David Soar & Ronald Magill

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Ronald Edmund Magill (21 April 1920 – 6 September 2007) was an English actor. He is best remembered for playing Amos Brearly in the British soap opera Emmerdale Farm from 1972 to 1991, and appeared again in this role in 1994 and 1995. After landing the part of Amos, he rarely appeared on the stage. Magill's boyfriend of 32 years, David Soar, died in 1997. Ten years later in 2007, Ronald Magill died aged 87. Magill left more than a third of his £1.3million estate to the man who nursed him through the final years of his life. His will revealed that he set aside his house in London, worth about £550,000, to John Toole, 64, who had lived with the star in his final years. Mr Magill left the remainder - about £830,000 before inheritance tax to his two brothers. Neighbours in Wimbledon, South-West London, described Toole as Mr Magill's 'rock' during the last ten years of his life. The pair had lived together in the smart, two-storey terrace house following the death of Mr Magill's partner.

Ronald Edmund Magill was born in 1920 in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The child of two teachers, his father died when he was aged 9 and he then grew up in an orphanage in Birmingham, visiting his mother in Ireland during the holidays. After leaving school he became a tyre salesman. During World War II Magill served in the Royal Corps of Signals and was a member of "Stars in Battledress". In Egypt he helped build a theatre where the company staged plays.

Following the war, he worked with the Arena Theatre Company and rep. In 1961, Magill spent a year at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. In 1963 when he went to work at the Playhouse, Nottingham, where he was later made artistic director and he stayed there until 1968. Magill directed many productions, and also wrote plays and translated others into English. He starred in the West End production of The Ruling Class and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic in Death of a Salesman and The Browning Version. His first television appearances were in 1969, in the programmes Special Branch and Parkin's Patch, and the following year appeared in the film Julius Caesar.


Ronald Magill was an English actor, best remembered for playing Amos Brearly in Emmerdale Farm. Magill's boyfriend of 32 years, David Soar, died in 1997. Ten years later in 2007, Ronald Magill died aged 87. Magill left his house in London to the man who nursed him through the final years of his life, John Toole. Neighbours in Wimbledon, South-West London, described Toole as Mr Magill's 'rock' during the last ten years of his life. The pair had lived together following the death of David Soar.

Ronald Magill joined the cast of Emmerdale Farm when the soap opera launched on 16 October 1972. He played Amos Brearly, a character who co-ran The Woolpack with Henry Wilks and they became a double act for the next 19 years. His bushy sideburns, which he became famous for, were the result of having come to the audition from playing an Edwardian in a stage play and he was told they were perfect for the part. After his departure from Emmerdale, as it is now titled, in January 1991, Magill had his sideburns shaved off on Wogan. He reappeared as Amos for short-lived appearances in 1994 and 1995, the latter when the character accompanied Annie Sugden to her son Joe's funeral. The two characters later married off screen in Spain. His final appearance was on 7 July 1995.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Magill

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
Amazon: Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher