Cause of Death: Accidental - Fall
Location: St Thomas of Canterbury Churchyard, Elsfield, Oxfordshire, England
Photo taken by: Clive and Chris
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by John Buchan
Scottish novelist best remembered for writing The Thirty-Nine Steps which was filmed by Hitchcock in 1935.
He was born in Perth, Scotland and studied Classics at Glasgow University before studying law as Brasenose College, Oxford. After a short law career he moved into a political career and became the private secretary of the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1910 he wrote Prester John an adventure novel set in South Africa. During WWI he worked for the War Propaganda Bureau and the British Army Intelligence Corps. After the war he continued to write thrillers and also started to produce biographies and historical works. In 1935 he became Governor General of Canada and was created Baron Tweedsmuir.
On 6th February 1940 he had a stroke whilst he was shaving and badly injured his head as he fell. After several operations the injury proved fatal and he died on 11th February. He was cremated in Canada and his ashes were returned to the U.K.
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