Early years George Bernard Shaw

shaw s birthplace (2012 photograph). plaque reads bernard shaw, author of many plays, born in house, 26 july 1856 .

shaw born @ 3 upper synge street in portobello, lower-middle-class part of dublin. youngest child , son of george carr shaw (1814–1885) , lucinda elizabeth (bessie) shaw (née gurly; 1830–1913). elder siblings lucinda (lucy) frances (1853–1920) , elinor agnes (1855–1876). shaw family of english descent , belonged dominant protestant ascendancy in ireland; george carr shaw, ineffectual alcoholic, among family s less successful members. relatives secured him sinecure in civil service, pensioned off in 1850s; thereafter worked irregularly corn merchant. in 1852 married bessie gurly; in view of shaw s biographer michael holroyd married escape tyrannical great-aunt. if, holroyd , others surmise, george s motives mercenary, disappointed, bessie brought him little of family s money. came despise ineffectual , drunken husband, whom shared son later described life of shabby-genteel poverty .

by time of shaw s birth, mother had become close george john lee, flamboyant figure known in dublin s musical circles. shaw retained lifelong obsession lee might have been biological father; there no consensus among shavian scholars on likelihood of this. young shaw suffered no harshness mother, later recalled indifference , lack of affection hurt him deeply. found solace in music abounded in house. lee conductor , teacher of singing; bessie had fine mezzo-soprano voice , influenced lee s unorthodox method of vocal production. shaws house filled music, frequent gatherings of singers , players.

in 1862, lee , shaws agreed share house, no. 1 hatch street, in affluent part of dublin, , country cottage on dalkey hill, overlooking killiney bay. shaw, sensitive boy, found less salubrious parts of dublin shocking , distressing, , happier @ cottage. lee s students gave him books, young shaw read avidly; thus, gaining thorough musical knowledge of choral , operatic works, became familiar wide spectrum of literature.

between 1865 , 1871, shaw attended 4 schools, of hated. experiences schoolboy left him disillusioned formal education: schools , schoolmasters , later wrote, prisons , turnkeys in children kept prevent them disturbing , chaperoning parents. in october 1871 left school become junior clerk in dublin firm of land agents, worked hard, , rose become head cashier. during period, shaw known george shaw ; after 1876, dropped george , styled himself bernard shaw .

in june 1873, lee left dublin london , never returned. fortnight later, bessie followed him; 2 girls joined her. shaw s explanation of why mother followed lee without latter s financial contribution joint household had broken up. left in dublin father, shaw compensated absence of music in house teaching himself play piano.

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