Peter Llewelyn-Davies

Peter Llewelyn-Davies (1897-April 5, 1960) was one of the Llewelyn-Davies family sons befriended by J. M. Barrie. Barrie publicly identified him as the source of the name for the title character in his famous play Peter Pan. The association would plague Peter throughout his life.

Related Topics:
1897 - April 5 - 1960 - J. M. Barrie - Peter Pan

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After Peter's mother died young, Barrie, who had become a friend of the family, adopted Peter and his four brothers (George, Jack), Michael and Nicholas). Their affectionate moniker for Barrie was "Uncle James." Peter, like his other brothers, attended Eton College.

Related Topics:
George - Jack - Michael - Nicholas - Eton College

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Peter was part of the generation of young men who participated in World War I. He was a Signal Officer in France and spent his fair share of time in the trenches; at one point he was hospitalized with impetigo. Peter ultimately won the Military Cross, but was scarred by his wartime experience.

Related Topics:
World War I - France - Impetigo - Military Cross

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In 1917, while still in the military, Peter met and began to court Vera Willoughby, which was one of the first in a series of events that would estrange Peter from Barrie, his guardian. Willoughby was married and a good deal older than Peter, which scandalized Barrie and caused a rift between the two.

Related Topics:
1917 - Vera Willoughby

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Around this time, Peter suffered a series of family tragedies, beginning with the death of his brother George, who was killed in the trenches during World War I. His brother Michael drowned under suspicious circumstances at the age of 21 while at Oxford. Michael's best friend, Rupert Buxton, drowned with him — their hands were tied together — causing people to speculate that they may have been lovers.

Related Topics:
Oxford - Rupert Buxton

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Peter went on to be a publisher, and had mixed feelings about having his name associated with what he called "that terrible masterpiece." But perhaps the worst insult was being cut out of Barrie's will — instead of going to the surviving brothers, upon his death in 1937 Barrie's fortune went to a local hospital. Some have speculated that this drove Peter to drink — he eventually became an alcoholic.

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One of Peter's sons, Ruthven, would later write:

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"My father had mixed feelings about the whole business of Peter Pan. He accepted that Barrie considered that he was the inspiration for Peter Pan and it was only reasonable that my father should inherit everything from Barrie. That was my father's expectation. It would have recompensed him for the notoriety he had experienced since being linked with Peter Pan — something he hated."

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On April 5, 1960, after lingering at the bar of the Royal Court Hotel, 63-year-old Peter walked to nearby Sloane Square and committed suicide by throwing himself under a train as it was pulling into the station. A coroner's jury ruled he had killed himself "while the balance of his mind was disturbed."

Related Topics:
Royal Court Hotel - Sloane Square

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