“Death seems so far away; it recedes and becomes more and more impossible as one grows iller”
journal, 10 august 1948
Today marks the anniversary of Denton Welch’s death, and, once again, I find myself consulting his two biographers for insight. Denton’s early death is a tragedy, but feels like an anticlimax in both accounts. James Methuen-Campbell’s description of events ends the biography abruptly, leaving it feeling curiously unfinished. Michael De-la-Noy describes the day briefly and differently, even though both biographers had a first-hand account of the events of 30 December 1948 from Eric Oliver.
MDN reports Denton’s death coming as something of a surprise, Eric only realising that his friend was dead when he tried to lift him; he had rallied so often before. In a somewhat fuller description, JMC reports that Eric had been sleeping on a mattress in Denton’s room for a few weeks, realising that the additional medical complications poor Denton was suffering probably meant that he was close to death. On the morning of 30 December, Denton was “distraught, crying out in fury and frustration that he was not ready to die”.
Whatever the reality of that Middle Orchard Christmas, Denton’s sheer tenacity and capacity to work through his final months is the reason that his literary legacy includes a third full-length book. Many people would have simply given themselves up to their illness, but not Denton. The almost-finished manuscript of A Voice Through A Cloud sits within easy reach for when he can manage a few sentences through the post-morphia morning fog.
Whilst JMC finishes his biography abruptly, MDN provides a delightfully gossipy epilogue about Denton’s funeral and what happened to the key players in his life. No doubt Denton fans will have read this – to add to the insight, I was recently fortunate to acquire two letters that were written by Eric Oliver a few weeks after Denton’s death, and I’m delighted to be able to share them with you. The first one, dated 12 January, is short and charming:
Dear Mrs Easdale
You must think me very rude not answering your kind letter before this – only I have and still have so much to do. There is Denton’s unfinished novel and a book of poems, short stories and his journal to be seen to. Graham Sutherland is very kindly helping me to get the V and A museum to accept Denton’s Dolls House and other things of his. And the Vicar of Wateringbury is keen of [sic] having Denton’s Angles [sic] – with an inscription, of course. I do hope something comes of this because I feel sure he would have wanted something like this. As far as I can tell I shall be here till 25th March and then hope to find a flat in T. Wells. Eve can’t make up her mind whether to stay with me or go back to Clacton – she wants a bit of both.
I have had the most wonderful letters from V. Sackville-West in sympathy and praise of Denton’s great talent. Please thank Trot and Pru for their kind words and say when they come back I should like to come and tell them about Denton.
Thank you so much for writing.
Yours very sincerely
Eric Oliver
I don’t know who Mrs Easdale is – please enlighten me in the comments, anyone who knows! I’m guessing that she could have been one of Denton’s cousins, as she clearly replies to Eric’s letter with a request for a specific painting. Eric replies in an undated letter:
Dear Mrs Easdale
The picture you want, I fear, is in Shanghai – Denton sent it to his brother Paul who lives there about 2 years ago. However, there is another, of a horse that I think you’d like – only it is unframed. There are curiously few recent pictures of Denton’s because he sold them so well in the last few years.
Edith Sitwell has written and says ‘If she can feel the right words she will send something to the Times’. I have sent her the story Denton wrote 1½ years ago about her that was for an American publication that fell through – so it was never published.
I have been offered a cottage at East Peckham – no water or electric light etc., and very small, I am not terribly keen but if the worst comes to the worst, I shall go there – as at least, it would be somewhere to house all Denton’s lovely things. Noel can’t make her mind up whether to sell M.O. or let again – but I couldn’t afford to stay here. I am sure Denton would like you to have a picture of his – so let me know, if, you’d like me to send or keep it for you.
Yours very sincerely
Eric
Please tell Trot and Pru we will write soon to thank Trot for the lovely bouquet. It must be lovely living by the sea. Very kind remembrances from E.S.
As part of the archive that included the two letters from Eric, I acquired a letter that Denton himself wrote in April 1948. It’s a short covering letter to accompany a story that he is submitting for publication – which story, and which publication is, alas, unknown. Needless to say, it’s now my most treasured possession.
I’d like to end by thanking you for reading my blog this year. The silver lining of the UK lockdown and furlough was having time and space to discover Denton, and to create this website. Although returning to work from furlough severely curtailed my reading and blogging time, my New Year resolution is to fulfil the original vision of the website, with full content and more regular blogs. Happy New Year, everyone, and may 2021 manifest itself as Denton wrote in January 1945:
“My life is a great unfoldment with many marvellous things about it.”
What a wonderful post, and what treasure!
“Mrs Easdale” is Gladys Easdale, sister of Bernard Adeney (and Noel’s sister in law). More famously, she was the mother of the composer Brian Easdale and the writer Joan Easdale. She was practically a neighbour; I think she lived in Crouch village. She was I suppose what you’d call a “weekend writer”, although I think she did get some things published under a pseudonym, although the name escapes me. Her daughter had more, albeit still modest, literary success, although both siblings had very famous associations: Brian with Benjamin Britten, and Joan with Virginia Woolf who had her teenage poems published by Hogarth no less. Joan’s poems are… odd. I think that’s the only word. Woolf was less than complimentary about Mother Easdale’s writing, calling it “silly, egotistical, sloppy and very conventional.” Ouch!
As far as I know, some of Gladys Easdale’s correspondence with Denton is in Texas, although I wouldn’t want to stake my life on it. Charlotte Laughlin’s account of Denton’s correspondents would be able to tell you more.
The real poser is the short story… I wonder if it could be “The Hateful Word”? The word count is about 4000 and the date fits. The other candidate could be “Picture in the Snow” which is a similar length and written probably in 1947. It all depends on what Denton’s definition of “slightly longer” is, I suppose!
I knew I could rely on you, Steven, to fill in the blanks! Is it my imagination, or does Eric’s tone change ever so slightly in the second letter? Yeah, thanks for the condolences Gladys, but what you *really* wanted was a valuable keepsake… 🙄 Maybe it’s just my imagination!
Of all Denton’s treasures, I’m wildly curious
about the current location of his beloved nativity. It sounds as though Eric gave away Denton’s things left, right and centre, so he could have gifted it to the village postman for all I know! I’m devoutly hoping that it’s with someone who loves it as much as Denton did, and appreciates their good fortune to own it.
I don’t think it’s on record where most of it went. It’s entirely possible he called in an antiques dealer to take away the things he chose not to gift. Maurice Cranston got what was probably the biggest single gift, the Louis XVI desk.
One of the things I find mildly irritating about everything Michael D wrote about Eric is that he appears as an ill-educated, simple-minded ‘bit of rough’. But that’s not how Ben Whitrow found him: he called him “charming and cultured”, and rather shy. I think the truth is Eric simply could not find space for all Denton’s possessions, as your letter explains. He might have given some things to friends, and he might have had better advice on how to proceed with Denton’s written legacy, but ultimately practicality dictated his need to sell off most of the items.
When Hector Bolitho met Eric again in the late 1960s, he found that almost none of Denton’s possessions were left. However another element comes to the fore here: Bolitho asked him why he had kept almost nothing. Eric replied: “neither of us was sentimental; we were both truthful.” A cynic might observe that these were the words of a man reflecting on a mere 4-year’s friendship, which had ended twenty years earlier. And yet… I think Denton’s obsession with his antiques (with me, it’s books!) really meant something only to him. I don’t think any of them had any significance in his relationship with Eric at all. So, why indeed would Eric feel the need to keep all Denton’s “stuff”?
On another note, I did consider that “Mrs Easdale” might refer to Gladys’s daughter-in-law Frida, who knew both Denton and Eric, and also Paul Welch. But I’m sure it isn’t; Eric wouldn’t, I’m sure, have addressed her as “Mrs Easdale”, much less explain where Paul was at that time (*not* in Shanghai, of all places, by 1949. He’d decamped to Hong Kong by then).
That’s a really interesting way to look at it! I was applying my own values in imagining that what mattered to Denton would matter to Eric – according to MDN, when he tracked Eric down for the biography, he had only a cigarette case and the urn containing Denton’s ashes (which explains why I was never able to track down Denton’s grave!).
The only thing I wondered about your suggested identity for Mrs Easdale was whether neighbours (or fellow villagers) would exchange long letters. Clearly, a written expression of sympathy is correct etiquette, but would that continue when the discussion could be had in person and save the cost of a stamp? Perhaps so, when the discussion includes a request for a bequest! So let’s settle on her being Noel’s sister-in-law.
I’ve really enjoyed reading this blog, which inspired me to finally read Denton’s Journals (the version edited by MDN) and re-read “In Youth is Pleasure” (my favorite of the novels). It’s so good to re-connect with one of few the writers whose work has really connected with me on some sort of fundamental level.
Thank you, Jeff! I like dipping into the journals randomly to see what Denton was doing on a particular date. There’s always something new that I haven’t noticed before.
Just a brief note to say that Gladys and Ellen Easdale are one and the same and I know that in terms of Denton’s bits and bats, the Easdale’s got some, and as the messages above attest, others were distributed widely. Gerald MacKenzie Leet had many interesting things of Denton’s and while Eric has always been described as giving everything away, he did keep many very personal things.
It’s always lovely to see letters like the ones you have shared – thank you very much.
Thanks, Clive! It sounds like you have some inside info – looking forward to hearing more!