Coleridge died 25th of July, 1834.- William Buckland DD, FRS (12 March 1784 - 14 August 1856) was an English theologian who became Dean of Westminster. He was also a geologist and paleontologist. Buckland wrote the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named Megalosaurus. His work proved that Kirkdale Cave in North Yorkshire had been a prehistoric hyena den, for which he was awarded the Copley Medal. It was praised as an example of how scientific analysis could reconstruct distant events. He pioneered the use of fossilized farces in reconstructing ecosystems, coining the term copulates. Buckland followed the Gap Theory in interpreting the biblical account of Genesis as two widely separated episodes of creation. It had emerged as a way to reconcile the scriptural account with discoveries in geology suggesting the earth was very old. Early in his career Buckland believed he had found evidence of the biblical flood, but later saw that the glaciation theory of Louis Agassiz gave a better explanation, and played a significant role in promoting it.
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Charles Kingsley was born on 12 July 1819 in Holne Vicarage, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Westward Ho! (1919), And Women Must Weep (1922) and The Sands of Dee (1912). He was married to Frances Eliza Grenfell. He died on 23 January 1875 in Eversley, Hampshire, England, UK.- Richard Burton was born on 19 March 1821 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. Richard was a writer, known for Anansi Storytime (2016) and Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (1981). Richard was married to Isabel Arundel. Richard died on 20 October 1890 in Trieste, Austria-Hungary [now Italy].
- Redvers Buller was born on December 7, 1839 in Downes England, the scion of one of the area's oldest landed families. A graduate of Eton, he began his career in the British Army in 1858 when he was commissioned as an ensign in the King's Royal Rifles. Buller spent the next 28 years at posts in India, Canada and Africa. In 1882, he received knighthood by Queen Victoria for leading the British Army to victory in Arabi Pasha's Rebellion in Egypt. Sir Redvers then served with distinction as chief of staff during the Mahadist Uprising in the Sudan in 1884 as major-general, rising to the rank of full general on June 24, 1896. At the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa in October 1899, General Buller was selected to command a force of 70,000 men charged with protecting British interests against the Boer insurgents. Buller turned out be be a better field commander than a strategist; as a result, his forces during the last months of 1899 and first few months of 1900 were defeated by the Boer guerillas using unconventional warfare tactics and Buller was soon replaced by Field Marshall Lord Roberts, a move that enabled him to take his proper place at the head of his troops. His first triumph was the relief of the town of Ladysmith, which was under siege by the Boer Afrikaners since November 1899. Genera Buller's forces succeed in driving the Boers under the command of Louis Botha from Ladysmith after a fierce battle on February 28, 1900 and entered the town the following day. Buller then set the stage for a British offensive into the Boer states of Transvaal and the Orange Free State, where in two months he captured the capital of Pretoria and ended the Afrikaners' struggle for independence. The war then settled into a protracted guerilla war which ended formal military operations, so Buller returned to England in November 1900 where he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and was given command of the First Army Corps. Buller's military career ended in October 1901 when he was removed from his post for making a politically damaging speech. Buller died at his country home in Credition, England on June 2, 1908 at the age of 68.
- James Carrall was born on 21 September 1856 in East Stonehouse, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Glorious Adventure (1922) and Important People (1934). He died in 1942 in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
- Actor
Herbert Vyvyan was born on 27 September 1859 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor. He died on 15 August 1926 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Director
- Actor
Gaston Mervale was born on 16 November 1866 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. He was a director and actor, known for Conn, the Shaughraun (1912), Hands Across the Sea (1912) and The Ticket of Leave Man (1912). He died in 1959 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Reginald Dance was born on 29 December 1867 in Bishopsteignton, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Dreyfus Case (1931). He was married to Aileen Annesley Wyse (actress) and Ethel Mary Colbeck. He died on 12 October 1933 in Hampstead, London, England, UK.
- Charles Hodges was born on 29 January 1868 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Youth at the Helm (1938). He died on 27 July 1941 in Penzance, Cornwall, England, UK.
- English explorer who commanded two Antarctic expeditions, 1901-04 and 1910-12. Born to John and Hannah Scott. Born into a naval family he became a cadet at the age of 13 and entered the navy in 1882. He married famous English sculptor, Kathleen Bruce in 1908. His son Peter was born in 1909. In 1910 he set for antarctica on the ship Terra Nova. With Scott on the final expedition were Edward Wilson (1872-1912), Laurence Oates, H R Bowers, and E Evans. The Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge was founded in 1920 out of funds donated by the public following Scott's death, as a memorial to him and his companions. It houses a small museum and library, and carries out research into all aspects of the Antarctic and Arctic regions. On 18 January 1912 he reached the South Pole, shortly after the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, but on the return journey he and his companions died in a blizzard only a few miles from their base camp. His journal was recovered and published in 1913.
- Arthur Whitby was born on 22 September 1869 in Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Princess Clementina (1911). He was married to Mary Bartrum (stage name: Cissie Saumarez). He died on 29 November 1922 in St John's Wood, London, England, UK.
- Ernie Mayne was born on 17 March 1871 in Topsham, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Excelsior (1906), Cupid (1907) and Pimple's Topical Gazette (1920). He died on 15 May 1937 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK.
- Charles Wreford was born on 14 July 1871 in Clyst St Mary, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Cup of Kindness (1947), A Cup of Kindness (1950) and The Handle Bar (1947). He died on 8 February 1956 in Wembley, London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Forde was born on 29 July 1871 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor and assistant director, known for The Price of a Good Time (1917), The Mysterious Mrs. Musslewhite (1917) and The Employer's Liability (1912). He was married to Maude George. He died on 30 December 1952 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Christopher St. John was born on 24 October 1871 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The Rising Sun (1939). He died on 20 October 1960 in Small Hythe, Kent, England, UK.
- Irene Vanbrugh was born on 2 December 1872 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Gay Lord Quex (1917), Knight Without Armor (1937) and Youthful Folly (1934). She was married to Dion Boucicault Jr.. She died on 30 November 1949 in London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Actor
Arthur Applin was born on 3 March 1873 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Madame Pinkette & Co (1917), The Lure of London (1914) and London Love (1926). He was married to Edyth Olive. He died on 10 September 1949 in Marylebone, London, England, UK.- Robert Hale was born on 25 March 1874 in Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for What Happened to Harkness? (1934), Where Is This Lady? (1932) and It's Love Again (1936). He was married to Belle Reynolds. He died on 18 April 1940 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK.
- Ian Maclaren was born on 1 May 1875 in Lynmouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), Prestige (1931) and Journey's End (1930). He was married to Gertrude Ruby Williams Maclaren. He died on 10 April 1952 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Disney Roebuck was born on 1 March 1876 in East Stonehouse, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Murder Party (1934) and The Woman Decides (1931). He died on 10 May 1947 in Hindhead, Surrey, England, UK.
- Grayce Hampton was born on 28 March 1876 in Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Bat Whispers (1930), Broadminded (1931) and The Shanghai Gesture (1941). She died on 20 December 1963 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Margaret Yarde was born on 2 April 1878 in Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Good Companions (1933), Squibs (1935) and The Only Way (1925). She died on 11 March 1944 in London, England, UK.
- Frederick Culley was born on 9 March 1879 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Four Feathers (1939), The Conquest of the Air (1931) and The Suicide Club (1914). He died on 3 November 1942 in London, England, UK.
- Beresford Lovett was born on 4 April 1880 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Heartbound (1925). He was married to Ruby Muriel Ory Crute. He died on 15 February 1954 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Ethel Coleridge was born on 14 January 1883 in South Molton, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Laburnum Grove (1936), Query (1945) and Plunder (1930). She died on 15 August 1976 in London, England, UK.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Hubert Bath was born on 6 November 1883 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, UK. He was a composer, known for The 39 Steps (1935), Blackmail (1929) and Chu Chin Chow (1934). He was married to Dorothy M. Giffin. He died on 24 April 1945 in Harefield, Middlesex, England, UK.- J.C. Squire was born on 2 April 1884 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Estudio 1 (1965), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Kraft Theatre (1947). He died on 20 December 1958 in Rushlake Green, Sussex, England, UK.
- Geoffrey Clark was born on 9 September 1884 in Plympton, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Full Speed Ahead (1936), Queen of Crime (1938) and Lieut. Daring R.N. (1935). He was married to Catherine Lacey. He died in 1945 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, UK.
- Gordon Hart was born on 26 November 1884 in Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Radio Patrol (1937), On Trial (1939) and King of Hockey (1936). He died on 27 December 1973 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Gordon McLeod was born on 27 December 1884 in Ivybridge, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Saint in London (1939), The Saint Meets the Tiger (1941) and The Only Way (1925). He died on 16 October 1953 in Westminster, London, England, UK.
- Harry Welchman was born on 24 February 1886 in Barnstable, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Southern Maid (1934) and The Holiday Husband (1920). He died on 3 January 1966 in Penzance, England, UK.
- Ronald Squire was born on 25 March 1886 in Tiverton, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Rocking Horse Winner (1949), Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and My Cousin Rachel (1952). He was married to Esyllt A. Williams and Muriel Martin-Harvey. He died on 16 November 1958 in London, England, UK.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Walter Buckstone was born on 28 October 1886 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK. He was a cinematographer, known for A Study in Scarlet (1914) and Fox Hunting (1906). He died on 17 August 1963 in Slough, Berkshire, England, UK.- Viva Birkett was born on 14 February 1887 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Trilby (1914) and The Life of Lord Byron (1922). She was married to Philip Merivale. She died on 26 June 1934 in London, England, UK.
- Mordaunt Shairp was born on 13 March 1887 in Totnes, Devon, England, UK. Mordaunt was a writer, known for The Dark Angel (1935), The White Angel (1936) and Matinee Theatre (1955). Mordaunt was married to Hilda L. Williams. Mordaunt died on 18 January 1939 in Hastings, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fred Tooze was born on 27 July 1889 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Novel Affair (1957), How's Your Poor Wife? (1917) and A Wife in a Hurry (1916). He died in 1962 in Westminster, London, England, UK.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Writer
J.B.L. Noel was born on 26 February 1890 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England, UK. He was a cinematographer and director, known for The Epic of Everest (1924), Climbing Mount Everest (1922) and The Conquest of Everest (1953). He died on 12 March 1989 in the UK.- Art Director
- Art Department
- Special Effects
James Basevi saw military service with the 2nd Canadian Division during the First World War and fought at the Battle of Amiens as a machine gunner. He attained the rank of major and was decorated and mentioned in dispatches . After being demobilized, he first returned to Canada, then settled in the United States. In 1924, he joined the fledgling MGM company, first to design sets, then as a special effects director, often in collaboration with Cedric Gibbons and A. Arnold Gillespie. Basevi was under contract at MGM from 1925 to 1929 and, again, in the mid-30's, his earthquake scenes from San Francisco (1936) earning him a well-deserved reputation as one of the top craftsmen in the field. He was at United Artists from 1936 to 1940, doing more sterling special effects work (with Alexander Golitzen and Richard Day) on the storm sequences of The Hurricane (1937). For this, he built a 600-foot set of a tropical island to be drowned by thousands of carefully manipulated gallons of water. Reviewer Frank S. Nugent of the New York Times was so impressed that he referred to it as the 'Basevi Hurricane' blasting an audience "from the orchestra pit to the first mezzanine"(November 10,1937).
Basevi received his first full credit as art director for Raffles (1939). In 1941, he moved to 20th Century Fox, first as supervising art director, becoming head of the art department by 1945. His crowning achievement was winning the Academy Award for art direction for The Song of Bernadette (1943) (sharing the honours with William S. Darling. On loan to David O. Selznick, he also famously worked with Salvador Dalí on Hitchcock's thriller Spellbound (1945), transferring Dali's paintings for the dream sequence onto film and creating an 'artistically compelling' atmosphere. He also excelled at conveying strikingly convincing images of the Old West, as in My Darling Clementine (1946) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).
After departing Fox in 1947, Basevi did freelance work, in addition to brief spells with RKO (1948-50) and Warner Brothers (1953-54).- Agatha was born as "Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller" in 1890 to Frederick Alvah Miller and Clara Boehmer. Agatha was of American and British descent, her father being American and her mother British. Her father was a relatively affluent stockbroker. Agatha received home education from early childhood to when she turned 12-years-old in 1902. Her parents taught her how to read, write, perform arithmetic, and play music. Her father died in 1901. Agatha was sent to a girl's school in Torquay, Devon, where she studied from 1902 to 1905. She continued her education in Paris, France from 1905 to 1910. She then returned to her surviving family in England.
As a young adult, Agatha aspired to be a writer and produced a number of unpublished short stories and novels. She submitted them to various publishers and literary magazines, but they were all rejected. Several of these unpublished works were later revised into more successful ones. While still in this point of her life, Agatha sought advise from professional writer Eden Phillpotts (1862-1960). Meanwhile she was searching for a suitable husband and in 1913 accepted a marriage proposal from military officer and pilot-in-training Archibald "Archie" Christie. They married in late 1914. Her married name became "Agatha Christie" and she used it for most of her literary works, including ones created decades following the end of her first marriage.
During World War I, Archie Christie was send to fight in the war and Agatha joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment, a British voluntary unit providing field nursing services. She performed unpaid work as a volunteer nurse from 1914 to 1916. Then she was promoted to "apothecaries' assistant" (dispenser), a position which earned her a small salary until the end of the war. She ended her service in September, 1918.
Agatha wrote "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", her debut novel ,in 1916, but was unable to find a publisher for it until 1920. The novel introduced her famous character Hercule Poirot and his supporting characters Inspector Japp and Arthur Hastings. The novel is set in World War I and is one of the few of her works which are connected to a specific time period.
Following the end of World War I and their retirement from military life, Agatha and Archie Christie moved to London and settled into civilian life. Their only child Rosalind Margaret Clarissa Christie (1919-2004) was born early in the marriage. Agatha's debut novel was first published in 1920 and turned out to be a hit. It was soon followed by the successful novels "The Secret Adversary" (1922) and "Murder on the Links" (1923) and various short stories. Agatha soon became a celebrated writer.
In 1926, Archie Christie announced to Agatha that he had a mistress and that he wanted a divorce. Agatha took it hard and mysteriously disappeared for a period of 10 days. After an extensive manhunt and much publicity, she was found living under a false name in Yorkshire. She had assumed the last name of Archie's mistress and claimed to have no memory of how she ended up there. The doctors who attended to her determined that she had amnesia. Despite various theories by multiple sources, these 10 days are the most mysterious chapter in Agatha's life.
Agatha and Archie divorced in 1928, though she kept the last name Christie. She gained sole custody of her daughter Rosalind. In 1930, Agatha married her second (and last) husband Max Mallowan, a professional archaeologist. They would remain married until her death in 1976.Christie often used places that she was familiar with as settings for her novels and short stories. Her various travels with Max introduced her to locations of the Middle East, and provided inspiration for a number of novels.
In 1934, Agatha and Max settled in Winterbrook, Oxfordshire, which served as their main residence until their respective deaths. During World War II, she served in the pharmacy at the University College Hospital, where she gained additional training about substances used for poisoning cases. She incorporated such knowledge for realistic details in her stories.
She became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956 and a Dame Commander of the same order in 1971. Her husband was knighted in 1968. They are among the relatively few couples where both members have been honored for their work. Agatha continued writing until 1974, though her health problems affected her writing style. Her memory was problematic for several years and she had trouble remembering the details of her own work, even while she was writing it. Recent researches on her medical condition suggest that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. She died of natural causes in early 1976. - T.W.H. Veale was born on 11 November 1890 in Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Somme (1927). He died on 6 November 1980 in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Phyllis Birkett was born on 17 August 1891 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Hobson's Choice (1920). She died in 1954 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK.
- Reginald Tippett was born on 27 April 1893 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Inquest (1931). He died in 1963 in Hampstead, London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Reginald Fogwell was born on 23 November 1893 in Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Murder at the Cabaret (1936), Guilt (1931) and The Wonderful Story (1932). He died on 25 May 1951 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.- Guardsman Penwill was born on 30 November 1893 in Higher Yalberton, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Gay Corinthian (1924). He died on 9 November 1963 in Roehampton, London, England, UK.
- Art Department
- Costume Designer
G.E. Calthrop was born on 29 March 1894 in Ashton, Devon, England, UK. He was a costume designer, known for Brief Encounter (1945), The Fighting O'Flynn (1949) and This Happy Breed (1944). He was married to Everard E. Calthrop. He died on 7 March 1980 in London, England, UK.- Betty Chester was born on 12 October 1895 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Musgrave Ritual (1922), Be Mine Tonight (1932) and The Co-Optimists (1929). She died on 11 January 1943 in Lisbon, Portugal.