Percy Edward Pinkerton

Percy Edward Pinkerton (19 June 1855 – 31 August 1946) was an English translator and poet. His translations included two novels by Émile Zola and a Puccini libretto.

The Porthleven Cemetery headstone on the grave of Pinkerton and his wife Emily Woodgates reads:SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF EMILY HARRIET BELOVED WIFE OF PERCY EDWARD PINKERTON. SHE DIED ADVENT SUNDAY XXVII NOVEMBER MCMXXXVIII. ANGELVS E COELO TERRAVM TRANSIIT ORBEM. ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF PERCY EDWARD PINKERTON WHO DIED XXXI AVGVST MCMXLVI AGED XCI YEARS. The Latin translates as "An Angel from Heaven has crossed the Earth."

Biography

Percy Edward Pinkerton was born on 19 June 1855, at Manor Road, Stamford Hill, Middlesex,[1] as the third child of George Pinkerton (1823–1899)[2] and Mary Easum (1823–1868).[3] His siblings were Eustace (born 1852),[4] a member of the London Stock Exchange, Algernon Robert (born 1853, died 1937 at Rokeby,[5] Godfrey Pinkerton, an architect (born 1858 in Godstone, Surrey, died 1937 in Kensington), and Mary (born 1860 in Godstone), who married the solicitor Gilbert Mainwaring Robinson. Percy's paternal grandparents were Rev. Robert Pinkerton D. D.[6] (born 1780 at Foulshiels, near Selkirk, Scotland, died 7 April 1859 at Reigate, Surrey), and Dorothea, née (possibly) Theakston, born about 1786 at Sarepta, Volgograd, Russia, as a British subject, died 1869 at Kingston, Surrey.[7]

Percy had further Russian connections. All but the last two[8] of his father's many siblings[9] were also born there.[10] His maternal grandparents were Robert Hayes Easum (born 1796, Stepney, Middlesex – died 1866 Worthing, Sussex) and Elizabeth née Edlin (born 1799 Uxbridge, Middlesex – died 1878 Edmonton, Middlesex).[11]

In 1909, Percy married Emily Harriet Woodgates at Kensington.[12] In 1911 they were living at Red Lodge, Happisburgh, Norfolk.[13] In fact Emily Woodgates was born at Putley, Herefordshire, in the December quarter of 1868, the daughter of the Rector, James Richard Woodgates (born 1829 Honiton, Devon – died 1886 Thingoe, Suffolk) and Elizabeth, née Moor (born about 1845 at Great Bealings, Suffolk) daughter of Canon E. J. Moor.

Emily died at St Michael's Hospital, Hayle, Cornwall on 27 November 1938 and was buried at Porthleven Cemetery, Cornwall, on 30 November.[14] Percy died on 31 August 1946, aged 91, at Ealing House, Porthleven, Cornwall.[15] and was buried at Porthleven Cemetery alongside Emily. They had no issue.

Writing

Pinkerton published some volumes of poetry: Galeazzo, a Venetian Episode: with other Poems (Venice and London, 1886), which was praised by John Addington Symonds,[16] Adriatica (1894), At Hazebro' (1909), and Nerina, a lyrical drama in three acts (Cambridge, 1927). He also wrote for the Magazine of Art,[17] and in 1889 edited Christopher Marlowe's plays. However most of his literary work consisted of English translations of European songs and literature. He was a member of the late Victorian Lutetian Society, dedicated to unexpurgated translations of the works of Émile Zola. The Society included Ernest Dowson, Havelock Ellis, Arthur Symons, Victor Plarr and Alexander Teixeira de Mattos.[18] He translated other works from German, Italian, French and Russian.

Translations

From German

From Italian

  • Matteo Bandello, Novellieri Italiani. Twelve stories selected and done into English with a memoir of the author, 1892

From French

  • Memoirs of Constant, the Emperor Napoleon's head valet, 1896
  • Émile Zola, Restless House, 1924
  • Émile Zola, "Pot Bouille" 1894-95 (Lutetian House, London)

From Russian

Operas and cantatas

Lyrics

References
  1. Baptism record 17 August 1855 at St Mary, Stoke Newington.
  2. (born 1823 in Russia as a British subject, died 1899 at Kingston, Surrey.
  3. (born 1823 in Stepney, died 1868 at St Pancras).
  4. Baptism record 22 June 1852 at St Mary's, Stoke Newington.
  5. Baptism record 7 July 1853 at St Mary, Stoke Newington.
  6. His father's occupation was given on the 23 April 1851 marriage entry for the son of George and Mary Easum, St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, Middlesex.
  7. TBD – IGI records show several marriages between the Russian-resident Pinkerton and Theakston families.
  8. Millicent (1825–1900) and Robert (1827–1845) were born at Barrett's Grove, Stoke Newington and baptised at Fetter Lane (Moravian), London – cite England and Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567–1970
  9. Nine known issue – cite IGI, baptism, marriage records, and The Gentleman’s Magazine Vol. XV, 1841, Obituary, p. 110; there are two other possible additions.
  10. Sophia Pinkerton, Percy's aunt, married Samuel Gurney Fry, the penultimate child of Elizabeth Fry, the Quaker prison reformer and philanthropist: IGI Record shows marriage in 1838 and further proved by 1851/61 census records.
  11. Specifically, 1861 Census Records for the Easum and Pinkerton families, BMD Entries & several IGI Records
  12. Free BMD index, September Quarter 1909 1a 408 and entry of marriage 23 September 1909 St James Norlands Parish Church, Kensington.
  13. 1911 census: Percy's age has been incorrectly stated as 45 (he was 55) and Emily's birthplace is given erroneously as Putely, Middlesex.
  14. Burial Records Kerrier District Council, Cornwall.
  15. The Times, 5 September 1946.
  16. "It has individuality: the mark of a true poet, of a finely-gifted nature." See Kirk, A supplement to Allibone's critical dictionary, 1891
  17. "Cecil van Haanen", Magazine of Art 10 (1887), pp. 1–6; "Ludwig Passini: A Painter of Modern Life", Magazine of Art 10 (1887), pp. 127–132.
  18. Denise Merkle, The Lutetian Society, TTR: traduction, terminologie, rédaction 16:2 (2003)
  19. The Times, 29 January 1930
  20. The Times, 1 April 1955
  21. The Times, 15 November 1900
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