Cause of death: Cancer
Location: St. John at Hampstead, London, England. Plot: Churchyard extension (J2)
Photo taken by: DeadGoodBooks
Arthur met Sylvia du Maurier at a dinner party in 1889 and they became engaged shortly after. Sylvia was the daughter of George du Maurier, sister of actor Gerald du Maurier, and the aunt of novelists Angela and Daphne du Maurier.
In 1906 Arthur discovered a growth in his cheek which turned out to be a malignant sarcoma. He had two operations, which removed much of his upper jaw, palate, and cheekbone, but failed to remove all of the cancer. Arthur died on 19 April 1907, at the age of 44.
Location: St. John at Hampstead, London, England. Plot: Churchyard extension (J2)
Photo taken by: DeadGoodBooks
Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies are best remembered for being the parents of the boys who served as the inspiration for Peter Pan and the other children of J.M. Barrie's stories of Neverland.
Arthur met Sylvia du Maurier at a dinner party in 1889 and they became engaged shortly after. Sylvia was the daughter of George du Maurier, sister of actor Gerald du Maurier, and the aunt of novelists Angela and Daphne du Maurier.
The couple married in 1892, and they had five children, all boys: George (1893–1915), Jack (1894–1959), Peter (1897–1960), Michael (1900–1921), and Nicholas (1903–1980).
In 1897, George and Jack became friends with the dramatist J. M. Barrie, whom they met during outings in Kensington Gardens. Arthur did not encourage the ongoing friendship of his wife and sons with Barrie, but he did little to stand in the way of it. Barrie's play Peter Pan, which the playwright repeatedly said was inspired by Davies' boys, debuted in December 1904.
In 1906 Arthur discovered a growth in his cheek which turned out to be a malignant sarcoma. He had two operations, which removed much of his upper jaw, palate, and cheekbone, but failed to remove all of the cancer. Arthur died on 19 April 1907, at the age of 44.
Following Arthur's death, Sylvia welcomed Barrie's financial and emotional support, both for herself and for her boys. Following Barrie's divorce, Sylvia remained with Barrie, but they did not marry.
Sylvia became ill with an inoperable cancer in her chest, and died in 1910, aded 43. She stipulated that she wanted her boys' nurse Mary Hodgson to continue caring for them, and that she knew Barrie would continue providing for them, which he did. She named him, along with her mother Emma du Maurier, her brother Guy du Maurier, and Arthur's brother Crompton Llewelyn Davies as their guardians.
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