L. A. Hayter

L. A. Hayter
Hayter, c. 1910
Born
Lawrence Ambrose Hayter

(1893-04-13)13 April 1893
Upper Holloway, London, England
Died30 December 1917(1917-12-30) (aged 24)
Hollebeke, Belgium
Burial placePlot I, Row H, Grave 8, Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery
50°48′19″N 02°50′20″E / 50.80528°N 2.83889°E / 50.80528; 2.83889
Occupation(s)Illustrator, draughtsman, writer
Years active1908–1914
Known forContributions to The Children's Realm
SpouseGladys Cawston
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
RankPrivate
UnitBedfordshire Regiment, 6th Battalion
Battles / warsWorld War I
MemorialsLetchworth Cross

Lawrence Ambrose Hayter (13 April 1893 – 30 December 1917) was an English illustrator, draughtsman, and writer. He was a significant contributor to The Children's Realm, a children's magazine about vegetarianism published, from 1906 to 1914, by the Vegetarian Federal Union and London Vegetarian Society. Following the outbreak of the First World War, Hayter initially identified as a conscientious objector, before changing his mind and enlisting in the Bedfordshire Regiment, 6th Battalion. He was killed in action in Belgium, in 1917.

Biography

Early life and education

Lawrence Ambrose Hayter was born on 13 April 1893, in Upper Holloway, London, to Arthur William Hayter, an organ builder, and his wife Edith Rose.[1][2] At school he was friends with Gerald Bullett and was known for publishing a jellygraphed school magazine, which he edited and illustrated with cartoons.[3]

Career

Illustration for George Bedborough's Stories from the Children's Realm (1914

Hayter lived in Letchworth, where he worked as a draughtsman.[2] He was engaged to Gladys Cawston, who was a musician.[4]

Hayter was the main illustrator of The Children's Realm, a vegetarian-themed children's magazine, published by the Vegetarian Federal Union and London Vegetarian Society;[5] his first illustration appeared in the Christmas 1908 issue.[3] Hayter also contributed a large number of articles and stories,[3] some of which he co-wrote with Bullett.[2][3] In 1912, Bullett published an article in the magazine, in which he praised Hayter's artistic talent, describing him as a "born artist".[3]

The Children's Realm ceased publication in 1914.[6] In the same year, George Bedborough who had been editor of The Children's Realm, published Stories from the Children’s Realm, a children's story book with animal rights, anti-vivisection, and vegetarian themes, containing several illustrations by Hayter.[5]

Military service and death

During the First World War, Hayter was originally a conscientious objector, but changed his mind and enlisted at Bedford;[7] he was a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment, 6th Battalion.[8] In the summer of 1917, he was buried by a shell and mistakenly presumed dead.[4] In November of the same year, he had a letter published in the Christian Science Sentinel, describing his experiences in the trenches and how he had cured himself of dysentery, using the teachings of Christian Science, proving its healing power.[9]

Hayter was killed in action by shelling in the trenches near Hollebeke, Belgium, on 30 December 1917. He was buried at Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery, Plot I. Row H. Grave 8.[4] His name is recorded on the Letchworth Cross memorial.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Lawrence Hayter". London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911. Ancestry.com. 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Edmundson, John (24 September 2013). "Remembering Vegetarian Pioneers – L. A. Hayter". HappyCow. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e B., G. W. (March 1912). "L. A. Hayter: An Appreciation". The Children's Realm. pp. 39–40.
  4. ^ a b c Hill, Dan; Capstick, Janet; Wild, Jonty. "Lawrence Ambrose Hayter". Herts at War. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b Edmundson, John (19 September 2013). "100 years old plant-eating identical twins! The Ernest Bell Memorial Library". HappyCow. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  6. ^ Gregory, James (2007). Of Victorians and Vegetarians: The Vegetarian Movement in Nineteenth-Century Britain. London: I. B. Tauris. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-84511-379-7.
  7. ^ Knight, Rosalyn; Edwards, Martin (2004). "Letchworth War Memorial". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. ^ "December 1917". Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  9. ^ Davies, Owen (18 October 2018). A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith during the First World War. Oxford University Press. pp. 205–206. ISBN 978-0-19-251338-0.
  10. ^ "Hayter, L A". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 July 2020.

Further reading