Georgeham is where the author Henry Williamson settled after returning from the First World War. Whilst in Georgeham he wrote 'Tarka the Otter' the wonderful but sad novel about an otter that was eventualy killed by Otter Hounds. Although later on in his life Williamson moved to Norfolk, Georgham is the final resting place of this wonderful author.
Henry Williamson first came to North Devon on a motor cycle to escape from life in a London suburb and rebuild his life after the horrors of the First World War. He rented a small cob built cottage for one shilling and six pence a week. Through his experiences caring for an orphaned otter cub he rediscovered the world through the eyes of an otter. The countryside and natural life of this beautiful part of Devon became the inspiration of his classic novel "Tarka the Otter".
`Tarka the Otter' tells of the "joyful water life and death in the country of the two rivers" of an otter born beside the River Torridge not far from Bideford. Tarka travelled widely throughout north Devon and his journeys, experiences and adventures are vividly described in the book based on actual locations which have changed little since it was written and can still be seen today.
Henry Williamson
Henry Williamson was born in Brockley, southeast London and attended Colfe's School. The then semi-rural location provided easy access to the Kent countryside, and he developed a deep love of nature throughout his childhood.
In January 1914, he enlisted in the army, and after war was declared, he was mobilised on August 5. The Christmas truce of 1914 affected him greatly. He became disgusted with the pointlessness of the war and was angry at the greed and bigotry he saw as causing it. He became determined that Germany and Britain should never go to war again.
He told of his war experiences in The Wet Flanders Plain (1929), The Patriot's Progress (1930) and in many of his books in the semi-autobiographical 15-book series A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight (1951-1969).
After the war, he read Richard Jefferies' book The Story of My Heart. This inspired him to begin writing seriously. In 1921, he moved to Georgeham, Devon, living in a small cottage. He married Ida Loetitia Hibbert in 1925. Together they had six children.
In 1927, Williamson published his most acclaimed book, Tarka the Otter. The book won the Hawthornden Prize. It also sparked a long running friendship with T. E. Lawrence.
In 1935, Henry Williamson visited the National Socialist Congress at Nuremberg and was greatly impressed, particularly with the Hitler Youth movement. He subsequently joined Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists in 1937.
In 1936, he bought a farm in Norfolk and became a farmer. The Story of a Norfolk Farm is based on his experiences.
At the start of World War II, Williamson was briefly held under Defence Regulation 18B for his well known political views but was released after only a weekend in Police custody. After the war, the family left the farm. In 1946, Williamson went to live in Devon alone and in 1947 Henry and Loetitia divorced.
Williamson fell in love with a young teacher, Christine Duffield and they were married in 1949. He began to write his great series of fifteen novels collectively known as A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight. From 1951-1969 he produced almost one novel a year. This put great strain on his marriage and, in 1968, they were divorced after years of separation.
In 1974, he began working on a script for a film treatment of Tarka the Otter but it was not regarded as suitable to film. Filming for the movie went on unknown to him. The movie, narrated by Peter Ustinov was released in 1979. On his eightieth birthday, he hoped for some honour from the British government. Bitterly disappointed, his health began failing rapidly. Suffering from senile dementia, he died on August 13, 1977 (by a strange coincidence on the very day that the death of Tarka was being filmed), and was buried in the churchyard of Georgeham. In 1980, the Henry Williamson Society was founded.
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