P. G. Wodehouse Collection

Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, 1881-1975, was born in Guildford, England, to Eleanor Deane and Henry Ernest Wodehouse on October 15, 1881. He lived in Hong Kong with his family until he was two years old, at which point he was placed in the care of nannies and family members in England. He attended his beloved Dulwich College from 1894 to 1900. In 1901, Wodehouse started writing for The Globe, and he published his first novel, The Pothunters, the following year. In the course of his long and prolific career, Wodehouse wrote over ninety books, including plays, novels, and collections of short stories. His characters include Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves; Rupert Psmith (with a silent "P"); Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle; and Mr. Mulliner. Wodehouse married Ethel Wayman in 1914 and adopted her daughter, Leonora. Wodehouse and Ethel lived in Le Touquet, France, from 1934 to 1940, when France was occupied by German forces. Wodehouse then spent time as a prisoner in Germany before being allowed to move to Paris in 1943. In 1947, he and Ethel moved to New York, and he became an American citizen in 1955. On February 14, 1975, Wodehouse died of a heart attack at Southampton Hospital, Long Island, New York.