Although best known for his work in the theater, John Drinkwater would probably have defined himself as a poet. He was also active in the field of biography, and in fact his most successful play, Abraham Lincoln (1918), was the first of his historical prose dramas. As might be expected, Drinkwater's approach to biography clearly grew out of his educational background and personal experiences.

Born 1 June 1882 at Dorset Villa, Leytonstone, Essex, Drinkwater was the son of Albert Edwin Drinkwater and Annie Beck Brown Drinkwater. Albert Drinkwater was the headmaster of Coburn Foundation School at Bow in East London when John was born. As a youth John attended a dame school run by a Mrs. Zinck in Ladbroke Grove.

By 1886 Albert Drinkwater had abandoned his career in education to become a professional actor, playwright, and manager in the theater. John occasionally accompanied his father on tour. The younger Drinkwater's interest...