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.
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.