JM Barrie

JM Barrie's Early Childhood

Born to conservative Calvinist parents, Barrie's early existence was marred by a tragedy. When he was 7 years old, his older brother (and, by all accounts, his mother's favourite child) died in an ice skating accident. This plunged the boys' mother into a deep depression. The young James attempted to ease his mother's torment by dressing up in his dead brother's clothes.

Much of the inspiration behind Peter Pan comes from Barrie's obsession with the brother who would remain a child forever, unable to grow up.

JM Barrie's Career

At the age of 13, Barrie left home for school in Dumfries. It was here he acquired a passion for reading and storytelling. The young student eventually took an MA at the University of Edinburgh, where he honed his skills as a journalist.

After working on a newspaper in Nottingham, Barrie started writing fiction and received considerable success with his novel, The Little Minister. This novel was dramatized and after this, Barrie focused his attention on writing for the stage.

It was the stories about Peter Pan, who first appeared in a section of a novel called The Little White Bird, that brought Barrie lasting fame. 

The character's best-known adventure debuted on 27 December 1904 in the stage play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. This story was adapted and expanded as a novel, published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy, and later as Peter Pan and Wendy.

Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies Family

Barrie's friendship with the Arthur Llewelyn Davies' family was perhaps the most profound relationship of his life.

A regular in London's Kensington Gardens, Barrie became acquainted with the Llewelyn family while walking his dog, Porthos.

He entertained the family's 5 boys with his lively tales and a quirky ability to waggle his ears and eyebrows. Barrie was affectionately dubbed "Uncle Jim" and became a close friend to the children throughout their youth and beyond. It was these boys who inspired him to write the Peter Pan stories.

The Peter Pan Statue in Kensington Gardens

Barrie paid for a Peter Pan statue to be secretly erected in Kensington Gardens in the dead of night in 1912.

The statue's patron had hoped his sculpture would resemble one of the Llewelyn Davies boys, Michael, posing as his mischievous hero. The next day brought disappointment however, as the sculptor had used a different model for the final statue.

Despite the author's initial reservations, the statue still stands today and adds a touch of Neverland enchantment to Kensington Gardens.

Great Ormond Street Hospital Connection

In 1929, Barrie announced that the copyright of his literary success, Peter Pan, would go to Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. Barrie's copyright gift has made a significant and lasting financial legacy to the hospital's work.

Read more about JM Barrie's connection with Great Ormond Street Hospital

Barrie's Death

Barrie died of pneumonia in 1937. His final resting place was Kirriemuir cemetery in Scotland. The vast bulk of the author's estate was inherited by his secretary, Cynthia Asquith.

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