Crosbie Garstin

Crosbie Garstin (7 May 1887 – 19 April 1930) was a poet, best-selling novelist and the eldest son of the Newlyn School painter Norman Garstin.[1] He is said to have been "'untameable as a child", and to have "died in mysterious circumstances" after a boating accident in the Salcombe estuary. He is known for the Penhale trilogy of novels based in 18th-century Cornwall.

Crosbie Garstin
Born
Crosbie Albert Norman Garstin

7 May 1887
Newlyn, Cornwall, UK
Died19 April 1930(1930-04-19) (aged 42)
Salcombe, Devon, UK
NationalityBritish
Known forNovelist, poet and travel-writer
Notable work
Penhale trilogy
Spouse(s)Lilian Barkworth

Personal life

Crosbie was born in Mount Vernon, Newlyn, Cornwall to Norman Garstin and Louisa ‘Dochie’ née Jones.[2] He was the eldest of three children; Denys (later Denis) (1890–1918) and Alethea (1894 – 1978).[2] He was educated at Brandon House, Cheltenham, Elstow School, Bedford and in Germany.[3] He was head-boy of his school due to sporting prowess in rugby union and swimming.[4]

As a young man he travelled and worked as a bronco buster in Montana, United States and as a lumberjack in Canada. He also travelled to China, Hawaii, Japan and Morocco.[5] On returning home his father, fed-up with Crosbie's inability to get suitable qualifications and hold down a job, sent him to South Africa. From 1912, he ran a cattle ranch in Bechuanaland, and acted as a bush ranger to the Tati Concessions.[6] With the outbreak of the First World War he came back to Britain and in October 1914 joined B Squadron of King Edward's Horse as a private. The cavalry regiment, which was open to colonials, was initially based in Watford and in the following spring, Bishop's Stortford. The regiment left for France on 21 April 1915 and Garstin was promoted to lance corporal shortly before leaving.[6] He was commissioned on the battlefield as a 2nd lieutenant on 14 September 1915, and joined C Squadron, which was attached to the 47th (London) Division at Nœux-les-Mines and was involved in the Battle of Loos and on the Italian Front. In 1916 he was posted to Dublin as an Intelligence Officer during the rebellion there.[7] As well as writing poetry he made contributions to Punch which were well received.[8]

Garstin disappeared when returning from a party to a friend's yacht Osprey in the Salcombe estuary on 19 April 1930.[9] The rowing boat capsized and his body was never found despite Garstin being a strong swimmer and other two occupants of the boat surviving.[5] He left an estate of gross value £3,424, and £1,549 net.[10] His widow, Lillian (née Barkworth) was mayor of Penzance in 1962–63.[1]

Works
  • Up the Line to Death – contributor to the poetry anthology
  • Vagabond Verses (1917)
  • The Mud Larks (1918)
  • The Sunshine Settlers (1918)
  • The Mud Larks Again (1919)
  • The Black Knight – with Mrs Alfred Sidgwick (1920)
  • The Ballad of the Royal Ann (1922)
  • The Coasts of Romance (1922)
  • The Owls’ House – Penhale trilogy, book 1 (1923)
  • Samuel Kelly, an Eighteenth Century Seaman – editor (1925)
  • High Noon – Penhale trilogy, book 2 (1925)
  • The West Wind – Penhale trilogy, book 3 (1926)
  • The Dragon and the Lotus (1928)
  • Houp-la! (1929)
  • China Seas (1930) – was made into a film (1935) directed by Tay Garnett and starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow

References
  1. Nebesnuick, Sue (2010). Walker, Dawn (ed.). Homes & Households in West Cornwall 1550–1950 – Wellington Place and Wellington Terrace: a Regency Row in Penzance. Penzance: Penwith Local History Group. pp. 31–40. ISBN 978 09540249 5 6.
  2. Cross, Tom (1994). The Shining Sands. Tiverton: Halsgrove. ISBN 1 89838 606 4.
  3. "Mr Crosbie Garstin OE. Drowned in Salcombe Harbour". Bedfordshire Times and Independent. 25 April 1930. p. 11.
  4. "Crosbie GARSTIN". Cornwall Artists Index. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  5. "One great writer often forgotten". The Cornishman. 2 July 2015. p. 20.
  6. Tovey, David (Winter 2014). "Lamorna and the First World War. Crosbie Garson's War (Part one)". The Flagstaff (34).
  7. Bolze, Louis (1918). Publishers' Introduction to reprint edition of Crosbie Garstin, The Sunshine Settlers (Bulawayo, 1971 ed.). Books of Rhodesia. p. ii.
  8. Tovey, David (Summer 2015). "Crosbie Garstins War (Part Two): The Blinded Mole". The Flagstaff (35): 23–25.
  9. "Victim of Salcombe Yacht Tragedy Presumed Dead". Western Morning News. 21 October 1930. p. 4.
  10. "Mr Crosbie Garstin's Estate". The Cornishman. 18 December 1930. p. 6.
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