J.M. Barrie was born on 9 May 1860 at Kirriemuir in Forfarshire, Scotland, the third son and seventh surviving child of Margaret Ogilvy and David Barrie, a handloom weaver. Barrie was brought up in a tiny stone-built cottage fronting a main road, with a little wash-house at the rear, which he later identified as his first theatre. When he was seven, Barrie's eldest brother, David, was killed in a skating accident. The event haunted the young boy for the rest of his life and Barrie's mother went into deep mourning for the loss of her favourite son. In an attempt to lift her from her grief, Barrie dressed in the clothes of his brother and attempted to act out his role in front of her. It was an early indication of the lifelong interest …
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Citation: Nash, Andrew. "J. M. Barrie". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 October 2001 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5138, accessed 23 November 2024.]
