T. Edgar (Thomas Edgar) Pemberton

Born in Birmingham on July 1, 1849, he was the eldest son of a brass-founder and spent part of his working life in the family business before turning more fully toward literature. He wrote under the name T. Edgar Pemberton and is remembered as an English novelist, playwright, journalist, and theatrical historian.

The stage was his great subject. Contemporary reference works describe him as a "biographer of the stage," and his books included studies of theatres, actors, and dramatic life, such as The Birmingham Theatres and The Criterion Theatre. He also wrote fiction and plays, bringing a practical feel for performance and theatre culture to his work.

He was part of a literary family as the brother of novelist Max Pemberton. He died on September 28, 1905, but his writing still offers a vivid window into Victorian theatre and the personalities who shaped it.