John Symonds (12 March 1914, Battersea, London – 21 October 2006) was an English novelist, biographer, playwright and writer of children's books.
Biography
Early life
At the age of sixteen he moved to London and began educating himself by spending long hours in the reading room of the British Museum. A partial reconciliation with his father resulted in the latter funding research work that John Symonds would later mine for his own novels later in life.
His first job was at Hulton Press, working as a journalist on Picture Post and during this period he became friends with Dylan Thomas and Stephen Spender. Being exempted from military service, he edited 'Lilliput' magazine during which time he briefly married Hedwig Feuerstein.
Career
In 1945 he married Renata Israel, and the following year (1946) he published his first novel, William Waste. This was followed in 1955 by The Lady in the Tower, and, in 1957, by another love story, A Girl Among Poets, which won praise from Sir John Betjeman, who wrote of the author's "gift for describing farcical situations".
Born at Horningsheath in Suffolk on 23 January 1730, he was the eldest son of John Symonds (died 1757), rector of the parish, by his wife Mary (died 1774), daughter of Sir William Spring of Pakenham, bart.
He joined the Royal Engineers and was made 2nd Lieutenant in 1833, Lieutenant in 1836, 2nd Captain in 1845, Captain in 1850 and given the Army Rank of Major in 1846.
Following the intervention of the western powers in Syria and Palestine as a result of increasing tensions between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire Lieutenant Symonds was sent to the area in 1840. After surveying coastal forts he was sent to Jerusalem in early 1841, where he prepared an accurate map of the city. Later that year, at the age of only 26 or 27, he was ordered to carry out a complete trigonometrical survey of southern and central Palestine: the north would be surveyed by a different team. The survey was done by triangulation from the coast inland to the Dead Sea, using a 7-inch theodolite. Symond's calculations for the height of the Dead Sea was 1312 feet below sea level, compared with today's accepted figure of 1299 feet below sea level. In spite of the arduous conditions and sickness which affected the whole team, the exercise was completed in 10 weeks.
Mr Symond, who is the nephew of company founder 'Aussie' John Symond, confided he felt 'terrified and broken' after losing his Amelia but was determined to stay strong for the sake of their five-year-old girl, StellaRose.
JohnAddington Symonds, another prominent Victorian figure, emphasized the realism of all the existing sculpted representations, portraying him not as a mythic figure but as a tangible individual.
Some of Australia's wealthiest people have purchased prime waterfront properties on the elite street including founder of Aussie Home Loans, John Symond. But Symond's home, which spans four blocks and ...
Deborah walked down the aisle surrounded by 120 esteemed guests and the couple's very famous fathers, including Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond ...The daughter of Australian financier John Symond announced her pregnancy on August 14, 2019.
Jacob's mansion sits in close proximity to the palatial estate of Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond, which hit the market earlier this year for a jaw-dropping $200 million.
... address, HoaniReuben, who was also known as John, died as a result of the blaze ... Symonds said police were not seeking anyone else in connection with the homicide.
Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond was seen arriving in Sydney on Friday after catching a commercial flight ... Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond was seen arriving in Sydney on Friday after catching a commercial flight.
John Healey leaving No 10 yesterday ... Starmer was joined on the trip by David Lammy, the foreign secretary, and John Healey, the defence secretary, as well as Thomas-Symonds, who is a minister but not in the cabinet.
The newBritish team, made up of Starmer, foreign secretary David Lammy, defence secretary John Healey, and Nick Thomas-Symonds, now Cabinet Office minister in charge of ‘European relations’, will be greeted with courtesy and encouragement.
And it now appears that business tycoon John Symond's glorious Point Piper mansion could fetch as much as $240million ...Business tycoon John Symond's glorious Point Piper mansion could fetch as much as $240million. John is pictured.
Gowan Stubbings can still remember the rush of his first sale 20 years ago ... “Things have changed,” he laughs ... Related ... Related ... That record is expected to be doubled by Wingadal, the family home of John Symond, the founder of Aussie Home Loans ... .
JohnAddington Symonds, “Victorian England’s only proponent of gay rights,” was a figure of special focus in Winterton’s scholarly treatise and was chosen “because he was gay and sexual dissidence had always been a part of Bohemianism.”.
