Thomas Hardy, OM (1840 – 1928) – British writer and poet

Portrait of Thomas Hardy in 1893 by
Scottish artist William Strang, RA (1859 - 1921)

Thomas was born on 2nd June 1840 in Higher Bockhampton (then Upper Bockhampton), a village in the parish of Stinsford to the east of Dorchester, in the County of Dorset, UK. His parents were Thomas Hardy (1811–1892), a stonemason and local builder, and his wife, Jemima Hardy, née Hand (1813–1904).

Educated initially at home by his mother, Thomas started school at Bockhamptom at the age of eight. He then attended Mr. Last's Academy for Young Gentlemen in Dorchester. When Thomas left school, he was apprenticed to local architect James Hicks.

In 1902, Thomas went to London to study at King’s College. He won prizes from Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architectural Association. In 1862, Thomas joined Arthur Blomfield's practice as assistant architect and worked with Blomfield on All Saints' parish church in Windsor, Berkshire from 1862 – 1864.

Thomas married Emma Gifford in Kensington, London in the autumn of 1874. In 1885, the couple moved into a house called ‘Max Gate’, on the outskirts of Dorchester. It was designed by Thomas for his own use and built by his brother and Thomas lived there until his death in 1928. In 1940 “Max Gate” was bequeathed to the National Trust by Thomas's sister and is now open to the public. 

After Emma’s death in 1912, Thomas married his secretary Florence Emily Dugdale.

Although perhaps better remembered now for his novels, Thomas wrote poetry and war poems during the Boer Wars and The First World War, including "Drummer Hodge", "In Time of 'The Breaking of Nations'", and "The Man He Killed". He wrote "The Dynasts" as "an epic-drama of the war with Napoleon, in three parts, nineteen acts and one hundred and thirty scenes", which were published in 1904, 1906 and 1908.

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Thomas was appalled, writing: "… the world, having like a spider climbed to a certain height, seems slipping back to what it was long ago". Nevertheless, though in his mid-seventies, he did what he could to assist the war effort. "Men who March Away" was published in September 1914 and ‘A Call to National Service’ was published in March 1917. Poems by Thomas Hardy were included in 39 First World War Anthologies.

Thomas’s work influenced on other war poets such as Rupert Brooke and Siegfried Sassoon.

Thomas died at his home ‘Max Gate’ on 11th January 1928.

The Order of Merit (French: Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of the reigning Sovereign.

"Men Who March Away"

What of the faith and fire within us
Men who march away
Ere the barn-cocks say
Night is growing gray,
Leaving all that here can win us;
What of the faith and fire within us
Men who march away?

Is it a purblind prank, O think you,
Friend with the musing eye,
Who watch us stepping by
With doubt and dolorous sigh?
Can much pondering so hoodwink you!
Is it a purblind prank, O think you,
Friend with the musing eye?

Nay. We well see what we are doing,
Though some may not see—
Dalliers as they be—
England's need are we;
Her distress would leave us rueing:
Nay. We well see what we are doing,
Though some may not see!

In our heart of hearts believing
Victory crowns the just,
And that braggarts must
Surely bite the dust,
Press we to the field ungrieving,
In our heart of hearts believing
Victory crowns the just.

Hence the faith and fire within us
Men who march away
Ere the barn-cocks say
Night is growing gray,
Leaving all that here can win us;
Hence the faith and fire within us
Men who march away.

Source: Catherine W. Reilly "English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography" (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1978) pp. 158 – 160, http://www.warpoets.org/conflicts/great-war/thomas-hardy-1840-1928/ and Wikipedia