Vivian, John Carter

  General Notes:

He was one of the prime movers behind the Rotary movement and wrote a book called "The Romance of Rotary".

He was the editor of the Bystander magazine, a satirical news magazine, during which he sailed very close to the wind on a number of occasions. The first was when he and other parties associated with the Bystander were convicted and fined for publishing "An Offensive Cartoon" according to the TIMES. Vivian Carter was fined 50 pounds while the Publishers were fined 100 pounds. He was subsequently given three months notice by the owners of the Bystander and he left in 1916.

He also featured in a libel case in which he was sued for libel as the Editor of the Bystander for publishing a photo and related words which misrepresented what had actually happened. An apology was subsequently published, but the plaintiff refused to accept the apology and decided to pursue legal recompense. By this time Vivian Carter was no longer the editor, but it would appear that his intention in publishing the article was to stop Quaker anti war rallies being broken up by soldiers.

His greatest claim to fame was in getting Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons published in the Bystander magazine. Bairnsfather, a lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment serving in France sent his first cartoon to "The Bystander" from the front, in March 1915. Bairnsfather's "Fragments from France" were published in the Bystander until 1923. Vivian Carter wrote "Some Critical Chapters" in a biographical book titled "Bairnsfather A Few Fragments from His Life".

Further details can be found on Mark Warby's website www.brucebairnsfather.org.uk

In 1911 he lived Woodlea Barnett, Wood Lane in Ashtead, near Epsom in Surrey

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Journalist. ^23,24 Editor of the Bystander

• Occupation: Secretary of Rotary International. Initially Secretary of Rotary Brritish Isles & Ireland, after being editor of the Bystander

Vivian, married Violet, Alice Antill, daughter of Adonijah Leslie Antill and Alice, Harriet Nicholls, Apr to Jun 1907 in Epsom, Surrey. (Violet, Alice Antill was born circa Mar 1883 in Epsom, Surrey ¹² and died in 1983.)

  Marriage Notes:

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