A. P. Herbert
A witty British writer and independent MP who used satire and stubborn principle to modernize Britain's outdated divorce and obscenity laws.
1890–1971 (age 81)·English humorist and novelist·Birthday: September 24·The Lost Generation
Biography
A.P. Herbert was a man of letters with a lawyer's mind and a reformer's heart. For decades, his humorous essays and sketches in *Punch* magazine gently skewered British bureaucracy and social conventions. But his true impact came from channeling that wit into serious political change. Elected as an Independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University, he used his platform not for party politics, but for specific, stubborn crusades. His most famous battle was against the country's archaic divorce laws, which he argued trapped people in broken marriages. He authored the groundbreaking Matrimonial Causes Act of 1937, which expanded the grounds for divorce. Herbert also took on censorship, defending literary works like *Lady Chatterley's Lover*, and championed the rights of Thames boatmen. He was a unique figure who proved that humor could be a powerful weapon for justice.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
A. was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 80
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1971Died at 81
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
Key Achievements
- Authored the Matrimonial Causes Act 1937, which dramatically reformed and liberalized UK divorce law.
- Served as an Independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University from 1935 to 1950.
- Was a longtime contributor and central voice at *Punch* magazine, writing humorous prose and verse.
- Successfully campaigned for the rights of Thames watermen, leading to the Thames Conservancy Act of 1932.
- Wrote the novel 'The Water Gypsies' and the comic opera 'Tantivy Towers,' showcasing his versatile literary talent.
Did You Know?
He served in the Royal Navy during both World War I and World War II.
Herbert was a skilled amateur boatman and lived on a houseboat on the Thames for a time.
His successful divorce reform act was inspired in part by his own experiences helping constituents trapped in unhappy marriages.
He was a vocal advocate for authors' rights and helped reform copyright law.
Despite his knighthood and political work, he always considered himself primarily a writer and humorist.
““The critical period in matrimony is breakfast-time.””
