James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) was a Scottish author and playwright, best known for his creation, Peter Pan.
James Matthew Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland on May 9, 1860. Barrie was the seventh child to David Barrie and Margaret Ogilvy. By all accounts, Margaret was the driving force in the family. Like many authors Barrie later embellished his childhood to give the impression that the Barries were poor. This is untrue. David Barrie was a weaver and made an above average income. The focus in the Barrie household revolved around educational ambition. When James was six years old, his oldest brother Alexander had already graduated from Aberdeen University with honors in Classics and became headmaster of a private school in Lanarkshire. The second eldest son, David, was the golden apple of Margaret's eye. The great hope was that David would become a minister. It is understandable that Barrie would live in David's shadow until the boy's death at age 14 from the skating accident. David was everything that James was not. David was tall, handsome, athletic, and intelligent. James was the runt.