T. Edgar Pemberton

Thomas Edgar Pemberton (1 July 1849 – 28 September 1905) was an English novelist, playwright and theatrical historian.

Early career

Born on 1 July 1849, he was the eldest son of Thomas Pemberton, the head of an old-established firm of brass founders in Livery Street, Birmingham. A brother was the novelist Max Pemberton. (The earlier actor and lecturer Charles Reece Pemberton was of the same family.) After education at schools in Edgbaston, Pemberton at nineteen entered his father's firm, and in due course gained control of the business, with which he was connected until 1900.

Pemberton married on 11 March 1873, in the Old Meeting House, Birmingham, Mary Elizabeth, second daughter of Edward Richard Patie Townley of Edgbaston.

Of literary taste from youth, Pemberton long divided his time between commerce and varied literary endeavours. His novels Charles Lysaght: a Novel devoid of Novelty (1873) and Under Pressure (1874) were less well regarded than his later novel A Very Old Question (3 volumes, 1877). There followed Born to Blush Unseen (1879) and an allegorical fairytale, Fair-brass, written for his children.

At his father's house he met in youth Edward Askew Sothern, Madge Kendal and other players on visits to Birmingham, and he soon tried his hand at drama. His comedietta Weeds, the first of a long list of ephemeral pieces, mainly farcical, was written for the Kendals, and produced at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Birmingham, opening on 16 November 1874. His many plays were rarely seen outside provincial theatres.