θɹuː hɪz mˈʌðɚ, ˈænə mɚɹˈiːɚ ɹˈoʊz, hiː wʌzðə nˈɛfjuː ʌv dʒˈɔːɹdʒ ɹˈoʊz wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː, ɐ dɹˈæmətˌɪst, nˈɑːvɪlˌɪst, ænd hjˈuːmɚɹəs ˌɛntɚtˈeɪnɚ, hˌuː ɹˈoʊt ˌʌndɚ ðə sˈuːdoʊnˌɪm ˈɑːɹθɚ skˈɛtʃli.
Through his mother, Anna Maria Rose, he was the nephew of George Rose (1817–1882), a dramatist, novelist, and humorous entertainer, who wrote under the pseudonym Arthur Sketchley.