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Biography
Family and Early Education
Dylan Marlais Thomas was born 27 October 1914 at Swansea, Wales, the son of David John Thomas and Florence Hannah Williams.[1][2] He had one older sister, Nancy, who was eight years his senior.[3] His father, who had graduated with First Class Honors in English from the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, was the senior English master at Swansea Grammar School, and both of his parents spoke fluent Welsh.[3] David Thomas, however, believed that speaking English was crucial to becoming successful in the world and did not allow either of his children to learn Welsh, paying for them to have elocution lessons so they would not have any trace of a Welsh accent.[3]
At the age of eleven, Dylan was enrolled at the same school in Swansea where his father taught. Although he performed brilliantly in English (scoring in the top 98% in the Central Welsh Board Examination) he had no interest in any other subjects, passed no other examinations, and was at the bottom of his class every term.[4] He did gain some notoriety among his classmates, however, as the "precocious" editor of the Swansea Grammar School Magazine.[3] At the age of sixteen, he dropped out of school to become a junior reporter for the South Wales Daily Post.[5]
Literary Career
After spending almost a year as a reporter, Thomas left that job in December 1932 to focus on writing poetry.[6] He began writing all of his poems into a series of (four) notebooks, eventually ending up with over two hundred poems. Over half of the poems for which Thomas later became famous were written during these teenage years.[2] His first poem to be published was And death shall have no dominion, printed in the New English Weekly in May 1933[2] and earning critical acclaim. Following this he had a number of other poems accepted by various newspapers and journals, and in December of the following year his first collection of poetry (18 Poems) was published.[2][6] He was the recipient of the 1934 Poet's Corner Prize, and a rising star in the literary world.[6]
During this time Thomas's home alternated between London (which he referred to as the "city of the restless dead")[2] and Swansea.[3] Although he published several more volumes and his fame in literary circles continued to increase,[6] his scandalous lifestyle and lack of any regular source of income kept him living on the verge of poverty.[2]
He was exempted from military service during WWII because of having asthma, but for the first time was able to maintain a regular income by working for the BBC and also with a film company for which he wrote "morale-building scripts" for the Ministry of Education.[2][6] His work with the BBC continued after the war, but in 1949 he moved into a home in Laugharne which was named the "Boat House," determined to write poetry once again.[2] Unfortunately, by this time years of alcohol abuse had caused his health to seriously deteriorate. He undertook four poetry lecture tours in the United States in an effort to keep his family from starvation but they involved grueling schedules, he spent the money as quickly as he earned it, and his situation grew even more desperate.[2]
Marriage and Children
Dylan Thomas married on 11 July 1937 at Penzance, Cornwall, Caitlin Macnamara, the daughter of Francis Macnamara and Yvonne Majolier.[7][8] They met at a pub in London, introduced by a mutual friend, the artist Augustus John,[9] and married several months later without telling either of their parents until afterward.[9] During most of their marriage they lived in relative poverty, alternating between staying with parents, visiting friends, or borrowing temporary houses and/or money from any friends willing to support them.[8] There were three children from this marriage:
- Llewelyn Edourd Thomas,[3][2] b. Jan 1939[8]
- Aeronwy Bryn Thomas, b. Mar 1943,[3][2] London; d. 2009[10]
- Colm Garan Hart Thomas,[3] b. Jul 1949, Laugharne;[2] d. 2012[3]
Death
Thomas's fourth United States tour ended in tragedy. His last speaking engagement was at the City College of New York.[5] Several days later, he collapsed after a long drinking party at the White Horse Tavern, where he is said to have just boasted "I've had eighteen straight whiskeys. I think that's the record."[11] He was taken to St Vincent's Charity Hospital in New York City,[5] where he remained in a coma for nearly a week before dying on 9 November 1983.[5][12] He was thirty-nine years old. It was reported that his last words were "After thirty-nine years, this is all I've done."[11]
Dylan Marlais Thomas was buried 24 November 1953 at St Martin's Church in Laugharne.[3] In 1982, a memorial stone in his name was unveiled at Westminster Abbey, placed between the stones dedicated to Byron and George Eliot.[3]
His wife Caitlin moved with their young children to Italy, where she lived for almost forty years until her death in 1994.[10] At her request, her body was returned to Wales to be buried next to her husband at Laugharne.[10]
Sources
- ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2F5P-7LD : 1 October 2014), Dylan M Thomas, 1914; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Ferris, Paul. Thomas, Dylan Marlais. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online. Pub. 23 Sep 2004, revised 1 Sep 2017. Available by subscription or through some library services.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Davies, Prof. Walford. Thomas, Dylan Marlais (1914-1953), poet and prose writer. Dictionary of Welsh Biography.
- ↑ Official Dylan Thomas Website, Schooling, hosted by Hannah Ellis (Thomas's granddaughter).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Academy of American Poets. Dylan Thomas 1914-1953..
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Biography.com editors. Dylan Thomas. A&E Television Networks (2014), revised 26 Aug 2019.
- ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV8F-X8BG : 8 October 2014), Dylan M Thomas and null, 1937; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1937, quarter 3, vol. 5C, p. 500, Penzance, Cornwall, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Poetry Foundation. Dylan Thomas 1914-1953. Chicago, Illinois.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Official Dylan Thomas Website, Caitlin, hosted by Hannah Ellis (Thomas's granddaughter).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Official Dylan Thomas Website, Effect of Dylan's death on his family, hosted by Hannah Ellis (Thomas's granddaughter).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 British Heritage. Britain's Last Romantic Poet, Dylan Thomas.. Pub. Jun 2006, revised 9 Mar 2021.
- ↑ England and Wales, Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019. THOMAS, Dylan Marlais. Date of death: 9 Nov 1953; Place of death: St Vincent's Hospital, New York City; Probate: 7 Dec 1953; Administration (Carmarthen) to Caitlin Thomas, widow. Record available at findmypast by subscription.
- See Also:
- Kirsch, Adam. Reckless Endangerment: The Making and Unmaking of Dylan Thomas. The New Yorker Magazine, issue dated 5 Jul 2004.
- Monumental Inscriptions. Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. THOMAS, Dylan. B. 27 October 1914. D. 9 November 1953. Find A Grave: Memorial #2681 : accessed 14 March 2021.
- National Library of Wales. Online 'Dylan' Exhibit.
- New York City Passenger Lists 1820-1957. THOMAS, Dylan. Birth date: 1915; Birth place: Britain; Arrival year: 1952; Arrival place: New York City; Ship: Queen Mary; NARA Roll: 8093; NARA Pub. T715; Film: 002297610. Record available at findmypast by subscription.
- Official Dylan Thomas Website, hosted by Hannah Ellis (Thomas's granddaughter). Contains many photos and personal records.
- Parker, James. The Last Rock-Star Poet, The Atlantic Magazine, issue dated Dec 2014.
- Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960.. THOMAS, Dylan. Departure date: 15 Jan 1952; Destination: New York; Ship: Queen Mary; Ship master: G.E. Cove; No. of passengers: 1163. Record available at findmypast by subscription.
- 1939 Register (National Archives). England and Wales. Laugharne, Carmarthen. THOMAS, Dylan M. Birthdate: 27 Oct 1914; author. THOMAS, Caitlin. Birthdate: 8 Dec 1914. Residence: Sea View, Victoria St, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Ref: RG101/7215H/004/16. Available at findmypast by subscription.
- Wikidata: Item Q191023, en:Wikipedia
- Wikipedia article
Acknowledgment
WikiTree profile Thomas-9078 was created through the import of CARGILL, a collection of family names 2013.ged.ged by Clive Cargill on 19 May 2013.
Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Clive and others.
