Alfred Shaughnessy
Encyclopedia
Alfred James Shaughnessy (19 May 1916 – 2 November 2005), sometimes known as Freddy Shaughnessy, was an English scriptwriter and producer best known for being the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs
.
was an American-born Canadian railway administrator, who was created Baron Shaughnessy
in 1916, and his mother was a second cousin of James K. Polk
, the 11th US President
. His spent his early years living in Tennessee
, and in 1920 his mother, Sarah Polk Bradford, married The Hon Sir Piers Legh
and he then became Equerry to the Prince of Wales
, and the family moved to Norfolk Square in London. The family had a butler
, cook
, footman
, two housemaid
s, a kitchen maid
and a lady's maid
. The Prince of Wales later visited the house for dinner, and he drew on this when writing the Upstairs, Downstairs episode Guest of Honour. He also often spent weekends and holidays at Lyme Park
, his stepfather's ancestral home. Sir Piers Legh later became Master of the Household
.
Shaughnessy was educated at Summer Fields
then Eton
, and then went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
with the intention of joining the Grenadier Guards
. However, in 1935 he resigned on grounds of conscience once stating he didn't wish a career dedicated "to learning to kill men". He then had an unsuccessful time at the London Stock Exchange
, and had a hectic social life, with debutante balls
, shooting parties and country weekends.
in 1939 he returned to the Army
, and on D-Day landed with the Guards Armoured Division
on Gold Beach
.
After the war ended, he got a job at Ealing Studios
, and he soon begun his career as a successful writer, producer and director. In 1956, he directed the film Suspended Alibi
and continued to direct and produce during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, he began to focus on script writing. His first major success was Upstairs, Downstairs. He wrote fifteen episodes, and was the script editor for 66 episodes, and was meticulous in researching facts about the era.
He later wrote episodes for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
, The Cedar Tree
, The Irish R.M.
, All Creatures Great and Small, The Saint
and Alleyn Mysteries. Shaughnessy wrote two novels, Dearest Enemy and Hugo.
in 1948, and they had two sons, Charles
, who is an actor best known for his role as Maxwell Sheffield on the American television series The Nanny
, and David
, an actor and producer. He wrote his autobiography, Both Ends of the Candle, in 1975, and followed this with A Confession in Writing in 1997. He also wrote his mothers' memoirs. He died in 2005 aged 89, in Plymouth
, Devon
, shortly after having recorded an interview with Simon Williams
about Upstairs, Downstairs.
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
.
Early life
Alfred Shaughnessy was born in London, his father, the Hon Alfred Shaughnessy, having died while serving with the Canadian Infantry two months before. His grandfather Thomas ShaughnessyThomas Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy
Thomas George Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy, KCVO was an American-born Canadian railway administrator who rose from modest beginnings as a clerk and bookkeeper for the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Thomas George Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy, KCVO (6 October 1853 – 10 December...
was an American-born Canadian railway administrator, who was created Baron Shaughnessy
Baron Shaughnessy
Baron Shaughnessy, of the City of Montreal in the Dominion of Canada and of Ashford in the County of Limerick, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for the businessman and public servant Thomas Shaughnessy, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company...
in 1916, and his mother was a second cousin of James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
, the 11th US President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. His spent his early years living in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and in 1920 his mother, Sarah Polk Bradford, married The Hon Sir Piers Legh
Piers Legh
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Piers "Joey" Walter Legh GCVO KCB CMG CIE OBE was a British soldier and a member of the Royal Household....
and he then became Equerry to the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, and the family moved to Norfolk Square in London. The family had a butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, cook
Cook (servant)
A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour....
, footman
Footman
A footman is a male servant, notably as domestic staff.-Word history:The name derives from the attendants who ran beside or behind the carriages of aristocrats, many of whom were chosen for their physical attributes. They ran alongside the coach to make sure it was not overturned by such obstacles...
, two housemaid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
s, a kitchen maid
Kitchen maid
-Great house kitchen maid:A kitchen maid is a young maid, or junior female servant. In the hierarchy of a great house she ranked below a cook and above a scullery maid...
and a lady's maid
Lady's maid
A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the lady of the house. The position is very similar to a gentleman's valet. Traditionally, in eras past, the lady's maid was not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who was a retainer rather than a servant, but the rewards included room...
. The Prince of Wales later visited the house for dinner, and he drew on this when writing the Upstairs, Downstairs episode Guest of Honour. He also often spent weekends and holidays at Lyme Park
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a large estate located south of Disley, Cheshire, England. It consists of a mansion house surrounded by formal gardens, in a deer park in the Peak District National Park...
, his stepfather's ancestral home. Sir Piers Legh later became Master of the Household
Master of the Household
The Master of the Household is the operational head of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom...
.
Shaughnessy was educated at Summer Fields
Summer Fields School
Summer Fields is a boys' independent preparatory school based in Summertown, Oxford, England.-History:Originally called Summerfield, it became a Boys' Preparatory School in 1864 with seven pupils. Its owner, Archibald Maclaren, was a fencing teacher who ran a gymnasium in Oxford; he himself was...
then Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and then went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
with the intention of joining the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. However, in 1935 he resigned on grounds of conscience once stating he didn't wish a career dedicated "to learning to kill men". He then had an unsuccessful time at the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
, and had a hectic social life, with debutante balls
Debutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
, shooting parties and country weekends.
Career
In the late 1930s, he began to write lyrics and sketches, but at the outbreak of warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939 he returned to the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and on D-Day landed with the Guards Armoured Division
British Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was a Second World War British Army formation.The Guards Armoured Division was formed on 17 June 1941. The division remained in the United Kingdom, training, until 26 June 1944, when it landed in Normandy as part of VIII Corps...
on Gold Beach
Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
.
After the war ended, he got a job at Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever since...
, and he soon begun his career as a successful writer, producer and director. In 1956, he directed the film Suspended Alibi
Suspended Alibi
Suspended Alibi is a 1957 British crime film directed by Alfred Shaughnessy and starring Patrick Holt, Honor Blackman and Lloyd Lamble.-Cast:* Patrick Holt as Paul Pearson* Honor Blackman as Lynn Pearson* Valentine Dyall as Inspector Kayes...
and continued to direct and produce during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, he began to focus on script writing. His first major success was Upstairs, Downstairs. He wrote fifteen episodes, and was the script editor for 66 episodes, and was meticulous in researching facts about the era.
He later wrote episodes for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the name given to the TV series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by British television company Granada Television between 1984 and 1994, although only the first two series bore that title on screen. The series was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK,...
, The Cedar Tree
The Cedar Tree
The Cedar Tree was an extremely popular television serial that ran from 1976-1979 on ITV in the United Kingdom.It involved the saga of the Bourne family, hailing from an aristocratic background, before the turn of the Second World War....
, The Irish R.M.
The Irish R.M.
The Irish R.M. refers to a series of books by the Anglo-Irish novelists Somerville and Ross, and the television comedy-drama series based on them...
, All Creatures Great and Small, The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
and Alleyn Mysteries. Shaughnessy wrote two novels, Dearest Enemy and Hugo.
Personal life
Shaughnessy married the actress Jean LodgeJean Lodge
Jean Lodge is an English film and television actress.She played Guinevere in The Black Knight and Lady Netherden in The Hellfire Club....
in 1948, and they had two sons, Charles
Charles Shaughnessy
Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy , simply known as Charles Shaughnessy, is a British peer, and television, theatre and film actor. He is known for his roles on American television, as Shane Donovan on the soap opera Days of our Lives and as Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom...
, who is an actor best known for his role as Maxwell Sheffield on the American television series The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, and David
David Shaughnessy
David James Shaughnessy is a British-born theatre and television director, producer and actor. Educated at Eton College and the Central School of Speech & Drama, London. He started in repertory theatres all around the UK and went on to become a principal actor with the famous Old Vic Theatre...
, an actor and producer. He wrote his autobiography, Both Ends of the Candle, in 1975, and followed this with A Confession in Writing in 1997. He also wrote his mothers' memoirs. He died in 2005 aged 89, in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, shortly after having recorded an interview with Simon Williams
Simon Williams (actor)
Simon Williams is an English actor known for playing James Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. Frequently playing upper-class roles, he is also known for playing Dr...
about Upstairs, Downstairs.