On January 21, 1950, Orwell — aged 46 — died of pulmonary tuberculosis. He wanted to be buried “according to the rites of the Church of England”. As he did not belong to any parish, two of his friends arranged for a funeral at Christ Church which was near Regents Park. Malcolm Muggeridge recalled that the Vicar was “excessively parsonical”. The service by all accounts was a “melancholy” affair. Thanks to David Astor's influence, Orwell was buried as he wished in a “country churchyard”, in an Oxfordshire village where the Astors had an estate. As Orwell requested he is buried under his own name:
HERE LIES ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR BORN JUNE 25TH 1903 DIED JANUARY 21ST 1950 |
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by Charles |
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Text source: Daniel J. Leab
Daniel J. Leab Collection Of ‘Books And Manuscripts By And About George Orwell’
URL: http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/libs/hay/collections/orwell/leab.html
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Photos above, courtesy of Andy's ‘George Orwell Picture Gallery’
URL: http://www.zardoz.net/orwell/
E-mail: [email protected]
Copyright ©2002 Andrew W. MacDonald. All Rights Reserved.
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Photo number 5 (‘by Charles’) courtesy of “Charles' George Orwell Links”
URL: http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/
George Orwell Biography: [Photo archive]