George Merrill : a true history, & study in psychology

E. Carpenter, S. Dawson

George Merrill (1866 -1928) was the lifetime companion of English poet and gay activist Edward Carpenter. This documents exists in the Sheffield Archive (catalogue Number MSS 363/17) only as the carbon copy of an original 80 year old typescript, heavily edited by Edward Carpenter in pencil. It is the story of how Carpenter and Merrill met, and a description of Merrill's early life. It is also a good source document for social historians keen to learn about life for a young gay man in the slums of a northern town, a man not averse to using his good looks to his advantage.