Masefield, John

John Masefield was born on 1 June 1878 in Ledbury, Herefordshire. He went to sea as a merchant marine in his youth and later spent several years in the United States. In 1897 he returned to England and was on the staff of the Manchester Guardian. Masefield was best known as a poet but was also a playwright and novelist of some note. He was poet laureate of Great Britain from 1930 until his death in 1967, and was awarded the Order of Merit in 1935.