William Ernest Henley 1849-1903

William Ernest Henley was a writer and poet who helped the careers of many famous authors. It is said that the pirate 'Long John Silver' in Robert Louis Stevenson's book 'Treasure Island' was based on Henley.

He was born in Westgate Street, Gloucester. Because he caught tuberculosis while young, his left leg had to be amputated. He wrote many poems, but 'Invictus' is the most famous. Robert Louis Stevenson was a close friend, and they wrote plays together.

Henley edited the magazines that helped to make famous such writers as Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and J.M. Barrie. His daughter inspired Barrie to invent the name 'Wendy' for his play 'Peter Pan'. When she met him, she kept saying "fwendy" instead of "my friendy".