Henry Ludwig Mond - Gilbert Cannan - Kathleen Bruce connection

 

Alfred Mond

Alfred Mond, 1^st Baron Melchett was Member of Parliament for Swansea for 13 years.  A member of Swansea from 1910 to 1918 and when Swansea was divided into two constituency, Swansea East and West, where Mond was MP for Swansea West from 1918 to 1923.

Mond was created Baronet of Hartford Hill in 1910.  1928 he was raised to the peerage of Baron Melchett.

Mond was also a British industrialist and financier, and later life be become an active Zionist.

Mond is also credited from the establishment and founding of the Imperial War Museum.  Prior to its opening, a few artefacts were shown in Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

Mond married Violet Goetze and they had one son, Henry Ludwig and three daughters, Eva Violet, Mary Angela and Norah Jena.  The family resided in Ffynone, Swansea.

After Mond’s death, December 1930, Henry Ludwig succeeded the barony.

Henry Ludwig Mond

Henry Ludwig, like his father was a British industrialist, financier and Member of Parliament. 

Gwen Mond, Lady Melchett, 1935
painted by Glyn Philpot

January 1920, Henry Ludwig married Amy Gwen Wilson.  Their relationship began when they were living with the writer Gilbert Cannan, who was a friend of D. H. Lawrence, and they formed a menage a trois.

Henry Ludwig and Amy Gwen had two sons, Derek John Henry and Julian and a daughter Karis Valerie Violet.  Henry Ludwig died January 1949; Julian succeeded the barony.

It is now Gilbert that we shall follow.

Gilbert Cannan

Gilbert who first worked as a translator and a reviewer in London publications. Many of his novels are part auto biological and fit into a novel sequence. Samuel Butler was a major influence on his works. By 1914, novelist Henry James in a published article in The Times, names Gilbert and three other up-and-coming authors, D. H. Lawrence, Compton Mackenzie and Hugh Walpole.

Kathleen Bruce

Gilbert had been employed by J. M. Barrie as his secretary and working with him against the censorship of the theatre imposed by Lord Chamberlain. Gilbert developed in 1909 a relationship with Barrie’s wife, Mary Ansell, who felt neglected in her marriage. Gilbert was also wooing Kathleen Bruce, the British sculptress.  Kathleen who at the same time was receiving advances from Robert Falcon Scott.  Gilbert was heartbroken when Kathleen chose Robert!