H. de Vere Stacpoole
Henry de Vere Stacpoole was an Irish author and medical professional, born in 1863 in Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), Ireland. After his father's death, Stacpoole's family moved to Nice, France, where he struggled with serious respiratory issues. He later pursued medical training in London, graduating from St. George's Hospital Medical School. Despite his qualifications, Stacpoole turned to literature, achieving notable success with his novels, particularly "The Blue Lagoon: A Romance," which tells the tale of two shipwrecked cousins who grow to love each other in isolation. The novel gained immense popularity, leading to multiple adaptations for stage and film. Stacpoole's literary contributions extend beyond fiction, including autobiographies and children's literature. He passed away in 1951 on the Isle of Wight, leaving behind a legacy as a prolific writer who also advocated for wildlife conservation in his later years.
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H. de Vere Stacpoole
- Born: April 9, 1863
- Birthplace: Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), Ireland
- Died: April 12, 1951
- Place of death: Shanklin, Isle of Wright, England
Biography
Henry de Vere Stacpoole was born in 1863 in Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), Ireland, to minister William C. Stacpoole and Charlotte Augusta Mountjoy Stacpoole. His mother raised e Stacpoole and his three sisters after the death of his father. The family moved to Nice, France, where they settled at the Hotel des Iles Britannique because of Stacpoole’s severe respiratory problems. Upon their return to Ireland, Stacpoole attended Portarlington, a boarding school, before moving to London, where the young man, despite misgivings, enrolled at Malvern College. He later attended St. George’s Hospital Medical School and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, where he earned an L.S.A. in 1891. He married twice, first to Margaret Robson in 1907 and then to Florence Robson in 1938.
Despite his medical training, Stacpoole preferred the study of literature and settled on a career as a novelist, only occasionally practicing medicine, after the 1894 publication of his book, The Intended: A Novel. This novel relates how a lower-class man switches places with an upper-class man. The book was a failure until Stacpoole republished it as a comedy, The Man Who Lost Himself, which became an instant success. Stacpoole died in 1951, just three days after his eighty-eighth birthday, on the Isle of Wight, England, having spent his later years advocating for the protection of sea birds.
Stacpoole was a prolific writer, publishing many novels. His most popular novel, The Blue Lagoon: A Romance, was an immediate success, was reprinted more than twenty times, and was adapted for the London stage. It also was adapted for three films released in 1923, 1949, and 1980, the latter an especially popular adaptation starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. The book tells the story of two children, cousins Dicky and Emmeline Lestrange, who find themselves shipwrecked on PalmTree Island with a sailor named Paddy Button, who dies shortly after their arrival. The children are left to their own devices to survive. In time, they fall in love, and after reaching physical maturity Emmeline becomes a mother and the family lives happily in their island paradise until they are rescued.
In addition to his numerous novels, Stacpoole wrote a two- volume autobiography, Men and Mice, 1863-1942 and More Men and Mice, and wrote children’s books.