Francis Neilson

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Francis Neilson (1867 – 13 April 1961, born Francis Butters) went from rags to riches as an accomplished writer and a leader in the Georgist movement.

The eldest of nine children, Francis Neilson was born in 1867 in Claugton Road, Birkenhead, England. Son of Francis Butters Turley and Isabella Neilson Hume. Because of his large family, Neilson left school at the age of fourteen and left for the United States at the age of eighteen. During his days in Liverpool he attended the Liverpool Institute for Boys. In the United States, Neilson worked several odd jobs which included a longshoreman, a labourer in Central Park, and clerical work. After meeting a man named Johnson, who because of his color worked as a plumber despite of his college degree, Neilson became fascinated with education; and would at times “…went hungry to buy books” This fascination led him to Henry George, of whom he became a devoted follower.

During his stay in the united States he married Ms. Catherine O'Gorman and had two daughters Isabel and Marion. Isabel Married Count von Ostheim and became princess Herman of Saxe-Weimar, and Marion married captain Hugh Melville.{| class="wikitable" |-

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Neilson’s first success came in the following years after his discovery of George’s teachings, where he became well known and respected for his writing, acting, and directing. This led him out of the United States and back to London. He came back to London as a stage director for Chales Frohman (fate placed Mr. Frohman in the Lusitania where he died as well as Francis Neilson's sister Margaret, who was returning to England to celebrate their parents 50th year Wedding Anniversary) in the Duke of York Theater in London, and later was invited to direct the national opera at Covent Garden, which he remodeled completly in 1900. The first opera to be produced there was Puccini's, Tosca. Puccini himself was at the theater supervising the production. The encounter of the two men triggered an interest that took Neilson to invite Puccini to see a private performance of the play Madame Butterfly, playing then at the London's Duke of York Theater. His intention to interest Puccini into writing a libretto for opera, based in that play was cristalized later with the now very famous opera. Puccini later requested Neilson to direct the opera at La Scala in Milan; unfortunately this never happened because of other commitments.

In the early nineteen hundreds he began his pursuit in politics. His firs bid was an unsuccessful one for the Newport Division of Shropshire. He lost to the incumbent, Colonel Kenyon-Slancy for a 130 votes. He was elected as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hyde in Cheshire from 1910 to 1916. At his time in parliament he was well aquainted with both Prime Ministers, Asquith and Loyd George. Interested in radical politics he centerd in the progress of the Land Values Movement. His multiple contributions to the liberal agenda made him frequent the Liberal Headquarters at Parliament Street, and tour the country giving speeches in support of Liberal candidates. He resigned from parliament when his pacifist beliefs conflicted with the First World War. From there he returned to the United States, where he became a citizen in 1921; and pursued what came to be the most prominent of his works, his writing career.

His first book, titled How Diplomats Make War, was dedicated only six weeks after his resignation from parliament; and went through several printings and translations. He went on to write over sixty books, along with many other forms of writing such as articles, plays, and an opera. Also, Neilson co-founded a journal of opinion and literary criticism, titled the Freeman.

A few years before his death he lost his sight. He was assisted in writing his last book, Ur to Nazareth, by his literary secretary named K. Phyllis Evans. Neilson also wrote a two volume autobiography, titled My Life in Two Worlds.

Francis Neilson died at the age of 95 on April 13, 1961.

A few of the best known books by Francis Neilson:

[edit] References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by:
Charles Duncan Schwann		 Member of Parliament for Hyde
1910–1916		 Succeeded by:
Thomas Owen Jacobsen
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