August 16, 1911 — According to UK legend the White Birds of Salisbury Plain make an appearance when the Bishop of Salisbury’s tenure of office is about to end. They were seen by the bishop’s daughter, Annie Moberly, when he died in 1885. Annie wrote that an hour before her father’s death she saw “two dazzling white birds, with large wing spans, flying up from the ground and over the cathedral.”
They were spotted again on this day by Edith Olivier who was out riding her horse. She wrote of seeing “two large white birds with wings so brilliantly white that even their shadowed underside shone like water reflecting light.” Edith was soon to learn that the bishop had suddenly and unexpectedly died.
Edith Olivier was a second cousin of the celebrated actor Sir Laurence Olivier. The year of her birth, thought to be 1879, is unclear because she refused to reveal it, saying later in life that she was "horrified to discover how much older I am than most writers. I seem to be completely out of date."
What is known is that she was the eighth of ten children born to devoutly religious parents. Her father was a rector and chaplain to the Earl of Pembroke, while her mother was the daughter of a bishop.
Edith had hoped to become an actress but this was ruled out by her strict Victorian upbringing which also meant that suitors were discouraged.
So she stayed at home, trained the church choir, conducted the choral society, managed the girls' club, and occasionally acted in private theatrical productions. She also became an accomplished writer, producing several novels as well as short stories and biographies.
In her autobiography, called Without Knowing Mr. Walkley (1938), Edith declared that she "would have lived in vain" if she died without ever having met Arthur Walkley, then the drama critic of the London Times. Sadly, Walkley died before such a meeting could take place.
A Google Books review of the work was glowing: “In the mesmerising autobiography, Without Knowing Mr Walkley, acclaimed novelist Edith Olivier describes her remarkable life, which spanned the last decades of the nineteenth century, two world wars, and the birth of modern Britain.
“Olivier's account is a treasure trove of historical knick-knacks and engaging anecdotes: from her studies at Oxford University to her friendships with famous First World War poets, energetic efforts on behalf of the Women's Land Army and supernatural experiences on the Salisbury plains.
“Edith Olivier's wry and witty narrative vividly conjures the oddball characters, smells, sounds and sights of a bygone era.”
After three heart attacks Edith died at her home on the Earl of Pembroke's estate in 1948.
Published: November 14, 2023
Updated: November 14, 2023
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