Born Jerome Clapp, English author and humorist Jerome K. Jerome later changed his last name to mirror his first. As a child, Jerome dreamed of a career in politics, but was forced to quit his studies and find a job at age thirteen after his father passed away. Jerome worked various jobs, including working on the railway, joining a traveling acting company for three years, and volunteering as an ambulance driver for the French army. In 1888, he married Georgina Marris, and had one stepchild from his wife's previous marriage. Jerome earned success with his comedic work, including his novel Three Men in a Boat.