Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932)

Death: 6th July 1932
Location: Hollywell Cemetery, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
Photo taken by: julia and keld
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Scottish novelist, best remembered for the children’s book The Wind in the Willows which used characters that he had created to amuse his son. Grahame was the cousin of the author Anthony Hope.  He was born in Edinburgh but his mother died from scarlet fever so he was raised in England by his grandmother as his father was unable to look after him. After he finished his education he joined the Bank of England, where he remained until his retirement in 1907. He used writing as a means to escape from his job. Grahame married in 1899 and the couple had one son, Alastair, who was found dead on a railway line in 1920. Even thought the death was recorded as accidental it is possible that Alastair committed suicide. 

The Wind in the Willows was published in 1908 and its popularity was increased when it was adapted for the stage as Toad of Toad Hall by A.A. Milne in 1930.

Anthony Hope wrote his epitaph, which reads:

"To the beautiful memory of Kenneth Grahame, husband of Elspeth and father of Alastair, who passed the river on the 6th of July, 1932, leaving childhood and literature through him the more blest for all time".