Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), the celebrated
author, was born Josef Teodor Konrad
Korzeniowski in the Ukraine of Polish parents. After an
adventurous life in the French Merchant Marine and
eventually as a Captain in the British Merchant Marine he
was naturalised as a British subject in 1884.
Joseph
Conrad and his wife Jessie moved into a small semi-detached
villa in Victoria Road, Stanford le Hope in 1896 and
later to a medieval lath and plaster farmhouse named 'Ivy
Walls' in Billet Lane where Conrad could work in improved
space and solitude.
At Stanford le Hope Conrad completed
'The Nigger of the Narcissus' ('Children of the Sea' in
USA) and wrote 'Karain', 'The Return', and 'Youth' and
began 'Lord Jim' and 'Heart of Darkness'. His son Borys
was born at Ivy Walls in January 1898 and in October of
that year the family moved to Standford in Kent.
He has a connection to another Thurrock
resident - Alfred Russel Wallace.
Conrad had a much used copy of Wallace's The Malay
Archipelago and drew on it for his own works
including Lord Jim.
There is
an article on Conrad in Panorama 23 and there is a Thurrock Heritage commemorative
plaque to Conrad. |
