Dossier GHT/6 - Who'll wed Cock Robin?

Geoffrey Handley-Taylor was born on 25 April 1920 in Horsforth, Leeds, the son of Walter Edward Taylor and his wife Nellie. He was educated at Wyther Park School, Leeds.

He was an author, bibliographer, and Honorary Home and Overseas Information correspondent for John Masefield Research and Studies (1958-1993). Based in York, he spent his working life as a journalist for the Yorkshire Evening Post, and also served with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and at the War Office during the Second World War.

His books included 'Mona Ingleby, Ballerina and Choreographer' (1947); 'Winifred Holtby Bibliography and Selected Letters'; 'John Masefield, OM, The Queen's Poet Laureate' (1960) biography; 'Bibliography of Monaco'; 'Bibliography of Iran'; and 'Selected Bibliography of Literature Relating to Nursey Rhyme Reform' (which ran to many editions). He also rewrote and revised the periodicals section of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1960s), and wrote 'Italian Ballet Today' (1949); 'John Gay and the Ballad Opera'; 'The Book of the Private Press'; 'Selected Letters of Winifred Holtby and Vera Brittain, 1920-35' (1961); 'C.Day Lewis, Poet Laureate' (1968); 'Vera Brittain: Occasional Papers' (1983); and 'Kathleen: the life of Kathleen Ferrier 1912-53'
(1988).

In 1950 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and also held posts as Chairman of the British Poetry-Drama Guild (1946-1952), Vice-President of the Leeds University Tudor Players (1948-1950), Publisher at Leeds University Poetry (1949), Founder of the Winifred Holtby Memorial Collection at Fisk University, Nashville (1955), Honorary General Secretary of the Dumas Association (1955-1957), Chairman of the General Council of the Poetry Society (1967-1968), member of the General Council of the National Book League (1968), President of the Lancashire Authors Association (1969-1972), trustee of the Gladstone Memorial Library, London (1974-1978), join Literary Trustee of the Estate of Vera Brittain (1979-1990) and Honorary Founder Member of the John Masefield Society (1993-1997).

He died on 27 May 2005, aged 85.