Person    | Male  Born 21/9/1866  Died 13/8/1946

H. G. Wells

Born Bromley, Kent. Wrote "The Time Machine", "The War of the Worlds", "The History of Mr Polly" (1909). Married twice but believed in and practised free love. Had many affairs, his mistresses including the novelists Rebecca West and Elizabeth von Arnim. Was a socialist and a member of the Fabian Society. Died at home at Hanover Terrace.

A renowned pacifist, in 1913 Wells published 'Little Wars', a set of rules for playing with toy soldiers. We first heard of it in Philip Ziegler's biography of Diana Cooper: "In 1913 H. G. Wells's game 'Little Wars', played with toy mechanical guns and tin soldiers was all the rage. Diana, Ego Charteris, George Vernon, John Granby and the Austrian Alfy Clary spent all day on their stomachs in a courtyard at Rowsley, shifting the pieces from one place to another."

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
H. G. Wells

Commemorated ati

H G Wells - Baker Street

The H.G. Wells Society H.G. Wells, author, 1866 - 1946, lived and worked her...

Read More

H. G. Wells - Hanover Terrace

Greater London Council H. G. Wells, 1866 - 1946, writer, lived and died here.

Read More

H. G. Wells - High Street Bromley - birth

Site of birthplace of H.G. Wells, born 21st. September 1866.

Read More

H. G. Wells mural

The mural featured a portrait of Wells and pictorial references to some of hi...

Read More

H. G. Wells - Sevenoaks

H.G. Wells writer lived in this house in 1894 whilst writing The Time Machine...

Read More

Show all 11

Other Subjects

George Gissing

George Gissing

Goerge Robert Gissing. Novelist, best known for ‘New Grub Street’ about the hack writers who were concentrated in Grub Street, EC2. In 1830 Grub Street was renamed Milton Street; in WW2 it was badl...

Person, Literature, France

3 memorials
Olaudah Equiano

Olaudah Equiano

Born in an African village, he was sold into slavery, first locally, then in England, then in America where he managed to buy his freedom. He returned to England and wrote the first autobiography o...

Person, Literature, Race Issues, Africa

6 memorials
Harry Cole

Harry Cole

Born 48A Lower Road, Rotherhithe. Married and joined the Met Police in 1952. Served as a police constable at Carter Street Station for 29 years, until he retired in 1983. He was a well-known and po...

Person, Armed Forces, Literature

1 memorial
James Hadley Chase

James Hadley Chase

Thriller writer. Born at the site of the plaque as René Lodge Brabazon Raymond. Under various pseudonyms, he wrote ninety novels, fifty of which were made into films. Died in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, Sw...

Person, Literature, Switzerland

1 memorial
Leonard Woolf

Leonard Woolf

Author and publisher. Born Leonard Sidney Woolf in Kensington. After working in the Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Civil Service, he returned to Britain where he met and married Virginia Stephen. Together ...

Person, Journalism / Publishing, Literature, Sri Lanka

4 memorials

Previously viewed

Charing Cross

Charing Cross

WC2, Strand

Around the monument are 8 standing, crowned statues of Eleanor. This is a recreation of one of 12 Eleanor Crosses erected by King Edward ...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators