Mare , Walter John , De La , 1873-1956 , poet, novelist and anthologist

De La Mare was born on 25 April 1873 at Charlton in Kent. He was educated at St Paul's Cathedral Choristers' School, where he edited the school magazine. He then entered the service of the Anglo-American Oil Company for which he worked until 1908. He began his literary career with Songs of Childhood (1902), followed by a vast array of poems, stories, novels, books for children and anthologies. He died at Twickenham on 22 June 1956.