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And if you, dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me.’ A Wainwright, Fellwanderer 1966
Contents |
Biography
Alfred Wainwright was born 17 January 1907, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, [1] he died 20 January 1991, Kendal, Westmorland, England.[2] He preferred the nickname of A or AW.[3]
He was the youngest child of Albert Wainwright and Emily Woodcock. Alfred grew up in poverty, his father was referred to as an alcoholic and the reason his mother had to take in laundry. It was only through her hard work that the Wainwright family managed to survive those difficult years. [4][5][6]Alfred left school at the age of 13, which was a pretty normal thing at that time. Alfred's first job was as an office boy in Blackburn Borough Engineer's Department, he used his earnings to help his mother. Alfred attended night school in order to get a degree in accounting, which he used to obtain an accounting position at the Blackburn Borough Council.[7]
At the age of 24, Alfred married Ruth Holden, a mill girl, on 21 December 1931, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, they were divorced about 1968. Alfred and Ruth were the parents of one son, Peter (1933-1998).[8]
Alfred's 37 years of marriage to Ruth has been recorded as being a very unhappy one, they appear to have lived their lives separately for the most part. Neither talked negatively against the other, in fact most people didn't even know that Alfred was married until his seventh book, "The Western Fells (1966)," when he included a line of dedicated to his wife, "my wife, for not standing in my way." Ruth didn't leave Alfred until she heard he was seen with another woman. Alfred and his son, Peter, did spend time walking together, yet as the years went by, Alfred and Peter had little to do with each other. In 1973, Alfred wasn't invited to Peter's wedding, because Peter didn't want to upset his mother.[6][9]
Alfred married Betty Hayes McNally on 10 March 1970, Kendal, Cumbria, England. Betty's first marriage was to Patrick A. McNally (1909-1976). She had two daughters with Patrick. [10]
Alfred passed away 20 January 1991, of a heart attack. In his will everything was left to his wife Betty, she honored his request to have his ashes spread out on top of Haystacks.[2][11]
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| Innominate Tarn on Haystacks, where Alfred Wainwright's ashes were scattered |
Alfred Wainwright's complete story can be found in Hunter Davies book "Wainwright: The Biography."[6]
Facts about Alfred
He never learned how to drive a car, he preferred taking public transportation when he wasn't walking. Even as a child he would walk 20 mile at a time.[6][7]
In 1930, at the age of 23, he took his first walking holiday in The Lake District and fell in love with the Lakeland fells. In order to be closer to the fells, in 1941 he took a job at the Borough Treasurer's office in Kendal, Westmoreland, England.[7]
He enjoyed his own company, and was distant to people.[6]
Alfred enjoyed walking, writing, and illustrating his books.[6]
His first book, "The Eastern Fells" (1955), was his own hand written version, privately published.[6]
Alfred was the Borough Treasurer from 1948-1967.[7]
He supported animal causes, and gave them most of his wealth. In 1984 he opened the Animal Rescue headquarters in Cumbria. [12] [6]
At the age of 76, Alfred started to lose his eyesight, in 1984 he learned his eye sight couldn't be saved.[6]
Alfred desired his ashes to be spread out at Innominate Tarn at the top of Haystacks.[6][7]
Writing Career
On 9 November 1952, Alfred began writing "Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Falls", which resulted in seven volumes over a thirteen year period. (published from 1955-1966) He set the pace of one page a day: 1955: The Eastern Fells; 1957: The Far Eastern Fells; 1958: The Central Fells; 1960: The Southern Fells; 1962: The Northern Fells; 1964: The North Western Fells; 1966: The Western Fells.[7]
He continued his walking and writing with his next seven books: 1968: Pennine Way Companion; 1970: Walks in Limestone County; 1972: Walks on the Howgill Fells; 1973: A Coast to Coast Walk; 1984: The Outlying Fells of Lakeland; 1978: Walks from Ratty; 1985: Old Roads of Eastern Lakeland. Alfred wrote over fifty books in his lifetime.[7]
Alfred, as a result of his guide books, was featured on the BBC in the 1980s. There are walking clubs in England that still use his books. In his books, he was witty, personable, but in person he rarely talked, and was standoffish. Alfred made his mark on this world, through his love of the outdoors, and through friends who helped get his books published.[6][7]
His second wife Betty in "Memoirs of a Fellwanderer" described Alfred as:"a sensitive, shy man who sought anonymity, hiding himself behind a gruff exterior."[12]
Bibliography
For complete bibliography, please see freespace page
- Small-format walking guidebooks
- A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells:
- Book One: The Eastern Fells (1955)
- Book Two: The Far Eastern Fells (1957)
- Book Three: The Central Fells (1958)
- Book Four: The Southern Fells (1960)
- Book Five: The Northern Fells (1962)
- Book Six: The North Western Fells (1964)
- Book Seven: The Western Fells (1966)
- Pennine Way Companion (1968)
- Walks in Limestone Country (1970)
- Walks on the Howgill Fells (1972)
- A Coast to Coast Walk (1973)
- The Outlying Fells of Lakeland (1974)
- Walks from Ratty (1978)
- Old Roads of Eastern Lakeland (1985)
- A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells:
- Large-format guidebooks, illustrated with colour photographs
- Fellwalking with Wainwright, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1984)
- Wainwright on the Pennine Way, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1985)
- Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1987)
- Wainwright in Scotland, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1988)
- Wainwright on the Lakeland Mountain Passes, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1989)
- Wainwright in the Limestone Dales, photographs by Ed Gelgard (1991)
- Wainwright's Favourite Lakeland Mountains, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1991, posthumously)
- Wainwright in the Valleys of Lakeland, photographs by Derry Brabbs (1992, posthumously)
- Local history books
- Westmorland Heritage (1975)
- Autobiographical works
- Fellwanderer: The Story Behind the Guidebooks (1966)
- A Pennine Journey: The Story of a Long Walk in 1938 (1986)
- Ex-Fellwanderer (1987)
Sources
- ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2FJ5-WKY : 1 October 2014), Alfred Wainwright, 1907; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZC-4BXX : 4 September 2014), Alfred Wainwright, Jan 1991; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, Kendal, Westmorland, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ Davies, Hunter, Wainwright, Alfred (1907-1991) Published in print: 23 September 2004Published online: 23 September 2004This version: 08 October 2009, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-50495
- ↑ GRO,WAINWRIGHT, ALFRED Mother's Surname: WOODCOCK GRO Reference: 1907 M Quarter in Volume 08E Page 408, accessed 29 April 2019
- ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4M1-XRH : 20 January 2015), Alfred Wainwright, Blackburn, , Lancashire, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Davies, Hunter, Wainwright: The Biography, Orion Publishing Group, Jan 31, 2013 - Biography & Autobiography, Wainwright Biography
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Wikipedia contributors, "Alfred Wainwright," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Wainwright&oldid=887478932 (accessed May 1, 2019).
- ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV87-Z9VW : 8 October 2014), Alfred Wainwright and null, 1931; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1931, quarter 4, vol. 8E, p. 778, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ Davies, Hunter, The Wainwright Letters, Frances Lincoln, Jan 13, 2014 - Literary Collections, The Wainwright Letters
- ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV6G-C3F5 : 8 October 2014), Alfred Wainwright and null, 1970; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1970, quarter 1, vol. 1B, p. 1023, Westmorland South, Westmorland, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5W-SF89 : accessed 29 April 2019), Mr Alfred Wainwright, California, United States, 22 Jan 1991; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing , born-digital text.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Wainwright Society, https://www.wainwright.org.uk/about-aw/
See also:
