coleridge-taylor was brought up in croydon . he studied the violin at the royal college of music and composition with charles villiers stanford. in 1899 he married jessie walmisley who had been a student with him at the rcm. her parents did not want her to be married to someone of mixed race. the couple had a son, hiawatha (1900-1980) and a daughter, avril, born gwendolyn (1903-1998).