C. H. Bovill

C.H. Bovill (born Charles H. Bovill in 1878) was a writer, songwriter and lyricist best known for his collaboration with P.G. Wodehouse on the short story collection 'A Man of Means'. He contributed to the original Broadway musicals' A Princess of Kensington' (1903) (songs), 'The Little Cherub' (1906) (additional lyrics), 'The Girls of Gottenberg' (1908) (lyrics for ""I Can't Say That You're the Only One""), 'Fluffy Ruffles' (1908) (songs with lyrics), 'Peggy' (1911) (lyrics), and 'The Big Show' (1916) (additional lyrics). In London, he was one of the lyricists, along with Wodehouse, for Seymour Hicks's 1907 musical 'The Gay Gordons'; Wodehouse also worked on Bovill's revue 'Nuts and Wine, which debuted at the Empire Theatre on 4 January 1914. The two had worked earlier together on the London newspaper The Globe. Wodehouse moved into Bovill's flat and it was while working on the revue that Bovill came up with the idea for the 'A Man of Means' stories that were published in The Strand in England and the Delineator in the United States. The collected stories were published in 1916. Bovill was killed in France on 24 March 1918. He appears in 'The Stage Year Book' 1919 Roll of Honour which says ""classed as unfit for active service, he was entrusted with the organisation of entertainments at the Front. Although nothing definite is known on the subject, it is believed he met his death through the bursting of a shell while rehearsing a party of soldiers in a revue written by himself." He is buried and remembered with honour at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun.