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- King James Scotland was born on 19 June 1566 in Edinburgh, Scotland. King James was a writer, known for Magie des Étoiles (2019). King James died on 27 March 1625 in England.
- David Hume was born on 7 May 1711 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. David died on 25 August 1776 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- Art Department
Allan Ramsay was born on 13 October 1713 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, UK. Allan is known for The Queen's Palaces (2011). Allan was married to Margaret Lindsay and Anne Bayne. Allan died on 10 August 1784 in Dover, Kent, England, UK.- Writer
David Haggart was born on 24 June 1801 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer. He died on 18 July 1821 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.- Grace Elliott was born in 1754 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was a writer, known for The Lady and the Duke (2001). She died on 16 May 1823 in Ville d'Avray, Hauts-de-Seine, France.
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- Soundtrack
Sir Walter Scott was born August 15, 1771, in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the ninth child (and the fourth surviving) of Walter Scott, a solicitor, and his wife Anne Rutherford. Polio, contracted when he was two, resulted in a crippled left leg, but even this illness did not prevent Scott from growing into a tall and energetic man.
Raised on the old Border tales and ballads that would later influence his historical novels, Scott was a clever and active child. Unfortunately, poor health interrupted his studies at Edinburgh University, and after being apprenticed to his father's legal firm for a year, Scott decided to study law. While visiting the Highlands on business in 1786 and 1787, he met not only Alexander Stewart of Invernahyle (who once fought a duel with Rob Roy MacGregor) but also the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.
After his first love broke his heart by marrying another man, Scott married a Frenchwoman, Charlotte Charpentier, on Christmas Day, 1797, after a whirlwind romance. They remained happily married until her death in 1826.
Scott began writing poetry at an early age, and so distinguished himself in this that he was offered the Poet Laureateship in 1813, which he turned down. He published his first novel, "Waverley," in 1814, and it quickly became one of the most successful English language novels ever published. Scott chiefly concentrated on novels in his latter years, putting aside his poetry to publish "Ivanhoe" in 1819 and "Rob Roy" in 1817.
After suffering a stroke and apoplectic paralysis in 1831, Scott died on 21 September 1832.- R.M. Ballantyne was born on 24 April 1825 in Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for The Coral Island (2000) and The Coral Island (1983). He was married to Jane Grant. He died on 8 February 1894 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
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Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer from Edinburgh. His most popular works include the pirate-themed adventure novel "Treasure Island" (1883), the poetry collection "A Child's Garden of Verses" (1885), the Gothic horror novella "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886) which depicted a man with two distinct personalities, and the historical novels "Kidnapped" (1886) and "The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses" (1888). Stevenson spend the last years of his life in Samoa, where he tried to act as an advocate for the political rights of Polynesians.
In 1850, Stevenson was born in Edinburgh. His father was Thomas Stevenson (1818-1887), a civil engineer, lighthouse designer, and meteorologist. Thomas was a co-founder of the Scottish Meteorological Society, and one of the sons of the famed engineer Robert Stevenson (1772-1850). Thomas' brothers were the engineers David Stevenson and Alan Stevenson. Stevenson's mother (and Thomas' wife) was Margaret Isabella Balfour, a member of a centuries-old gentry family. Stevenson's maternal grandfather was Lewis Balfour (1777-1860), a minister of the Church of Scotland. Lewis was himself a grandson of the philosopher James Balfour (1705-1795).
Both Stevenson's mother and his maternal grandfather had chronic problems with coughs and fevers. Stevenson demonstrated the same problems throughout his childhood. His contemporaries suspected that he was suffering from tuberculosis. Modern biographers have suggested that he was instead suffering from bronchiectasis (a congenital disorder of the respiratory system) or sarcoidosis (an autoimmune disease which affects the lungs).
Stevenson's parents were Presbyterians, but they were not particularly interested in indoctrinating their son. Stevenson's nurse was Alison "Cummy" Cunningham, a fervently religious woman. While tending to Stevenson during his recurring illnesses, she read to him passages from the Bible and from the works of the Puritan preacher John Bunyan (1628-1688). She also narrated to him tales of the Covenanters, a 17th-century religious movement.
Stevenson's poor health as a child kept him away from school for extended periods. His parents had to hire private tutors for him. He did not learn to read until he was 7 or 8-years-old. However, he developed an interest in narrating stories in early childhood. When he learned to write, he started writing tales as a hobby. His father Thomas was happy about this hobby, as he was also an amateur writer in his early life. In 1866, Stevenson completed his first book. It was "The Pentland Rising: A Page of History, 1666", a historical narrative of a Covenanter revolt. It was published at his father's expense.
In November 1867, Stevenson entered the University of Edinburgh to study engineering. He showed little interest in the subject matter. He joined both the debating club Speculative Society, and an amateur drama group organized by professor Fleeming Jenkin (1833-1885). During the annual holidays, Stevenson repeatedly joined his father in travels to inspect the family's engineering works. He displayed little interest in engineering, but the travels turned his interests towards travel writing.
In April 1871, Stevenson announced to his father that he wanted to become a professional writer. His father agreed, on the condition that Stevenson should also study to gain a law degree. In the early 1870s, Stevenson started dressing in a Bohemian manner, wore his hair long, and joined an atheist club. In January 1873, Stevenson explained to his father that he no longer believed in God, and that he had grown tired of pretending to be pious. He would eventually rejoin Christianity, but remained hostile to organized religion until his death.
In late 1873, Stevenson visited London. He had an essay published in the local art magazine "The Portfolio" (1870-1893), and started socializing with the city's professional writers. Among his new friends was the poet William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). Henley had a wooden leg, due to a childhood illness which led to amputation. Stevenson later used Henley as his inspiration for the one-legged pirate Long John Silver.
Stevenson qualified for the Scottish bar in July 1875, at the age of 24. He never practiced law, though his legal studies inspired aspect of his works. In September 1876, Stevenson was introduced to the American short-story writer Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne (1840-1914). She had separated from her unfaithful husband, and lived with her daughter in France. Fanny remained in his thoughts for months, and they became lovers in 1877. They parted ways in August 1878, when she decided to move back to San Francisco.
In August 1879, Stevenson decided to travel to the United States in search of Fanny. He arrived to New York City with little incident. The journey from New York City to California negatively affected his health, and he was near death by the time he arrived in Monterey, California. He and Fanny reunited in December 1879, but she had to nurse him to recovery. His father cabled him money to help in his recovery.
Stevenson and Fanny married in May 1880. Th groom was 29-years-old, and the bride was 40-years-old. They spend their honeymoon at an abandoned mining camp on Mount Saint Helena. The couple sailed back to the United Kingdom in August 1880. Fanny helped Stevenson to reconcile with his father.
Stevenson and his wife moved frequently from place to place in the early 1880s. In 1884, they settled in their own home in the seaside town of Bournemouth, Dorset. Stevenson named their new residence "Skerryvore". He used the name of a lighthouse which his uncle Alan had constructed. In 1885, Stevenson reacquainted himself to his old friend, the novelist Henry James (1843-1916). James had moved to Bournemouth to care for his invalid sister. Stevenson and James started having daily meetings to converse over various topics. Stevenson wrote several of his popular works while living in Bournemouth, though he was frequently bedridden.
In 1887, Thomas Stevenson died. Stevenson felt that nothing tied him to the United Kingdom, and his physician had advised him that a complete change of climate might improve his health. Stevenson and much of his surviving family (including his widowed mother) traveled to the state of New York. They spend the winter at a cottage in the Adirondacks, with Stevenson starting to work on the adventure novel "The Master of Ballantrae" (1889).
In June 1888, Stevenson chartered the yacht "Casco" to transport him and his family to San Francisco. The sea air helped restore his health for a while. Stevenson decided to spend the next few years wandering in the Pacific islands. He visited the Hawaiian Islands, and befriended the local monarch Kalakaua (1836-1891, reigned 1874-1891) and his niece Ka'iulani (1875-1899). Stevenson's other voyages took him to the Gilbert Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand and the Samoan Islands.
In December 1889, Stevenson and his family at the port of Apia in the Samoan islands. He decided to settle in Samoa. In January 1890, he purchased an estate on the island. He started building Samoa's two-story house, and also started collecting local folktales. He completed an English translation of the moral fable "The Bottle Imp".\
Stevenson grew concerned with the ongoing rivalry between Britain, Germany and the United States over their influence in Samoa. He feared that the indigenous clan society would be displaced by foreigners. He published various texts in defense of the Polynesians and their culture. He also worked on "A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa" (1892), a detailed chronicle of the Samoan Civil War (1886-1894) and the international events leading up to it.
Stevenson's last fiction writings indicated his growing interest in the realist movement, and his disdain for colonialism. In December 1894, Stevenson suffered a stroke while conversing with his wife. He died hours later, at the age of 44. The local Samoans provided a watch-guard to protect his body until a tomb could be prepared for it. Stevenson was buried at Mount Vaea, on a spot overlooking the sea. A requiem composed by Stevenson himself was inscribed on the tomb.
Stevenson was seen as an influential writer of children's literature and horror fiction for much of the 20th century, but literary critics and historians had little interest in his works. He was re-evaluated in the late 20th century "as an artist of great range and insight", with scholarly studies devoted entirely to him. The Index Translationum, UNESCO's database of book translations, has ranked him as the 26th most translated writer on a global level. Stevenson ranked below Charles Dickens (25th) in the index, and ahead of Oscar Wilde (28th). His works have received a large number of film adaptations.- Arthur Lloyd was born on 14 May 1839 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Arthur was married to Katty King. Arthur died on 20 July 1904 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- Robert Marshall was born on 21 June 1863 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for The Second in Command (1915) and The Unforseen (1917). He died on 1 July 1910 in London, England, UK.
- Alexander Duff was born on 10 November 1849 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was married to Princess Louise. He died on 29 January 1912 in Aswan, Egypt.
- William Hutchison was born on 16 May 1869 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Fair Barbarian (1917), The Lipton Cup: Introducing Sir Thomas Lipton (1913) and Happiness of Three Women (1917). He died on 7 September 1918 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Philip Robson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Life's Whirlpool (1916), The Running Fight (1915) and The Banker's Daughter (1914). He died on 6 May 1919 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a theatrical family that comprised in part the troupe known as the Crawford-Hunter Party, Clifton Crawford spent most of his childhood traveling throughout Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. When his father realized Clifton had musical talent and perhaps a need for some greater stability than he was getting on the road, Clifton was apprenticed to a Presbyterian Church in Scotland to learn the trade of a church organist. He did well in that profession until the pastor overheard him practicing dance music on the church organ and summarily dismissed him. Without much in the way of viable prospects for his skills in Great Britain, he sailed for America where he had a sister and a chance at performing in vaudeville. He lasted two weeks at Keith's Theatre before parlaying his Scottish roots into a gig as a golf instructor. It seems that in some circles the Scottish were viewed as golf naturals and Clifton, true to form, was able to learn the game quickly and demonstrate reputable and marketable skill in the game at several golf clubs in New England. His true passion, however, was still the stage and, while not on the links, entertained club members with his musical abilities. Robert Barnet saw one of Clifton's performances and invited him to apply his musical skills to writing music for a show Mr. Barnet was then putting together for a group of amateur performers, a musical troupe formed from a voluntary Boston militia know as the First Corps of Cadets or, simply, the Boston Cadets. The show was "Miss Simplicity" and was eventually produced professionally on Broadway at the Casino Theatre in 1902, wherein Clifton also garnered a role as part of the chorus. This role lead to other Broadway works: e.g. "Foxy Grandpa" (his first speaking role in the 1902 production at Haverly's 14th Street Theatre), "The Three Twins" (his breakout role in 1908 at the Hearld Square Theatre where he wowed the audience with a recitation of Rudyard Kipling's "Gunga Din"), and "The Quaker Girl" (his first starring role occurring at the Park Theatre). There are only two entries in his resume for work in front of a camera: Animated Weekly, No. 43 (1913) (a newsreel wherein he portrays himself as a stage star) and The Galloper (1915) (based on the 1906 Broadway production of the same name, a play that revolves around the Greco-Turkish war in 1897). Clifton's last Broadway play was the 1920 Harry Frazee production of "My Lady Friends" (Mr. Frazee, you might recall, was also the owner of the Boston Red Sox, the man who sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for, among other reasons, the revenue to finance the production of "My Lady Friends"). The play was well received and slated for a good run until Clifton set off for England to fulfill a previous commitment on the London stage. He was due back 1 July 1920 to resume his role in "My Lady Friends." But on 3 June 1920 he fell from his 4th floor hotel room to his death. The death was ruled accidental; he was apparently under the influence of sedatives presumably to relax from a rather tense, hectic schedule. "My Lady Friends" closed permanently, but returned to the stage in 1925 as a musical titled "No, No, Nanette." It, too, was produced by Harry Frazee and had a much better outcome.
- Alfred Brydone was born on 9 December 1863 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Richard III (1911) and The Lyons Mail (1916). He was married to Ella Mary Tarrant. He died on 26 November 1920 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Alexander Graham Bell was born on 3 March 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was married to Mabel Hubbard. He died on 2 August 1922 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Robert Brunton was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an art director and producer, known for The Avenging Arrow (1921), Daredevil Jack (1920) and The Coast of Opportunity (1920). He died on 7 March 1923 in London, England, UK.- Actor
Donald Robertson was born on 12 December 1860 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor. He was married to Anna Titus (actress). He died on 20 May 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.- Walter Bentley was born on 7 October 1849 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was an actor, known for The Sealed Room (1926). He died on 19 September 1927 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Douglas Haig was born on 19 June 1861 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for The First World War (2003), Remembrance (1927) and Under Four Flags (1918). He died on 29 January 1928 in London, England, UK.
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Arthur Conan Doyle was a British writer of Irish descent, considered a major figure in crime fiction. His most famous series of works consisted of the "Sherlock Holmes" stories (1887-1927), consisting of four novels and 56 short stories. His other notable series were the "Professor Challenger" stories (1912-1929) about a scientist and explorer, and the "Brigadier Gerard" stories (1894-1910) about a French soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Doyle's literary works have frequently been adapted into film and television.
In 1859, Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to an Irish Catholic family. His father was Charles Altamont Doyle (1832 - 1893), a professional illustrator and water-colorist who is primarily remembered for fantasy-style paintings. Doyle's mother was Mary Foley (1837-1920). Through his father, Doyle was a nephew of the antiquarian James William Edmund Doyle (1822 - 1892), the illustrator Richard Doyle (1824-1883), and the gallery director Henry Edward Doyle (1827 -1893). Doyle's paternal grandfather was the political cartoonist and caricaturist John Doyle (1797-1868).
During his early years, Doyle's family had financial problems due to his father's struggles with depression and alcoholism. They received financial support from affluent uncles, who also financed Doyle's education. From 1868 to 1870, Doyle was educated at Hodder Place, a Jesuit preparatory school located at Stonyhurst, Lancashire. From 1870 to 1875, Doyle attended Stonyhurst College, a Roman Catholic boarding school. He disliked the school due to its rather limited curriculum, and the constant threats of corporal punishment and ritual humiliation used to discipline students.
From 1875 to 1876, Doyle received further education at Stella Matutina, a Jesuit school located at Feldkirch, Austria. His family wanted him to perfect his use of the German language, but this school offered a wider range of study subjects. Stella Matutina attracted student from many countries, and was more cosmopolitan in nature than Doyle's previous schools.
Doyle decided to follow a medical career. From 1876 to 1881, Doyle studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. He also took botany lessons at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. During his university years, Doyle started writing short stories. He had trouble finding a publisher, and "Blackwood's Magazine" (1817-1980) rejected his submitted work. Doyle's first published short story was "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" (1879), featuring a demon in South Africa. That same year, Doyle published his first academic article in a science journal. The article examined the uses of the flowering plant Gelsemium as a poison. As an experiment, Doyle self-administrated doses of the poison and recorded the symptoms.
In 1880, Doyle worked for a while as a doctor in the whaling ship "Hope". In 1881, following his graduation from medical school, Doyle served as a ship's surgeon on the SS Mayumba. In 1882, Doyle and a former classmate established a medical practice in Plymouth, Devon. Their partnership failed, and Doyle soon started his own practice in Southsea, Hampshire. He did not have many patients, so he decided to resume writing fiction to supplement his income.
In 1886, Doyle created the character of Sherlock Holmes. He loosely based his creation on his former college teacher Joseph Bell (1837 - 1911), inspired by Bell's emphasis on the importance of "deduction and inference and observation". Doyle completed the first Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet" (1887), and sold the rights to the publishing house "Ward, Lock & Co." (1854-1964). The novel's publication was delayed until November, 1887, but it was well-received by professional critics.
Doyle next completed the sequel novel "The Sign of the Four" (1890), commissioned from the American literary magazine Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (1868-1915). He started writing short stories about Holmes for the British literary magazine "The Strand Magazine" (1891-1950).
Besides Holmes stories, Doyle wrote seven historical novels between 1888 and 1906. He wrote "Micah Clarke" (1889), as a fictionalized account of the Monmouth Rebellion (1685) and its consequences. The novel also voices Doyle's arguments against religious extremism. He wrote "The White Company" (1891) to examine the role of mercenaries in 14th-century warfare, depicting the campaigns of Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376) in the Kingdom of Castile. He wrote "The Great Shadow" (1892) to feature the experiences of soldiers in the Battle of Waterloo (1815). He wrote "The Refugees" (1893) to examine the fates of Huguenot refugees who were fleeing 17th-century France to escape religious persecution by Louis XIV (1638-1715, reigned 1643-1715). He wrote "Sir Nigel" (1906) to examine the early phases of the Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453). He regarded these novels to be his best literary work, though they were never as popular as his crime novels.
In 1900, Doyle served as a volunteer doctor in the Second Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902), though he had no previous military experience. He was stationed at a field hospital at Bloemfontein. At about this time, Doyle wrote the non-fiction book "The Great Boer War" (1900), which covered in detail the early phases of the war. He also wrote the companion work "The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct" in order to defend the British Empire from accusations of misconduct in its military efforts. These works were translated in multiple languages, and were appreciated by the British government. For his services to the British Empire, Doyle was knighted in 1902. In 1903, Doyle became a knight of the Order of Saint John, a British royal order of chivalry that was based on the original Knights Hospitaller.
In 1906, Doyle was involved in efforts to exonerate the lawyer George Edalji, a mild-mannered man who had been convicted of animal mutilations on insufficient evidence. Doyle helped publicize other instances of miscarriages of justice, and convinced the public that there was need of reforms in the legal system. In 1907, British authorities reacted to this campaign by establishing the Court of Criminal Appeal.
In 1909, Doyle wrote the non-fiction work "The Crime of the Congo" (1909). In the book, Doyle denounced the human rights abuses in the Congo Free State, and claimed that the Belgian colonial forces had enslaved the local population. He quoted testimonies from many witnesses and tried to convince the public of a need to intervene in the area.
World War I (1914-1918) was a difficult time for Doyle , as several of his relatives and friends died due to the war. Doyle's son Kingsley was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Somme (1916), and never fully recovered. Kingsley died of pneumonia in 1918, while still hospitalized. Doyle's brother, Brigadier-general Innes Doyle, died of pneumonia in 1919. Doyle's brother-in-law, the famous author E. W. Hornung, died of pneumonia in 1921. The series of deaths led Doyle to further embrace Spiritualism, and that faith's claims about existence beyond the grave. He spend much of the 1920s as a missionary of Spiritualism, and investigated supposed supernatural phenomena. He also wrote many non-fiction spiritualist works. In 1926, Doyle financed the construction of a Spiritualist Temple in Camden, London.
In July 1930, Doyle suffered a heart attack while staying in his then-residence, Windlesham Manor, in Crowborough, Sussex. He spend his last moments in reassuring his wife Jean Leckie that she was wonderful. He was 71-years-old at the time of his death. He was survived by two sons and two daughters. His daughter Jean Conan Doyle (1912 - 1997) was the copyright holder of much of her father's works until her own death.
Since Doyle was no longer a Christian at the time of his death, his family declined giving him a Christian burial place. Doyle was buried in Windlesham Manor's rose garden. His remains were later re-interred in Minstead churchyard, New Forest, Hampshire. His wife's remains were buried beside him. His gravestone epitaph described him as "Steel true/Blade straight/Arthur Conan Doyle/Knight/Patriot, Physician and man of letters".
Doyle is long gone, but his works have remained popular into the 21st century. Doyle has been cited as an influence on later crime writers, and Agatha Christie's earliest novels were strongly influenced by Sherlock Holmes' stories. His life's events have inspired several biographies, and a number of fictionalized accounts.- Kenneth Grahame was born on 8 March 1859 and was orphaned by the time he was five years old. He went to live with his grandmother in Cookham Dene, Berkshire. He attended St. Edward's School there, and at the age of 17 began working as a clerk for the Bank of England. He stayed on, was promoted several times, eventually holding the position of Permanent Secretary. He married Elspeth Thomson in 1899. Grahame wrote essays which were published in the 'National Observer,' and many well-received sketches of childhood - some about orphaned siblings - for various publications. He was nostalgic, appreciative of nature, and sensitive to the lives of children; some of the stories which comprise The Wind in the Willows were originally written as letters, others were invented as bedtime stories - all in order to amuse his young son, who died in an accident in 1920. Grahame died in 1932.
- Spottiswoode Aitken was born on 16 April 1867 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Birth of a Nation (1915), The White Circle (1920) and The Americano (1916). He was married to Marion Dana Jones. He died on 26 February 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
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He was the man you loved to hiss. This towering (6' 4"), highly imposing character star with cold, hollow, beady eyes and a huge, protruding snout would go on to become one of the silent screen's finest arch villains. Born Ernest Thayson Torrence-Thompson on June 26, 1878, in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was, unlikely enough, an exceptional pianist and operatic baritone. A graduate of the Stuttgart Conservatory, Edinburgh Academy before earning a scholarship at London's Royal Academy of Music, he toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in such productions as "The Emerald Isle" (1901) and "The Talk of the Town" (1905) before serious vocal problems set in. Both Ernest and his actor brother David Torrence came to America directly from Scotland prior to WWI. Focusing instead on a purely acting career, both brothers developed into seasoned players on the New York stage. Ernest made his Broadway bow with "Modest Suzanne" in 1912 and a standout role in "The Night Boat" in 1920 brought him to the attention of Hollywood filmmakers.
He earned superb marks playing the despicable adversary Luke Hatburn in Tol'able David (1921) opposite Richard Barthelmess, and immediately settled into films for the rest of his career. Adept at both comedy and drama, Ernest avoided what could have been a damaging stereotype with his sympathetic portrayal of a grizzled old codger in the classic western The Covered Wagon (1923). He further bolstered his celebrity with plum, lip-smacking roles alongside Lon Chaney in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) as Clopin, king of the beggars, and Betty Bronson in Peter Pan (1924) as the dastardly Captain Hook. In an offbeat bit of casting he paired up with Clara Bow in Mantrap (1926) as a gentle, bear-like backwoodsman in search of a wife, and participated in other silent classics such as The King of Kings (1927) (as Peter) and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) as Buster Keaton's steamboat captain Dad.
Despite his celluloid villainy, Ernest was known as a courtly and cultivated gentleman in private. He made the transition into talking films intact and was able to play a marvelous nemesis, Dr. Moriarty, to Clive Brooks' Sherlock Holmes (1932) before his untimely death. Ernest died following his filming as a smuggler in I Cover the Waterfront (1933) starring Claudette Colbert in New York on May 15,1933, at the relatively young age of 54. It seems that while en route to Europe by ship, Torrence suffered an acute attack of gall stones and was rushed back to a New York hospital. He died of complications following surgery. Looking and usually playing much older than he was, Hollywood lost a marvelously talented and robust character player who had dozens of films ahead of him.- John Hamilton-Gordon was born on 3 August 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was married to Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon. He died on 7 March 1934 in Tarland, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
- Moffat Johnston was born on 18 August 1886 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Midnight (1934) and Richard III (1911). He was married to Winifred Durie Hodgson. He died on 3 November 1935 in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA.
- British physiologist and philosopher known for his study of the physiology of respiration (breathing). He made many important discoveries about the human body and the nature of gases. He was a guest lecturer at the University of Glasgow, a fellow of New College, Oxford and an honorary professor of the University of Birmingham. Along with being President of the English Institution of Mining Engineers, he was a member of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal Society of Medicine.
- Herbert Maxwell was born on 8 January 1845 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Herbert was a writer, known for Sixty Years a Queen (1913). Herbert was married to Mary Fletcher Campbell. Herbert died on 30 October 1937 in Wigtownshire, Scotland, UK.
- C.M. Hallard was born on 26 October 1865 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Case of Lady Camber (1920), The Husband Hunter (1920) and Convict 99 (1919). He died on 21 April 1942 in Farnham, Surrey, England, UK.
- Lamont Dickson was born on 15 June 1887 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Almost a Honeymoon (1930). He died on 7 May 1944 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Writer
Frank M. McCormack was born on 24 May 1878 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer. He died on 29 September 1946 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Helen Bannerman was born on 25 February 1862 in Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, UK. She was a writer, known for Chibikuro Sambo no tora taiji (1956) and Chibikuro Sambo to futago no otôto (1957). She died on 13 October 1946.
- Norman Ainsley was born on 4 May 1881 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Shadow Strikes (1937) and Drawing Roomers (1936). He was married to Vera Pearl Gray and Daisy McNaughton. He died on 23 January 1948 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- James Woodburn was born on 17 January 1888 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Whisky Galore! (1949), Floodtide (1949) and Spare a Copper (1940). He died on 26 November 1948 in London, England, UK.
- Michaelson was born on 7 December 1898 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He died on 27 December 1948 in Paddington, London, England, UK.
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Harry Lauder was born on 4 August 1870 in Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Huntingtower (1927), Ali G Indahouse (2002) and Auld Lang Syne (1929). He was married to Annie Vallance. He died on 26 February 1950 in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
David Torrence was the second child born out of eleven children to Henry Torrance Thomson and Janet Bryce. Davis given name was 'David Bryce Thomson." Born on Jan 17,1863 in Edinbough,Scotland. David's brother was character star 'Ernest Torrence' who was 15 years younger than David. Ernest was the first of the two to come to California and become actors. Educated in both England and Germany, David moved with equal ease from stage to screen in the early part of the 20th century. Following the completion of the classic silent films Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1913) with the legendary stage actress Minnie Maddern Fiske, and The Prisoner of Zenda (1913), however, David returned to focus on Broadway plays and enjoy life on a Mexican ranch. A steep reversal of fortunes aggravated a necessary return to Hollywood following World War I, and, fortunately for his fans, he stayed for nearly two decades. Playing a number of leads during his silent heyday, many of them men of influence, his portrayals of stern-faced villains may not have rivaled that of brother Ernest, but David made for quite a contemptible gent in a few. In his first sound picture, the historical drama Disraeli (1929), he played an austere-looking anti-Semitic head of the Bank of England whose refusal to finance the Suez canal results in action taken by Prime Minister Disraeli, played by George Arliss. David also went on to lend Arliss prime support in the comedy drama A Successful Calamity (1932), and in another biopic history lesson, Voltaire (1933). Come the advent of sound, his characters continued to prestigious characters (bankers, merchants, lawyers, and attorneys), but grew smaller in size until he faded out in unbilled parts, such as in The Dark Angel (1935) and Lost Horizon (1937). Comedy fans might remember David for his performance as Scots attorney Mr. Miggs in the Laurel and Hardy feature Bonnie Scotland (1935). His last roles included, Rulers of the Sea (1939) and Stanley and Livingstone (1939). David Torrence died Dec 26,1951 Beverly Hills, Ca. and is buried at the Inglewood Cemetery while others give 1951.- Philip Ritte was born on 8 January 1871 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Reunion (1932). He died on 14 December 1954 in Willesden, London, England, UK.
- Eveline Chipman was born on 18 January 1871 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Birds of a Feather (1935), The Runaway Princess (1929) and Sacrifice (1929). She died on 29 August 1956 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, UK.
- Alan Gordon was born on 25 March 1908 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Lady Audley's Secret (1949) and The Winslow Boy (1948). He died on 24 November 1956 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Mona K. Harrison was born on 28 March 1879 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Derelicts (1917), Light (1915) and Esther Redeemed (1915). She was married to Edward Fitzgerald (1876-1951). She died on 2 January 1957 in the UK.
- Mark Daly was born on 23 August 1887 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for A Cuckoo in the Nest (1933), Good Morning, Boys! (1937) and Kidnapped (1952). He was married to Louise Outwater. He died on 27 September 1957 in London, England, UK.
- Dorothy Minto was born on 21 February 1886 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for A Little Bit of Fluff (1919), Once Upon a Time (1918) and Inside the Room (1935). She was married to Robert Geoffrey Buxton and Shiel [Ronald Patrick] Barry. She died on 6 December 1957 in Chelsea, London, England, UK.
- Gabriel Scott was born on 8 March 1874 in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for Fant (1937), De vergeløse (1939) and Tante Pose (1940). He was married to Birgit Gabrielsen, Dagmar Marie Jensen and Ellen Johansen. He died on 9 July 1958 in Arendal, Aust-Agder, Norway.
- C.M. Cree was born on 5 December 1897 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942). He died on 23 July 1958 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Marie Stopes was born on 15 October 1880 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was a writer, known for Married Love (1923). She died on 2 October 1958 in Norbury Park, Dorking, Surrey, England, UK.
- Molly Pearson was born in 1875 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Little Women (1939), The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1918) and The Streets of New York (1939). She was married to Ethelbert D. Hale. She died on 29 January 1959 in Newtown, Connecticut, USA.
- George Chalmers was born on 7 June 1888 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Pioneers (1926), A Maori Maid's Love (1916) and The Adventures of Algy (1925). He died on 5 August 1960 in Bronx, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Wallace Lupino was born on 23 January 1898 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Me and My Girl (1939), Hot News (1936) and Master and Man (1934). He was married to Iris Muriel Webb and Rose Winona Jones. He died on 11 October 1961 in Ashford, Kent, England, UK.- Vivian Baron was born on 10 February 1895 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Passing of Mr. Quin (1928), Further Adventures of a Flag Officer (1927) and Sailors Don't Care (1928). He died on 28 December 1961 in Fulham, London, England, UK.