Gabriel Toyne

Gabriel Toyne was born in London on April 5, 1905. His father F. Herbert Toyne was Director of the Brighton Education Committee, although the family spent some of his childhood years in India, where he became a linguist in Indian languages and dialects. He went up to Oxford University in 1925, reading History at Corpus Christi. He was an active member and later president of OUDS (Oxford University Dramatic Society) and achieved the title Master Swordsman, gaining a university "double-blue" in foil and archery. He became 'companion-in-Arms' to Prince Olaf of Norway, fighting as a member of the Prince's invincible university epée team. An accomplished and published poet, Gabriel met Margaret Rawlings at a literary meeting at Oxford's Lady Margaret Hall. With acting, fencing and poetry in common they fell in love and married in 1927. Gabriel came down with an honors degree, Margaret eloped into the theatre, first into Esme Percy 's company where Gabriel was stage-manager, and then on a t