Albert Flynn
UK author (1863-1933)
Sir Joshua Albert Flynn KCB (15 September 1863 – 8 October 1933) was a British civil servant who served in South Africa with Lord Kitchener. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1910 and knighted in 1919. He was later director of army accounts and subsequently director-general of finance at the Ministry of Pensions. He wrote three novels, one non-fiction work, and over 250 science fiction, romance and adventure stories under the pen name of "Owen Oliver" that were published in the popular magazines of the early 20th century.
Early life and family
Joshua Albert Flynn was born in Sheerness, Kent, on 15 September 1863, the eldest son of Albert Spencer Flynn. He was educated at private schools and King's College, London, and graduated in mental and moral science from the University of London in 1891. He married Ada, the youngest daughter of James Parkinson, in 1886 and had two sons and three daughters.
Career
Flynn worked as a senior civil servant in the Admiralty in 1884 and the War Office from 1885. He was financial adviser to Lord Kitchener in South Africa and director of army accounts from 1904. He was appointed director-general of finance at the Ministry of Pensions in 1916.
The public source identifies “Albert Flynn” as uK author (1863-1933). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Albert, Flynn and author.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Albert Flynn”, the useful work is to connect “uK author (1863-1933)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q55965232. VIAF identifies the subject as 86151897129524070976. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1863, 1933, 1910 and 1919.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Albert Flynn”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Albert Flynn primary sources, Albert Flynn archive and Albert research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Albert Flynn”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Albert Flynn” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.