John Betjeman
| Sir John Betjeman | |
|---|---|
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Betjeman in 1961
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| Born | John Betjemann 28 August 1906 Parliament Hill Mansions, Lissenden Gardens, Gospel Oak, London, England, UK |
| Died | 19 May 1984 (aged 77) Trebetherick, Cornwall, England, UK |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, broadcaster |
| Spouse | Hon. Penelope Chetwode (m. 1933–1984) |
| Partner |
Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (1951–1984) |
| Children | Paul Betjeman Candida Lycett Green |
Sir John Betjeman, CBE (/ˈbɛtʃəmən/; 28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack". He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1972 until his death.
He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture. He began his career as a journalist and ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television.
Betjeman was born "John Betjemann". His parents, Mabel (née Dawson) and Ernest Betjemann, had a family firm at 34–42 Pentonville Road which manufactured the kind of ornamental household furniture and gadgets distinctive to Victorians.
He changed his name to the less German-looking "Betjeman" during the First World War. His father's forebears had actually come from the present day Netherlands and had, ironically, added the extra -n during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War to avoid the anti-Dutch sentiment existing at the time more than a century earlier, setting up their home and business in Islington, London.
Betjeman was baptised at St Anne's Church Highgate Rise, a 19th-century church at the foot of Highgate West Hill. The family lived at Parliament Hill Mansions in the Lissenden Gardens private estate in Highgate in north London.
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