Jan Stewer
Albert John Coles (also known as Jan Stewer; 14 March 1876 – 18 August 1965) was an English author.
Jan Stewer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert John Coles 14 March 1876 Woolwich, London, England, UK |
| Died | 18 August 1965 (aged 89) Pathfinder Village, Tedburn St Mary, Devon , England, UK |
| Pen name | Jan Stewer, Bert Coles. |
| Occupation | Writer, humourist, teacher, stage performer, farmer, playwright, actor, hotel proprietor, journalist |
| Spouse |
Florence Elizabeth Coles
(m. 1901; died 1961) |
| Children | 4 including Harry Albert Thomas (Harry), Colin Stephens, (Colin), Mary Adelaide Jenny (Mary) and Joan St Ewer (Joan). |
| Relatives | William Coles (father) Elizabeth Coles (mother) |
| Signature | |
Jan Stewer is generally known in the South West of England as a character in the song "Widecombe Fair", the chorus of which ends with 'Uncle Tom Cobley and all'. This was also the name adopted by Albert John Coles, who, over 64 years, wrote and performed Devonshire dialect stories, plays and songs under this name. He was also (as Mr. A. J. Coles) by turns a schoolteacher , soldier, farmer, managing editor of a newspaper, and "journalist, playwright" (self description in 1939). He was described by John Betjeman, before he was Sir John, as "to be numbered amongst the great understanding humorists". Coles wrote many books, wrote some 5,000 stories for local papers, toured town and village halls with his vaudeville stage acts, wrote, acted and produced plays, (one of which was performed in the Haymarket Theatre in London), acted in films and broadcast on the BBC, in the course of his career as Jan Stewer.