idea genuinely held by his brother, Percy.

After the turn of the century, his writing concentrated more on his philosophical ideas. He was an Idealist, “whose distinctive mark is the discussion of Imagination as the fundamental reality of the Universe” (entry in Who’s Who). He was also a Theosophist, or believer in karma and reincarnation. These books are listed in Appendix A, where it can be seen that several were weighty tomes of around 600 pages each. Their significance may be gauged from the fact that several are still in print, and 1st editions of his science fiction books are priced in the hundreds of pounds each.

The year 1900 saw a great increase in chess activity and organisation in south Devon. A number of new clubs were formed anda parent body, the Devon County Chess Association, was set up in October 1901 to encourage and oversee inter-club competition. Compared to what had gone before, there was a sudden rush of matches and tournaments, and Fawcett was greatly involved, this being probably the busiest period of his chess career.

A new club was formed at Totnes on 2nd October 1901, with Edward Winter-Wood as President, Fawcett as Vice President and the hard-working Charles Blanshard as Secretary. The club had had its origins in the relationship between Fawcett and Blanshard who had been playing friendly games in Totnes for some time before. In addition to their love of chess, both had a love of mountaineering and life in the great outdoors, and would certainly have been on the same