Dream for a moment that the air is filled with the scent of old books and wildflowers. The Richard Jefferies Blue plaque stands here. It marks a place where a remarkable man once lived.
This plaque is a tribute to John Richard Jefferies. He was a naturalist, novelist, and essayist. He was born in 1848 near Swindon Wiltshire. Richard Jefferies died too young in 1887 in Goring-by-Sea Sussex.
Richard Jefferies’ best works combined fictional invention. He wrote with expert observation of the natural world. His childhood on a small Wiltshire farm greatly influenced him. It became the backdrop for his major fiction.
In 1866, Richard Jefferies became a reporter for the North Wilts Herald. By 1872, he gained fame for his 4000-word letter to The Times. The letter described the life of the Wiltshire agricultural labourer. Periodicals began publishing his sketches. These were later collected in works like “The Gamekeeper at Home.”
Richard Jefferies married in 1874. He moved closer to London in 1877. He supported his wife and two children through his writing. The years 1882 to 1887 were very creative for him. However, he was often ill and poor.
One of his outstanding works is “Bevis The Story of a Boy.” It includes memories of Coate Farm. Coate Farm was his birthplace. It is now the Richard Jefferies House and Museum. “The Story of My Heart” is his spiritual autobiography. “After London” is a remarkable fantasy novel. It is set in a future where urban civilization has collapsed. This happened after an environmental crisis.
Richard Jefferies also wrote moving essays in an introspective style. These were collected in “The Life of the Fields” and “The Open Air.” He also dictated a novel called “Amaryllis at the Fair.”
During his time in Tolworth from 1877 to 1882 Richard Jefferies was very creative. He lived at number 2 Woodside now 296 Ewell Road. It was described as abutting a copse in Round About a London Copse. He walked around Tolworth up to ten miles per day. His initial focus was on the Wiltshire agricultural landscape.
Richard Jefferies’ death was noted as phthisis. This was a lung disease resulting from bad environmental conditions. The District Improvement Commission noted a 50% increase in deaths from this lung condition. This occurred between 1877 and 1887.
In 1941, a bomb destroyed the villas except 294 and 296. They were later rebuilt. More recently, this Richard Jefferies Blue plaque was erected.
So here stands the Richard Jefferies Blue plaque. It marks a chapter in the life of a man who loved nature. He wrote about it with passion and insight. His words still resonate today. They remind us of the importance of the natural world.