Name Percy Pinkerton | Died August 31, 1946 | |
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Percy Edward Pinkerton (19 June 1855 – 31 August 1946) was an English translator and poet. His translations included two novels by Émile Zola and a Puccini libretto.
Contents
Biography
Percy Edward Pinkerton was born on 19 June 1855, at Manor Road, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, London, Middlesex. He was the third child of George Pinkerton (1823–1899) and Mary Easum (1823–1868). His siblings were Eustace (born 1852, Stoke Newington), a member of the London Stock Exchange, Algernon Robert (born 1853, Stoke Newington – died 1937, Rokeby, Tasmania, Australia), the architect Godfrey Pinkerton (born 1858 Godstone, Surrey – died 1937 Kensington), and Mary (born 1860, Godstone, Surrey), who married the solicitor Gilbert Mainwaring Robinson. Percy's paternal grandparents were Reverend Dr Robert Pinkerton D.D. (born 1780 Foulshiels, Nr. Selkirk – died 7 April 1859 Reigate, Surrey), and Dorothea, née (possibly) Theakston (born c. 1786 Sarepta, Volgograd, Russia [British Subject] – died 1869, Kingston, Surrey).
Percy had further Russian connections, as all bar the last two of his father's many siblings were also born there. His maternal grandparents were Robert Hayes Easum (born 1796 Stepney, Middlesex – died 1866 Worthing, Sussex) and Elizabeth née Edlin (born 1799 Uxbridge, Middlesex – died 1878 Edmonton, Middlesex).
In 1909, Percy married Emily Harriet Woodgates at Kensington, London. In 1911 they were living at Red Lodge, Happisburgh, Norfolk. Emily Woodgates was born at Putely, Herefordshire December Quarter 1868, the daughter of the rector, James Richard Woodgates (born 1829 Honiton, Devon – died 1886 Thingoe, Suffolk) and Elizabeth, née Moor (born c. 1845 Great Bealings, Suffolk) daughter of Canon E. J. Moor.
Emily died at St Michael's Hospital, Hayle, Cornwall on the 27 November 1938 and was buried at Porthleven Cemetery on November 30. Percy died on 31 August 1946, aged 91, at Ealing House, Porthleven, Cornwall. and was buried at Porthleven Cemetery alongside Emily. They had no issue.
Writing
Pinkerton published some volumes of his own poetry: Galeazzo, a Venetian Episode: with other Poems (Venice and London, 1886), which was praised by John Addington Symonds; Adriatica (1894), At Hazebro' (1909) and Nerina, a lyrical drama in three acts (Cambridge, 1927). He also wrote for the Magazine of Art, and in 1889 edited Christopher Marlowe's plays. However most of his literary work consisted of English translations of European songs and literature. He was a member of the late-Victorian Lutetian Society, a group dedicated to unexpurgated translations of the works of Émile Zola which also included Ernest Dowson, Havelock Ellis, Arthur Symons, Victor Plarr and Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. He translated other works from German, Italian, French, and Russian.
Translations
From German
From Italian
From French
Russian books
Operas and cantatas