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{{author infobox
| image=
| name=Robert Havard
| born=[[15 March]] [[1901]]
| died=[[1985]]
| education=[[University of Oxford#Keble College|Keble College]]<br>[[University of Oxford#Queen's College|Queen's College]]
| occupation=Physician
| location=[[Oxford]]
| website=
|}}
<center>{{quote|Dr U.Q. Humphrey<br>Made poultices of comfrey<br>If you didn't pay his bills<br>He gave you doses of squills|[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]<ref name="I177">[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[The Inklings]]'', p. 177</ref>}}</center>

'''Dr. Robert Emlyn "Honest Humphrey" Havard''' was an [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]-schooled physician. He was one of the [[Inklings]], as well as a neighbour of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] in his later life.

==History==
Havard was the son of an Anglican clergyman, and read Chemistry at [[University of Oxford#Keble College|Keble College]],<ref name="I257">[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[The Inklings]]'', p. 257</ref> followed by Medicine at [[University of Oxford#Queen's College|Queen's College]] after a conversion to Catholicism ruled him out of attending the former.<ref name="CaG">{{CG|RG}}, pp. 360-361</ref> After his studies, he worked in [[Leeds]], where he married. He returned to Oxford in [[1934]].<ref name="I257">[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[The Inklings]]'', p. 257</ref> He took over a medical practice with surgeries in Headington and St. Giles;<ref name="I257"/> the latter was situated near the [[Eagle and Child]].<ref name="Duriez">[[Colin Duriez]], ''[[Tolkien and C.S. Lewis]]'', pp. 82-3</ref>

One of his patients was [[C.S. Lewis]]. It was Lewis who introduced Havard to the Inklings after a boat trip, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. [[Warren Lewis]] had bought a small boat, the ''Bosphorus'', and the Lewis brothers planned a trip along the Thames with [[Hugo Dyson]]. The international political tension had Warren - a Major in the Royal Army Service Corps - transferred to Le Havre, and because the others did not want to cancel the trip, C.S. Lewis decided to bring his good friend Dr. Havard along as navigator. They had a pleasant time, as the trip went past the towns Godstow, Newbridge, Radcot, Lechlade and Inglesham - and naturally, the Inns. It was slightly overshadowed by the [[wikipedia:Invasion of Poland|invasion of Poland]], but after another dinner with Lewis and Dyson, Havard was introduced to the Inklings.<ref>[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[The Inklings]]'', pp. 67-9</ref> So, Havard also became the Tolkien family's doctor, having been asked by the Professor shortly after his introduction to the Inklings.<ref name="JRRTE">[[David Bratman]], "Humphrey Havard (1901-85)", in ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]'' (edited by [[Michael D.C. Drout]]), pp. 265-6</ref> He became an appreciated family friend - as he was with the Lewis family, and often attended Thursday pub visits. He often drove the Inklings to country pubs.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 42]] (dated [[12 January|January 12]], [[1941]])</ref>

In [[1943]], Havard was called up for service in the Royal Navy, were he served as a medical officer. On his rare leaves, he came back to Oxford, now sporting a full red beard. This earned him the nickname '''The Red Admiral''', to go along with his already existing nicknames '''Useless Quack''' and '''Honest Humphrey''',<ref name="I177"/> the latter courtesy of Hugo Dyson when he could not remember the doctor's name.<ref name="Duriez"/> Tolkien managed to get Havard stationed at Oxford permanently, and he was put to work on a malaria research project.<ref name="I177"/> Back in Oxford, Havard was among the first to read the outlines of what would become ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'',<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 109]] (dated [[31 July|July 31]], [[1947]])</ref> and still a respected (though not very productive) member of the Inklings.

Tolkien became a close neighbour of Havard when he moved to [[76 Sandfield Road]]: Havard, now a widower with five children,<ref name="I257"/> lived at number 28.<ref>[[Clyde S. Kilby]], ''[[Tolkien and The Silmarillion]]'', p. 9</ref> They regularly attended church together, and with the Inklings fallen apart, Havard was the last of Tolkien's male companies.<ref>[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'', p. 241</ref>

In [[1968]], Havard retired from the medical profession. He moved to the [[wikipedia:Isle of Wight|Isle of Wight]] and lost most contact with Tolkien, though he did visit him at [[Woodridings]] at least twice.<ref name="CaG"/> He died in 1985.<ref name="JRRTE"/>

==Bibliography==
* [[1990]]: ''[[Mythlore 64]]''
** "Professor J.R.R. Tolkien: A Personal Memoir"

==See also==
*[http://mythgamer.mymiddleearth.com/2012/03/25/meeting-colin-havard-an-inklings-son/ Meeting Colin Havard: An Inkling’s Son]
*[http://medicalhypotheses.blogspot.de/2009/04/robert-humphrey-havard-medical-inkling.html Robert 'Humphrey' Havard - Medical 'Inkling']
*[http://notionclubpapers.blogspot.de/2010/11/how-similar-are-dolbear-humphrey-havard.html How similar are Dolbear & 'Humphrey' Havard? John Havard's opinion]

{{references}}
{{inklings}}
[[Category:Inklings|Havard, Robert]]
[[Category:Authors|Havard, Robert]]
[[Category:British people|Havard, Robert]]
[[Category:People by name|Havard, Robert]]

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Editing Robert Havard

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 In [[1968]], Havard retired from the medical profession. He moved to the [[wikipedia:Isle of Wight|Isle of Wight]] and lost most contact with Tolkien, though he did visit him at [[Woodridings]] at least twice.<ref name="CaG"/> He died in 1985.<ref name="JRRTE"/>
-==In Tolkien's works==
-In ''[[The Notion Club Papers]]'', Robert Havard is identified with [[Rupert Dolbear]], a researchchemist "known to the Club as Ruthless Rufus".<ref>{{SD|2b}}, pp. 150, 159</ref>
 ==Bibliography==
 * [[1990]]: ''[[Mythlore 64]]''
-** "[http://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol17/iss2/7/ Professor J.R.R. Tolkien: A Personal Memoir]"
+** "Professor J.R.R. Tolkien: A Personal Memoir"
 ==See also==