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42-542: Lord Emsworth's first appearance is in the novel Something Fresh (1915). The last completed work by Wodehouse in which Emsworth appears is A Pelican at Blandings (1969). He is also in Wodehouse's unfinished novel Sunset at Blandings . Wodehouse frequently named his characters after places with which he was familiar, and Lord Emsworth takes his name from the Hampshire town of Emsworth , where Wodehouse spent some time in

84-471: A radio drama for BBC Radio 4's Classic Serial series. The cast included Ian Ogilvy as the narrator (credited as playing the role of "Wodehouse"), Ioan Gruffudd as Ashe Marson, Helen McCrory as Joan Valentine, Martin Jarvis as Lord Emsworth, Hector Elizondo as J. Preston Peters, Andrea Bowen as Aline Peters, and James Frain as George Emerson. Jeeves Takes Charge " Jeeves Takes Charge "

126-403: A child, he once took a dead pet rabbit to bed with him; at the age of fifteen, he smoked his first cigar, and he has rarely been called on to think quickly since hearing his father's footsteps approaching the stable-loft where he sat that day. Never the brightest of minds, at Eton College , they called him "Fathead"; and, by the time readers meet him, his slowness of thought has become a byword; he

168-482: A coin, agree to take turns at stealing the scarab. Since Aline is following the same reduced diet as her father, George steals downstairs to prepare her a midnight feast and collides with Ashe in the dark hall. They start a noisy fight but escape after the suspicious Baxter trips over them and is found surrounded by food and broken china by the time the lights are turned on. He is blamed for waking everyone and roundly criticised by Lord Emsworth for going in search of food in

210-413: A drawer in his room. Uncle Willoughby tells Bertie that his publishers have not received his manuscript. He fears it has been stolen. Feeling guilty, Bertie tries to take a walk, but overhears Edwin telling Willoughby that he saw Bertie hiding a parcel. Bertie rushes back to his room to move the parcel but finds he has misplaced the key to the locked drawer. Willoughby arrives, and searches. When he reaches

252-444: A drink that cures both Bertie's hangover and his fatigue after trying to read a difficult book titled "Types of Ethical Theory", which his fiancée, Lady Florence Craye, expects him to read. Impressed, Bertie hires Jeeves. Bertie receives a telegram from Florence, who is at Easeby, telling him to return at once. Jeeves wants Bertie to wear a simple brown or blue suit with a hint of quiet twill, but Bertie wears his check suit instead. For

294-551: A fondness for amateur medicine, never happier than when trying out some new unction . Lord Emsworth plays some part in all the novels and short stories in the Blandings canon. The short stories often feature Emsworth as the central character. Something Fresh Something Fresh is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse , first published as Something New in the United States, by D. Appleton & Company on 3 September 1915. It

336-587: A fresh direction in life. Meanwhile, Freddie Threepwood, younger son of the Earl of Emsworth, is engaged to marry Aline Peters, the daughter of American millionaire J. Preston Peters. Freddie pays a visit to a shady fixer, R. Jones, hoping to recover letters he once sent to a certain chorus girl, feeling they might be used to make a breach of promise case against him. His father later calls on Aline's father to view his collection of scarabs and absent-mindedly puts Mr Peters' prize exhibit in his pocket. Though Peters suspects

378-530: A happy hour pottering about it, arguing with his gardeners, especially Angus McAllister, whose desire to gravel the famous Yew Alley is particularly upsetting to his Lordship, and with his pig-keepers, who include Wellbeloved, Pirbright, and the Amazonian Monica Simmons. He won first prize for roses at the Shrewsbury Flower Show in the same year Psmith 's father won the tulip prize, and he

420-581: A meaning synonymous with "impertinent" in America. For it Wodehouse received a fee of $ 3,500, more than for any previous work. The serial in The Saturday Evening Post included illustrations by F. R. Gruger. The book is described, in a new preface added in 1969, as the start of "the Blandings Castle Saga". Into this scenario many new elements were to be introduced over the years, but there

462-405: A memoir called "Recollections of a Long Life". Many of the stories feature Florence's father, Lord Worplesdon . Florence is appalled by the rowdy stories. She tells Bertie to destroy the manuscript. Bertie does not want to upset his uncle, upon whom he is financially dependent, but Florence is adamant. Bertie steals the parcel, and after running into Florence's young brother Edwin, Bertie locks it in

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504-408: A moment I felt as if somebody had touched off a bomb inside the old bean and was strolling down my throat with a lighted torch, and then everything seemed suddenly to get all right. The sun shone in through the window; birds twittered in the tree-tops; and, generally speaking, hope dawned once more. — Bertie drinks Jeeves's hangover cure At Easeby, Florence tells Bertie that his uncle is writing

546-437: A secretary to handle such things; amongst the occupants of this post have been the likes of Hugo Carmody, Monty Bodkin and Psmith , although by far the best known, and least appreciated by his Lordship, is Rupert Baxter , the bespectacled efficiency expert, who made Emsworth's life a misery with his ruthless organisation of his master's precious time. Emsworth's favourite pastimes are his pig and his garden, and he spends many

588-420: A short story in Wodehouse's Jeeves series, it's revealed that Lord Emsworth in his youth went about with young men who behaved "in a manner that would not have been tolerated in the fo'castle of a whaler" according to Lady Florence Craye . Clarence Threepwood, Lord Emsworth, has a large family. One possible sister, Lady Florence Moresby, appears only in the unfinished novel Sunset at Blandings . According to

630-942: Is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse , and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves . The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in November 1916, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in April 1923. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves . Bertie meets Jeeves for the first time in this story. Florence Craye , Bertie's fiancée, wants him to destroy his uncle's scandalous memoirs. 24-year-old Bertie Wooster returns to London from Easeby, his Uncle Willoughby's home, after firing his valet for stealing. An agency sends him Jeeves, who prepares

672-518: Is a widower; his wife died some years before he is introduced: "he was a man who since the death of his wife some twenty years ago had made something of a life's work of avoiding women." ( Pigs Have Wings , 1952). He is a long, thin, bald old man with a tendency towards scruffiness, generally found in a worn old tweed jacket and trousers that bag at the knees. He wears pince-nez on a string around his neck, which he nevertheless often loses. He resents being forced to dress up smartly, especially when he

714-854: Is also called on to address crowds and most of all loathes having to visit London when the sun is shining. In " Lord Emsworth Acts for the Best ", he grows a rather ragged beard, little realising the peril this puts his castle in, and he soon realises it is better to remove it. In his later years, the main troubles of his life stem from his many sisters, particularly the formidable Connie , who despair at his eccentric appearance and distracted ways, and his younger son Freddie , whom he longs to see safely married off and out of trouble; his joy at seeing him finally paired off with Aggie Donaldson knows no bounds. The frequent visits (in later works) of his disreputable brother Gally add further to life's complications and his sister Connie's frustrations. In " Jeeves Takes Charge ",

756-484: Is frequently repeated in two or more ways through the use of alternative words, placing concentration on humorous language rather than on a steady flow of new narrative information. For instance, pairs of synonymous words are often used in Bertie's narration and dialogue, as in the following quote from this story: "This infernal kid must somehow be turned out eftsoons or right speedily". Henry Raleigh provided illustrations for

798-402: Is instead created indirectly through a number of stylistic devices. Bertie Wooster seldom tells a traditional joke, for example, but often uses puns , such as when he describes how his valet Meadowes stole his socks: "I was reluctantly compelled to hand the misguided blighter the mitten", and, "directly I found that he was a sock-sneaker I gave him the boot". In Wodehouse's stories, information

840-652: Is invariably amongst the competitors in Shropshire 's Agriculture Show. He has some success in the field of large pumpkins, taking first prize in the competition with his "Blandings Hope" (cruelly nicknamed "Percy" by his son Freddie). He later enters his prize sow, the Empress of Blandings , who wins the coveted Fat Pigs contest several years in a row. The Empress's primary competitor is the Pride of Matchingham, who belongs to Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe , Emsworth's neighbour and rival. Once

882-427: Is leaving, Aline, a former school friend of Joan, arrives on a visit, and the suspicious Jones listens at the door. Hearing that Aline's father is offering £1,000 to anybody who can retrieve his scarab, Joan decides that she will go herself to Blandings, posing as Aline's maid, so as to recover the scarab and scoop the reward. Acting separately, Ashe answers a newspaper advert and is engaged as his valet by Mr. Peters, who

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924-416: Is looking for somebody to steal back the scarab during his visit to Blandings. Ashe informs Joan about this as they both take the train from London. During the trip Joan warns Ashe of the complicated system of etiquette observed among servants of a large house. She hopes this will persuade him to give up his quest and remove himself as her competitor. After their arrival, Ashe is terrified to be interviewed by

966-525: Is prone to distraction and misunderstanding but is generally amiable. His simple outlook makes him an excellent sleeper; and, for twenty years, he has rarely got less than his eight hours, usually managing ten (he is particularly fond of sleeping at the start of train journeys). In Something Fresh , he keeps a revolver by his bed, with which to fire wildly at burglars or Rupert Baxter . Lord Emsworth has ten sisters (one deceased), two brothers (one deceased), two sons, at least one daughter, and many in-laws. He

1008-430: The 1900s; he first went there in 1903, at the invitation of his friend Herbert Westbrook , and later took a lease on a house there called "Threepwood Cottage", which name he used as Lord Emsworth's family name. Westbrook worked at a school in the town, and Wodehouse also mentions it in his 1909 novel Mike , as the place where Mike was at school prior to Wrykyn . Some of the many characters who are named after places in

1050-609: The 1916 publication of the story in the Saturday Evening Post . The story was illustrated by A. Wallis Mills in the Strand . In 1980, the story was reprinted in the Saturday Evening Post with illustrations by Phil Smith. The story was included in the American edition of the 1939 Wodehouse collection The Week-End Wodehouse , and in the 1958 collection of Wodehouse stories, Selected Stories by P. G. Wodehouse . The first part of

1092-540: The American aristocracy of wealth. The servants of the English country house , who follow a very elaborate hierarchy and take meals at many different social levels, mimic their betters, "and in so doing make their betters look absurd". Ashe Marson and his fellow lodger Joan Valentine discover that they both work as writers for the Mammoth Publishing Company . Joan urges Ashe to overcome his discontentment and take

1134-585: The Blandings series of stories, and the spouses of Lord Emsworth's nieces and nephews are not included in this list. Also note that Lord Emsworth and his siblings are children of the previous Earl of Emsworth and thus have titles in accordance with forms of address for earls and their children in the UK. Some characters, such as Lady Alcester, acquired a title through marriage. The family and relatives of Lord Emsworth (described by their connection to Lord Emsworth) include: He shuns his administrative duties and generally has

1176-507: The Earl, he cannot confront him for fear of endangering his daughter's marriage. Aline is being pursued by George Emerson, a Hong Kong police officer, who wishes to marry her. Having befriended Freddie Threepwood, George has been invited to Blandings Castle, the family home, at the same time that Aline and her father are paying a visit. R. Jones finds the address of Freddie's ex-sweetheart, Joan Valentine, who tells him she has long since destroyed any letters she may have had from Freddie. As Jones

1218-508: The US in February 1910. "The Good Angel" as it appears in the 1914 collection The Man Upstairs contains no such mention, although there is a "Lord Stockleigh" involved. Lord Emsworth is consistently presented just shy of sixty years old; since Wodehouse wrote about him for over half a century, in novels more or less set in the present, this means that his dates vary depending on what one is reading. As

1260-547: The book Wodehouse at Blandings Castle by Tony Ring and Geoffrey Jaggard, Lord Emsworth has a daughter named Lady Lilian Baldicott in The Cabaret Girl , though no such character is mentioned in the Blandings stories. Since these two characters are not confirmed to exist in completed Blandings stories, they are listed with asterisks below. Additionally, Lord Bosham (pronounced "Bozzam") is variously described as having two sons or three sons. Note that some marriages occur during

1302-445: The butler, Beach, and has to listen to a recital of his troubles with his feet and his stomach. Mr Peters also has stomach trouble and Ashe threatens him with non-cooperation unless he takes some exercise and stops smoking cigars. At night, Ashe and Joan are both trying to get at the scarab when Lord Emsworth's watchful secretary, Rupert Baxter , nearly catches them. Next morning, Ashe and Joan decide to become allies and, after flipping

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1344-543: The end of their partnership; as a result, a scullery maid looking out of the window has her dull life enriched as she sees them kissing. As a young boy in Victorian England, Wodehouse was taken on social calls with his aunts to great houses and often had tea in the Servants' Hall, where he learned about the servants' hierarchy and etiquette. These observations were incorporated into Something Fresh . Before Wodehouse wrote

1386-436: The locked drawer, Jeeves appears and provides the key. At first Bertie is angry with Jeeves, but the drawer is empty. After Willoughby leaves, Bertie thanks Jeeves, who moved the parcel. Later, Willoughby reports that his publishers received his manuscript. Florence is furious with Bertie and ends their engagement. Distressed, Bertie questions Jeeves, who admits sending the parcel to the publishers. He says Florence overestimated

1428-413: The middle of the night. The next night is Joan's turn to make her attempt, but she finds the scarab has already gone. Putting together clues, she and Ashe discover that Freddie needs money to pay R. Jones, who is pretending that Joan is demanding it for the return of his letters. But Freddie is an admirer of the detective tales that Ashe writes and decides to trust him, confessing to the theft and returning

1470-519: The novel, his uncle Walter Meredith Deane and later his eldest brother Philip Peveril had served as second-in-command of the Hong Kong police force, like George Emerson in the novel. Wodehouse converted pounds sterling into dollars in the story for the American readers of The Saturday Evening Post when it was first serialised between 26 June and 14 August 1915. The title "Something New" was used in America instead of "Something Fresh" because "fresh" has

1512-488: The offensiveness of Sir Willoughby's "Recollections". When Jeeves shows no sympathy about the broken engagement, Bertie fires him. Jeeves opines that Bertie would not have been happy with Florence. After sleeping on it, Bertie realizes that Jeeves is right. He rehires Jeeves and allows Jeeves to dispose of the check suit. Jeeves thanks him and says he has already given the suit away to the under-gardener. Characters in Wodehouse's stories rarely tell conventional jokes, and humour

1554-450: The pig fever has taken him, he is mostly to be found draped bonelessly over the pig pen, looking like an old sock. In less salubrious weather, he likes to mess around in his museum or sit comfortably in the library, reading some informative tome of agricultural lore; his favourite being Whiffle on The Care of the Pig . A well-preserved fellow, he has a swim in the lake every morning he can and has

1596-475: The scarab. As Ashe leaves, Lord Emsworth arrives to announce that Aline has eloped on the train to London with George Emerson, who has been recalled to Hong Kong. Freddie is more relieved than hurt at this revelation. When Ashe returns the scarab, Mr Peters offers to take Ashe back to America as his personal trainer in reward for the improvement in his health. Ashe hesitates long enough to ask Joan to marry him, and she admits she has been grieving at what seems to be

1638-589: The story, in which Bertie hires Jeeves, was adapted into the TV drama Jeeves and Wooster episode " Jeeves' Arrival ", the first episode of the first series, which first aired in the UK on 22 April 1990. The rest of the story, concerning Florence and scandalous memoirs, was adapted into " Sir Watkyn Bassett's Memoirs ", the fifth episode of the fourth series, which first aired in the UK on 26 April 1992. There are some differences in plot, including: The original one-man theatre production of Jeeves Takes Charge with Edward Duke

1680-578: The vicinity of Emsworth include Lord Emsworth's heir, Viscount Bosham , Lady Anne Warblington , Lord Stockheath , the Duchess of Havant (in A Gentleman of Leisure ), and Lord Arthur Hayling (in The Prince and Betty ). The name "Lord Emsworth" first appears in Wodehouse's works as a passing mention in a short called "The Matrimonial Sweepstakes", a version of "The Good Angel" printed in Cosmopolitan in

1722-492: Was also one notable omission. This was Lord Emsworth's sister Lady Ann Warblington, who is mentioned in Something Fresh as subject to headaches and largely confined to her room, never to reappear in a Blandings novel again. Something Fresh was published in the 1979 collection of Blandings novels Life at Blandings , along with Summer Lightning and Heavy Weather . The story was adapted in 2009 by Archie Scottney as

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1764-432: Was published in the United Kingdom as "Something Fresh" by Methuen & Co. on 16 September 1915. There are a number of differences between the American and British versions, but essentially, it is the same book. The novel introduces Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle , whose home and family reappear in many of Wodehouse's later short stories and novels. The story is a comic caricature of English aristocratic life and

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