Philip Richards (1842-1890 ?)

“Jack Harkaway”

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper December 27, 1873 >

"Bracebridge Hemyng Esq., Barrister of the Inner Temple, London, is the author of the celebrated “Jack Harkaway” stories. Mr. Frank Leslie has for some time been negotiating with him to make his residence in this country, in order to continue his popular series for FRANK LESLIE’S BOYS’ AND GIRL’S WEEKLY, and to write exclusively for him. Mr. Hemyng finally accepted his tempting offer, and arrived by the steamer City of Brussels a few days since. It having been announced in the BOYS’ AND GIRL’S WEEKLY that Mr. Hemyng was expected to arrive, he received a very enthusiastic reception from his young admirers on his landing. About Mr. Hemyng we will have more to say in a future number. He is so well known through his stories that young people are anxious to hear from him."



Edwin Brett, London proprietor of the Boys’ of England, home to the original Jack Harkaway stories, was furious at the defection but continued the series under an author unknown to history. Unknown that is until copies of “Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands” and “Jack Harkaway and Son's Adventures Round the World” turned up at a booksellers with the written notation “by Philip Richards.”

Steve Holland has told that story in “Who wrote Jack Harkaway?” with another interesting snippet of information which I quote >

“Henry Richards, his father, was a printer. The family were living at 1 Exeter Change in 1851 at which time Henry's elder brothers Henry and Mark were also printers (the latter an apprentice). But what I find most interesting is in the 1861 census: Philip is then an 18-year-old clerk living at 33 Cranbourne Street with his widowed mother and, at the same address is another clerk, a 26-year-old named Charles H. Ross.”



Armed with this snippet of information I can add a little further bit to the biographical material hunted out by Steve.

Philip Richards (1842-1890 ?) was a contributor to the annual Christmas issues of "Bow Bells Annual" published by John Dicks. On Dec 13, 1868 he contributed a short tale called “Christmas in France.” Other contributors were Charles H. Ross, George Augustus Sala, and J. Redding Ware. Ware has been suggested as one of the authors connected to the penny dreadful side of the Newsagents Publishing Company although none of his titles are known. On Dec. 12 1869 Richards again contributed a short story to Bow Bells Annual.

A. Lynes and Sons of Holywell-lane, Shoreditch, were well known tailors who published an attractive 112 page illustrated magazine consisting of short stories and fashion plates promoting their wares. The first I know of was from October 2 1870 published under the title "Smiles and Styles." This had stories by cartoonist Matt Morgan, Lascalles, Marston, Bracebridge Hemyng, Paul Bedford Junior, A. De Vere, Arthur Lynes, Linnaeus Banks, and Philip Richards ("Tum Tum’s Story”.) Artwork was contributed by Matt Morgan, Marie Duval and J. Buckley.



On February 25 1871 the Surrey theatre staged a sensational drama called “Ruth; or, a Poor Girl’s Life in London,” a joint composition between Charles Henry Ross and Philip Richards. The stage manager was E. T. Smith, and “Miss Marie Duval well enacts the role of Lord Fernfield. She makes a strikingly dapper and elegant young gentleman. Her assumption of the bearing of a lord of the creation, and her affectation of aristocratic ease and frigidity, are accomplished with great cleverness.” The play, like Ross’s previous drama “Clam” was received with ‘rapturous applause,’ and great reviews. The two authors had a decided hit on their hands.

I found a few more tit-bits, all from ads for Lynes “bi-yearly” magazines. On May 30, 1874 Richards supplied a story for “Folios and Fashions.” Sept 10, 1875 it was A. Lynes and Sons “Winter Book.” Richards offered a tale titled “Beaux and Arrows.” Finally, on November 10 ,1877 came “Attire and Attraction,” with original stories by E. L. Blanchard, Robert Reece, J. Redding Ware, Arthur Lynes and Philip Richards. A. Lynes and Sons had a new address at this time, 192, and 193 Shoreditch. All the writing talent was drawn from contributors to John Dick’s "Bow Bells" weekly story paper.



"Jack Harkaway and his Son's Adventures in Greece"was a continuation of the serial "Jack Harkaway among the Brigands" and can also probably be credited to Philip Richards.

Who Shall be Leader?

Who Shall be Leader? A Story of Two Boys’ Lives. Boys of England Office, 173 Fleet-street, 1896. Although not noted in the bound volume the author was Vane Ireton St. John, the illustrator a man named Hebblethwaite. Frank Jay said of Hebblethwaite that he “could draw as well with his left hand as with his right one, and was considered the finest black and white artist of the day. He eventually married Mr. Brett’s eldest sister. The artist’s work can be seen on the front pages of most of Brett’s publications.”



Who Shall be Leader? was first published in the inaugural number of Charles Stevens’s weekly boys story paper The Boys’ of England on Tuesday, November 27, 1866. Other serials begun in No. 1 were Alone in the Pirates’ Lair, by the editor Charles Stevens and Chevy Chase; or, the Battle on the Border, by John Cecil Stagg. After the 10th number B.O.E. was taken over by Edwin J. Brett with Vane St. John, John Cecil Stagg, and William Thompson Townsend, author of Giles Evergreen; or, Fresh from the Country, remaining as the lead writers of serials.

W. Emmett Laurence produced a rival in The Young Englishman’s Journal beginning on April 13, 1867. The Boys of Bircham School by George Emmett commenced in No. 8 of that publication. Edwin Brett’s next venture was The Young Men of Great Britain of January 28, 1868, which featured Bracebridge Hemyng’s Dick Lightheart serials in 1872. Tom Wildrake’s Schooldays began in 1870 in Emmett’s Sons of Britannia and Jack Harkaway’s Schooldays, by Bracebridge Hemyng, commenced in BOE No. 249, Vol. 10, 1871. Brett ceased publication of penny number romances around 1900 but continued to issue the stories in complete bound volumes with coloured wrappers for sixpence until the firm closed down in 1906.

John Springhall, in ‘Boys of Bircham School’: The penny dreadful origins of the popular English school story, 1867-1900 dismisses Who Shall be Leader? as the first penny dreadful school story because only 8 out of 23 parts take place in school before the boys head off to the Napoleonic War and the battle of Waterloo for the remainder.

However, in that short time frame Who Shall be Leader? has all the ingredients that went in to the make-up of the Boys of Bircham School and it’s many successors including canings (on naked flesh), bullies, practical jokes on the headmaster and tutors, even a tuck shop run by a Jew known as ‘Friar Tuck.’ It would be inconceivable that the proprietors of The Young Englishman’s Journal were unaware of one of the most popular stories to appear in the BOE considering the intense rivalry that was later to develop between Edwin Brett and the Emmett’s over Hemyng’s Jack Harkaway series.

*Corporal Punishment and Private Perversion by E. M. Sanchez Saavedra HERE

*A Notable Man: Edwin J. Brett HERE

*Who wrote Jack Harkaway? by Steve Holland HERE

*Philip Richards (1842-1890?) HERE

*Jack Harkaway's Schooldays and After HERE

*Jack Harkaway in America HERE

*The 'Orricle 'Unston Brothers by E. M. Sanchez Saavedra HERE

*Last of the Black Flag HERE

*Jack Harkaway Gallery HERE

Boys of Bircham School

Bircham would lead to Canem Academy, and Spankem School and Thrashem ...

The Young Englishman’s Journal No. 1 was published April 13, 1867. The Boys of Bircham School commenced in No. 8, written by George Emmett and partly illustrated by Harry Maguire. Next: Vane Ireton St. John's Who Shall be Leader? Or, the Schooldays of Frank and Hal.

Tom Wildrake's Schooldays

Boys of Bircham School, by George Emmett, which began 8 June 1867 in the Young Engishman’s Journal,* is generally acknowledged to be the first penny dreadful boys’ school story, father to Tom Wildrake, Jack Harkaway, Tom Merry, Billy Bunter and scads of others. Emmett’s Bircham School led to another school story, Tom Wildrake’s Schooldays, which began in the Sons of Britannia in Volume I sometime in 1870.

In August 1872 the serial was taken over by E. Harcourt Burrage who sent Tom Wildrake out to sea. Every boys school story from now on would follow this pattern, first the heroes schooldays then a setting out to sea and foreign adventures. Burrage may have been influenced by Vane Ireton St. John who was the real pioneer of the school/sea adventure with Who Shall be Leader? Or, the Schooldays of Frank and Hal, appearing in The Boys’ of England from November 1866.

Tom Wildrake’s Schooldays was soon issued in sixty-four weekly parts for a total of 890 pages. The pictures below from the Sons of Britannia serial is actually Part II of the serial for 14 March of 1871, Vol.II No. 48.

The Authors Own Edition was advertised in Boys of Britannia on February 25, 1871.

*The Young Englishman’s Journal No. 1 April 13, 1867 to March 9, 1870 was incorporated with No. 1 of The Sons of Britannia on March 14, 1870.

Whip the Wind

Sons of Brittania No. 26, “Whip the Wind,” by Silvershot (George Emmett) author of “My Adventures Among the Prairie Indians,“ “Red Hugh, the Backwoodsman,“ &c. Sept. 5, 1870.

The Idol's Eye

Sons of Britannia March 11, 1870. A selection from “The Idol’s Eye. Being the Adventures of Andrew Battel, Peter Carder, Sampson Von Burr, and “The Snake” in Search of a Big Diamond,“ by W. Stephens Hayward, author of “The Mutiny of the Thunder,” “The Golden Reef,” &c.

Reynolds's Miscellany

Vol. 1. No. 1 . November 7, 1846. Wagner The Wehr-Wolf. George W. M. Reynolds. Wagner Ended in Vol. 2. No. 38. July 24, 1847.

Vol. 2. No. 30. May 29,1847. The Days Of Hogarth. George W. M. Reynolds. Ended Vol. 3. No. 77. April 22, 1848.

Vol. 3. No. 81. May 20, 1848. Queret Demary. An Episode of the Bastille. By Edwin F. Roberts. Author of “Athanane,” “The Count of Crisong,” etc., etc.

Vol. 4. No.81. January 26, 1850. The Bronze Statue; or, The Virgin’s Kiss. G. W. M. Reynolds. Dawn & Darkness; or, The Kaleidoscope of Life. Part II; Darkness. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol. 4 No.82. February 2, 1850. The Mysteries of the People; or, The History of a Proletarian Family From The Earliest Age To The Present Time. Eugene Sue.

Vol. 4 No. 83. February 9, 1850. The Drunkard’s Progress. A Tale In Two Periods. Victor Melville.

Vol.4 No.91. April 6, 1850. The Slaves of England. G. W. M. Reynolds. Chapter VI.

Advertisement.- Gratis! Gratis! Gratis!
Now publishing in penny weekly numbers, beautifully illustrated, A New Romance Entitled
Jack Rann, alias, Sixteen String Jack by James Lendridge. Author of “DeLisle” “Tyburn Tree” &ct. Also the following works are always in print: - Paul Jones the Pirate by Pierce Egan. Jack Sheppard, complete in 27 Nos. Roderick Dhu, The Scottish Outlaw, by T. Archer, Esq. The Unknown Warrior; or, The Secret Band. London. G. Purkess, Compton Street, Soho.

Vol. 4. No. 97. May 18, 1850. The Bride of the Guillotine. Anonymous.

June 7, 1850. Advertisement.- Robin Hood and Little John; or, The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. G. Pierce. 310 Strand.

Vol. 4. No. 103. June 29, 1850. The Castellan’s Daughter. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 5. No.107. July 25, 1870. The Greek Maiden; or, The Banquet of Blood. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 5 No. 108. August 3, 1850. The Squire’s Revenge; or, The Death of King John. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol. 5. No. 109. August 10, 1850. Pope Joan; or, The Female Pontiff. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 5. No. 126. December 7, 1850. The Prophecy; or, The Lost Son. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 5. No. 132. January 18, 1851. Boddle Back The Bear-tamer. An American Tale.

Vol. 6. No. 133. January 25, 1851. Kenneth; A Romance of the Highlands. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 6. No. 146. April 19, 1851. The Overlooker. A Tale of the Factories in Six Chapters.

Vol. 6. No. 150. May 24, 1851. The Heroine of Bloomingdale. An American Tale. Anonymous. Gerald Carew: A Domestic Tale in Six Chapters. Edwin F. Roberts.

Advertisement.- Jenny Diver, The Female Highwayman. Penny Numbers Illustrated. London, S. Y. Collins. No. 113, Fleet Street.



Vol. 6. No. 155. June 21, 1851. Advertisements.- Fair Rosamund by Pierce Egan The Younger. Henry Barth. No. 4 Brydges Street, Strand. The Great Frost; or London in 1814. S. Y. Collins.
Vol. 6. No. 157. July 12, 1851. The Coiners; A Story of the Sessions in Six Chapters. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol. 7. No. 160. August 2, 1851. The Tyrant’s Husband. An Old Man’s Story.

Vol. 7. No. 161. August 9, 1851. Nina Elhingham. A Love Tale.

Vol. 7. No. 166. September 13, 1851. Headless Jack, A Ghost Story.

Vol. 7. No. 169. October 3, 1851. The Rabbit On The Wall. By An American Lady. The Wreckers. A Story of the Coast. Edwin F. Roberts. Advertisement.- Adam Bell; or, The Archers of Inglewood Forest. Pierce Egan. G. Purkess.

Vol. 7. No. 171. October 17, 1851. The Last Visit; A Tale of the Red Indians.

Vol. 7. No. 174. November 7,1851. The Trials of Rose Templeton. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol. 7. No. 181. December 27, 1851. The Necromancer: A Romance. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol. 7. No. 183. January 10, 1852. The Lapland Rat; or, The Loss of The Royal George. Edwin F. Roberts. The Three Christmas Trees. Edwin F. Roberts. Advertisement.- Black Mask; or, The Mysterious Robber. J. Frost., Esq., author of “Paul the Poacher.” G. Purkess. “Robert Bruce, The Patriot King of Scotland,” by Gabriel Alexander, the author of “Wallace, The Hero Of Scotland.“ John Dicks.

Vol. 8. No. 187. The Cotton-Spinners. A Tale of the Manchester Factories in Six Chapters. Edwin F. Roberts.



Vol. 8. No. 193. Onesta. A Venetian Tale.

Vol. 8. No. 203. May 24, 1852. The Young Highlander: A Love Tale. Madame de Chatelain.

Vol. 9 No. 212. July 31, 1852. The Massacre of Glencoe: A Historical Tale. G. W. M. Reynolds. Life at the French Galleys. Anonymous.

Vol. 9 No. 225. October 30, 1852. Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Negro Life In The Slave-States of America.

Vol.22, No.551. January 1, 1859. Will O’ The Wisp. A Story For Christmas. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.22, No.558. February 19, 1859. The Life Raft; A Tale Of The Sea. Malcolm J. Errym. Illustrated by Sargent and Bonner.

Vol.22, No. 562. The Divorce: A Story Of Fashionable Life. Lady Clara Cavendish. Author of “The Woman Of The World.”

Vol.22, No.570. Mary Stuart. Queen Of Scots. G. W. M. Reynolds.

Vol.22, No.576. The Incendiaries; or, The Haunted Manor. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.23, No.585. True Blue; or, Sharks Upon The Shore. A Tale Of The Sea. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.23, No.588. September 17, 1859. The Rose of the Mill. A College Man’s First Love. Marguerite Blount.

Vol.23, No. 589. September 24, 1859. The Fallen Star; A Domestic Tale. Lady Clara Cavendish.

Volume 23. No.594. October 29,1859. Country Sketches. Thomas Miller. Author of “Gideon Giles,” “Godfrey Malvern.”

Vol.23. No.596. November 12, 1859. The Tempter. Malcolm J. Errym.

Volume 23, No.602. December 24, 1859. Holly Bush Hall, A Tale For Christmas. Malcolm J. Errym. Illustrated by Frederick Gilbert. Also; Mary’s Adventures On Christmas Eve. Thomas Miller. F. Gilbert illustrator. Supplement : Holly Bush Hall; or, The Track in the Snow. Malcolm J. Errym. Christmas In The Country. Thomas Miller.

Some issues are missing here (one year?) and are taken up again with :

Vol.26, No.657. January 12, 1861. Chapter VII. Love The Leveller; or, Fenella’s Fortunes. A Story For Christmas. Malcolm J. Errym. Also; The Ruling Passion; or, Struggles And Triumphs. Edwina Burbury. Author of “Florence Sackville.”

Vol.26, No.659. Maid, Wife, And Widow. The Story Of Barbara Home. Margaret Blount.

Vol. 26,No.666. Advertisement for Edith The Captive.

Vol.26, No.669. Secret Service : A Tale Of The Sea. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.26, No.670. April 13, 1861. The Ace Of Spades. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol.26, No.676. May 25, 1861. Lamia; or, The Dark House Of Drearwater. Margaret Blount.

Vol.26, No. 678. June 8,1861. The Court Page. Lady Clara Cavendish.

Vol.26, No. 688. August 16, 1861. Advertisement for The Dark Woman.

Vol.27, No. 695. October 5, 1861. The Young Fisherman; or, The Spirits of the Lake.

Vol.27, No. 696. October 12, 1861. Set In Gold. A Tale Of The Times. Margaret Blount.

Vol.27, No. 703. November 30, 1861. Once Wooed-Twice Won. A Story Of A Woman’s Heart. Margaret Blount.

Vol.27, No. 704. December 7, 1861. The “Peep-O’-Day Boy.” A Story of the “Ninety-Eight.” Captain Bernard Burke.

Vol.28, No. 707. December 28, 1861. The Dream Of Fate. Charles H. Ross.

Vol.28, No. 708. January 4, 1862. Zoe, The Octoroon; or, Life In Louisiana. Adapted from the Play by Dion Bourcicault.



Vol.28, No. 711. January 25, 1862. In Search Of A Wife. A Tale Of The Day. Charles H. Ross.

Vol.28, No. 720. March 29, 1862.George Barrington; or, Life In London one Hundred Years Ago. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.28, No. 722. April 12, 1862. The Strollers; or, Trials Through Life. Eliza Winstanley.

Vol.29, No.735. July 12, 1862. The Shingawn; or, Ailleen, The Rose Of Kilkenny. A Mystical Romance of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century. Christopher Marlowe.

Vol.29, No.747. October 11, 1862. The Family Feud. Edwin F. Roberts.

Vol.29, No.749.October 18, 1862. Rupert The Fugitive; or, The Will Forger. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.29, No.752. November 8, 1862. Garibaldi : His Trials Through Life.

Vol.30, No.759. December 27, 1862. The Spirit Child’s Visit. A Story For Christmas. Anonymous.
Vol.30, No.760. January 8, 1863. May Dudley; or, The White Mask. Malcolm J. Errym.

Vol.30, No.767. February 21, 1863. The Orphans of Charnley. Margaret Blount.

Vol.30, No.776. May 9, 1863. Downe Reserve. Margaret Blount.

Vol. 30, No. 799, Saturday, October 3, 1863. Sea-Drift : or, The Smugglers of the Channel. Malcolm J. Errym.

“No, No, Tom - Stackpole Tom, I mean. Put Me Down. I think I can walk - I am sure I can walk- For Stackpole- Tom- I- I-”
“What, crying again ? Hoy ! cabin boy, a mop and a bucket !”
“I am a girl !”

Vol. 30, No. 800, Saturday, October 10, 1863. Advertisement.)- Given Away Gratis. The First Number Of A New Tale, Claude Duval, The Dashing Highwayman by Malcolm J. Errym with Number 801 of the Miscellany.



Vol. 30, No. 802, Saturday, October 24, 1863. Advertisement.)- Gratis ! Gratis ! Gratis ! Three Numbers Given Away. On Saturday October 24th, 1863, Will Be Published Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a New Sensational Tale of London Life. Rook The Robber. Notice Every Purchaser of No. 1, Price One Penny will Receive GRATIS Nos. 2, 3, and 4 Folded In An Illustrated Wrapper. The Work Will Be Complete In About Fifty Numbers, and Issued in Weekly Penny Numbers and Monthly Sixpenny Parts. J. Dicks.

Vol. 31, No. 809, Saturday, December 12, 1863. Old Westminster Bridge; Or, The Trail Of Sin . Henry Leslie.

Vol. 31, No. 810,December 19, 1863. A Marriage Mystery; or, The Lost Bride. Anonymous. By The Author of “Woman of the World.”

Vol. 32 No. 811, December 27, 1863. Hollow Ash Hall, A Story Of A Haunted House. Margaret Blount. Sea-Drift serial comes to an end.

January 16, 1864. Advertisement.)- Halfpenny Gazette No. 46. Ambrose Corbyn. A Tale of the Press Gang. And Rochester by J. F. Smith.

Vol. 32, No. 816. The White Gipsy; A Romance of the City and the Forest. Milton Deverell.

Vol. 32, No. 818. Advertisement.)- To purchasers of No. 819, Saturday, February 13. Gratis No. 1 of Kate Chudleigh; or, The Duchess of Kingston.

March 13, 1864. Article)- Kaspar Hauser (From The Book Of Days.)

Vol. 32 No. 829. April 30, 1864. William Shakspeare : The Youth, The Lover, and the Poet. A Romance of Three Hundred Years Ago. Vane Ireton St. John.

Vol. 32, No. 834. June 4, 1864. How The World Wags; or, The Love of a Whole Life. Henry Leslie.

Vol. 33, No. 839. July 9, 1864. The World’s Verdict. Vane Ireton St. John.

Volume 33, No. 851. 1864. The Marvel of Marwood. Wentworth Fitzwilliam.

Vol. 33, No. 858. November 19, 1864. The Lass of Richmond Hill. Vane Ireton St. John.

Vol. 34, No. 863. December 24, 1864. Our Christmas Number. Full cover illustration of a stagecoach crashing in the snow. The Golden Heart. A Domestic Story For Christmas by Malcolm J. Errym. Poem.)- Old Dog Tray by Wayward Willie. Ten panel cartoon spread over two pages titled “What Befel Jacob Greene, Esq., On Christmas Eve; or, The Perils of Carving a Goose.”

Vol. 34, No. 867. January 21, 1865. The Chamber of Death; or, The Fatal Love. Anonymous. The Golden Heart serial ends.

Vol. 34, No. 868. January 28, 1865. Myra; or, The Fate of a Family. Wentworth Fitzwilliam.

Volume 34. No. 876. March 25, 1865. Advertisement.)- New Tale of the Sea. We have much pleasure to announce that we shall commence, in the next NUMBER, the publication of a new tale entitled, THE BUCCANEERS; or, The Hidden Treasure. We believe that the scenes of stirring interest, the rapid succession of incidents, the bold outline of the plot, and the daring originality of the adventures which belong to this Tale, will render it one of the most attractive that have ever appeared in the Miscellany.

Volume 34. No. 876. March 25, 1865. Advertisement.)- Gratis ! Gratis ! Gratis ! Now Publishing, And To Be Continued Weekly in Halfpenny Numbers. The Startling Story of Edith The Captive; or, The Robbers of Epping Forest. Notice: No. 2 will be given away with No. 1. Two numbers in wrappers for one halfpenny.

Volume 34. No. 877. April 1, 1865. The Buccaneers; or, The Hidden Treasure. Anonymous.
Chapter one is titled; “Come Back From The Grave.”

“His name was Owen Redgrave. He wore a ragged coat, he had not a shilling in the wide world wherewith to bless himself, and yet he was one of the happiest men in the world. He stood beneath the leafy porch of his mother’s house, one calm summer night, and traced with tear-dimmed eyes the winding road in the valley before him, along which, scarce six hours ago, he had wearily dragged his blistered feet, faint-hearted and despairing- a homeless outcast.”
“He had led a wild life at home and abroad. He had been reckless, profligate, criminal. But that was all over now. He was going to begin life afresh.”

Vol. 34, No. 885. May 27, 1865.The Poisoned Necklace. By the author of “Love’s Frailties,” “Ruth Gray,” etc., etc.

Vol. 34, No. 890. July 1, 1865. The Robin Redbreasts. By the author of “Marvel of Marwood. End of serial, “The Buccaneers.”

Vol. 35. October 14, 1865. The King’s Highway. A Romance Of The Road 100 Years Ago. Anonymous. By The Author of “The Buccaneers.” ( Tale concerns Highwayman Paul Clifford. )

Volume 35, No. 908. Rip Van Winkle. Anonymous.

Vol. 35, No. 912. L’Africaine; or, A Slave’s Devotion. By The Author of “The Poisoned Necklace.” ( A Romance of Vasco de Gama, featuring pirates and Indian princesses.)

Vol. 36, No. 915. December 23, 1865. Holly Dale Hollow : A Christmas Story of Country Life. Anonymous.

Vol. 36, No. 919. January 20, 1866. Purer Than Gold. Vane Ireton St. John. Author of “The Lass of Richmond Hill.”

Vol. 36, No. 924. February 24, 1866. End of serial “The Kings Highway.”

Vol. 36, No. 925. March 3, 1866. Born Bad ; or, The Countess and the Convict. By the author of “A Runaway Match,” “Rip Van Winkle,” etc.

Vol. 36, No. 926. March 10, 1866. The Maid of the Inn. Margaret Blount.

Vol. 36, No. 927. March 17, 1866. Advertisement.)- Edith Heron. Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 Published This Day.

Vol. 36, No. 928. March 24, 1866. Halfpenny Weekly. Number 2 Given Away With Number 1. The Dark Woman; or, The Life And Adventures of Sixteen-string Jack.

Vol. 36, No. 931. April 14, 1866. The Dove and the Eagle. Henry Leslie. (This story is already dramatized and licensed.)

Vol. 37, No. 941. June 23, 1866. A White face and a Black Mask. Anonymous. By the author of “The Buccaneers,” The Kings Highway.”

Vol. 37, No. 957. October 18, 1866. The Factory Strike. Anonymous. By the author of “The Poisoned Necklace.”

Vol. 37, No. 958. October 20, 1866. The Phantom Inn. A Tale of the Black Country. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 37, No. 962. November 17, 1866. A London Mystery. Anonymous. By the author of “The Kings Highway.”

Vol. 38, No. 967. December 22, 1866. The Haunted Dell, A Story For Christmas. By the author of “The Poisoned Necklace.”

Vol. 38, No. 970. January 12, 1867. Mariola; or, A Master For Life. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 38, No. 972. January 26, 1867. The Queen of the Caravan; or, Before and Behind The Curtain. By the author of “The Mountebank.” ( Frederick Gilbert illustration is entitled; “The Dying Clown Confronted by his Enemy.)

Vol. 38, No. 981. March 30, 1867. Conclusion of serial “A London Mystery.”

Vol. 38, No. 982. April 6, 1867. Strange, If True - Stranger, If False. By the author of “The Queen of the Caravan.” Also in a secondary serial in Vol. 38, No. 982. April 6, 1867; The King’s Terror. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 38, No. 988. May 18, 1867. The Clock-Chamber. Anonymous. By the author of “A London Mystery,” “The Wedding Peal.”

Vol. 39, No. 993, 1867. The Red Doctor. Leopold Wray. Secondary serial ; The Golden Pilot; or, The Murder in Pendril Hollow.

Vol. 39, No. 1007, September 8,1867. The White Secret. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 39, No. 1013, 1867. Born To Be Drowned. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 40, No.1019. December 21, 1867. Bromsgrove-Manor House. A Story For Christmas. By the author of “The Haunted Dell,” “The Poisoned Necklace.”

Vol.40, No. 1020. The Veiled Heart. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 40, No.1021. January 4, 1868. The Fly In The Golden Web. By the author of “Robin Redbreast.”

Vol.40, No.1026. Guidella; or, The Daughter Of Evil. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol.40, No.1027. The Colonel’s Daughter. A Tale of the Times. Anonymous.

Vol.40, No.1031. April 4, 1868. Black Daryl. Bernard Francis Sheil.

Vol.40, No.1032. Ruined Forever; or, The World Against The Favourite. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol. 40, No.1041. The Queen’s Diamonds. A Story Of Old Whitehall. Hamlyn Smith.

Vol.40, No.1042. May 30, 1868. The Half-Sisters; or, The Unfinished Sentence. Anonymous.

Sons of Britannia

The Sons of Britannia is incomplete in both Jay’s list in Peeps into the Past and in the Ono collection on microfilm. By comparing the two I have been able to add quite a few tales and information to Jay’s list. Included are some informative announcements and letters from authors taken from the correspondents page.

George Emmett’s Sons of Britannia was the most jingoistic boys paper to appear until Harmsworth’s imperialistic Union Jack (1894-1933.) He was an ex-cavalry officer who pulled no punches in his reviews of amateur periodicals submitted by his boy readers for comment. You almost suspect him of being paid by the government as a recruiting officer !

The Young Englishman’s Journal No. 1 April 13, 1867 to March 9, 1870 was incorporated with No. 1 of “The Sons of Britannia,” on March 14, 1870. The last few numbers were published for the proprietor, William Emmett Laurence, by his brother, under the name of “George Brent.”

Sons of Britannia Volume I , Edited By William Emmet Laurence, Office : Hogarth House, St. Bride’s Avenue, E. C. The Volume cover is an Illustration by POP (Proctor) and RAC for the serial ‘Catch Me Who Can.’ Volume II has a cover Illustration by Robert Prowse, a Scene From “Ben Braveall.”

Vol. I No. 1
“Rapier Jack; the Bull-Fighters of Madrid.” By Charles Stevens, illustrated by Harry Maguire. March 11, 1870. “The Idol’s Eye. Being the Adventures of Andrew Battel, Peter Carder, Sampson Von Burr, and “The Snake” in Search of a Big Diamond,“ by W. Stephens Hayward, author of “The Mutiny of the Thunder,” “The Golden Reef,” &c. (Maguire) pg.9. “Chronicles of the Cronies Club.” Pg. 11.

No. 9. “Union Jack, the British Boy sailor; or, Life on Board a Man o’ War,” by Captain Harry.

No. 13. “Spartacus; or, The Revolt of the Gladiators, A Tale of Ancient Rome.” “Book The First, B.C. 74 - The Slaves of the Arena.” by C. Stevens Author of “Caradoc the Briton,” and “The Master of the Lions.” June 6, 1870.

No. 18. “Death or Glory.” by George Emmett Author of “Captain Jack; or, One of the Light Brigade,” “Shaw the Lifeguardsman,” “The King’s Hussars,” “For Valour,” “Boy’s of Bircham School” &c. (Maguire) July 11, 1870.

No. 22. “Tom Wildrake.” Part 2; “King Robert, the Bruce; or, Scotland’s Fight for Freedom,” by the author of “Dick and Dick’s Brothers.”

August 8, 1870. “SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT. Sons of Britannia. Henceforth your favourite journal will be conducted by GEORGE EMMETT, the well known author of the most successful military and school stories yet written ; and your companion journal, “The Young Briton,” by your old favourite CHARLES STEVENS, the renowned and popular author of “Caradoc the Briton,” “Spartacus,” &c., &c. The celebrated HARRY MAGUIRE has undertaken the management of the Illustrations, and assisted by the best engravers, the artistic department will be second to none.” GEORGE EMMETT promised Military Stories, School Stories , Historical Romances by Charles Stevens, Naval Stories, by author of “Midshipman Tom,” Stories of Travel and Adventure by author of “Willie Gray; or, the Wreck of the Polar Star,” Domestic Tales by author of “Spangles and Gold,” Romances of the Days of Chivalry, by author of “Last Lord of Lorne,” and Stories of Ireland by the Great Irish Novelist, Dennis O’Connor.

August 8, 1870. The Young Briton announces “Harry the Fifth; or, the Conquest of France,” by Charles Stevens. Serials running at the time were “Spangles and Gold,” “Midshipman Tom,” “Giant of Nottingham,” and “Pirate’s Isle.” There were also “Notes of the War.- (Vessels past and present,) Our Sphinx, Correspondence, &c., &c.

August 8, 1870. Next Week’s Sons of Britannia promises THE GRAND WAR TALE ! “Trumpeter Tom, The War Dragoon” Two Numbers in Wrapper - One Penny. Splendid War Pictures with this Dashing Story.

August 29, 1870. In a Black Border : “It is with deep and sincere regret we announce the death of Mr. W. Stephens Hayward, the author of those popular stories “The Eagle and the Vulture,” “The Mutiny of the Thunder,” “Idol’s Eye,” &c., &c., &c. Of him may truly be said, “He died in harness ;” for through a long and painful illness he laboured to amuse our young friends, bearing the pangs of suffering with unflinching fortitude, and only laid aside the pen when his hand was no longer able to grasp it. At a comparatively early age he has passed from among us, and obeying the signal of the grim destroyer Death, has wandered away into the fathomless future, leaving behind him a circle of friends who know but too well the loss they have sustained.”

August 29, 1870. “HARK-A-WAY JACK ; The King of the Foxhunters,” in the Young Briton.

No. 26, “Whip the Wind,” by Silvershot (George Emmett) author of “My Adventures Among the Prairie Indians,“ “Red Hugh, the Backwoodsman,“ &c. Sept. 5, 1870.

Sept. 5, 1870. Now Ready ! Price One Penny. The Illustrated WAR BUDGET. The Largest and Best ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF THE WAR Containing all the Authentic LATEST NEWS, and the Opening Chapters of a Glorious Military Story entitled TRUMPETER TOM. Order At Once THE ILLUSTRATED WAR BUDGET Full of magnificent Cuts BY OUR SPECIAL ARTIST. Price One Penny.

Sept. 19, 1870. King Robert the Bruce.- we regret to announce that up to the time of going to press we had received no copy from the Author. Announcement “Rupert the Ready’ in the Young Briton. Special Notice. ‘Since our sad announcement of the death of our reader’s favourite author, W. Stephens Hayward, thousands of letters have reached us from our subscribers full of sorrow at the mournful tidings we had to convey and expressing the wish that they might possess as a memento of their esteemed writer, a complete edition of the works. With this wish we comply. OUR READER’S OWN EDITION of Mr. Hayward’s works will be published in a separate form. The first of the series will be the popular tale THE MUTINY OF THE THUNDER . The original story with the original illustrations , in weekly numbers, One Penny. Presented gratis with this work, MR. W. STEPHENS HAYWARD’S PORTRAIT AND AUTOGRAPH Second gift, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE LAMENTED AUTHOR.’

Vol. II No. 33 “The Fatal Cord : A Tale of Backwoods Retribution.” (Written expressly for the “Boys of England”) by Captain Mayne Reid. Chapter XVIII.

No. 35. “Brian Boru, The Hero King of Ireland” by Dennis O’Connor.

Nov. 19, 1870. In preparation. “The Days of Chivalry” by author of “Rupert the Ready.” Every Son of Bonny Scotland will read with interest this new story, “Silverdirk.”

No. 38. “All’s Well,” by author of “Sheet Anchor Jack.”

December 8, 1870. OUR LETTER-BOX. 13 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 15 November 1870. “My dear Friend and Comrade, When, at the opening of this unhappy war, you wrote reminding me of our old friendship and the hairbreadth escapes we had together in the Crimea, asking me if I would write a military romance of the present struggle, I wrote to you, if you remember, excusing myself, for I fancied that the struggle would be a very brief one, and distinguished by little that would be worth narrating. I was wrong, however, and now, shut up in Paris with little to do except daily routine duties, and little to amuse myself with, except the mastication of donkey-steaks and the smoking of vile cigars, I fancy that it would be a real pleasure to write about the stirring scenes in which during the last five months I have taken part.
When I tell you that with the exception of Würth I have taken part in every battle of the campaign, have served in three different regiments, namely the Cent Gardes, the 26th Hussars, , and lastly and mainly, in the Cuirassiers of the Imperial Guard, with whom I charged at Weisenberg, at Gravelotte, and thrice at Sedan, in which latter battle I had the honour of saving the Emperor’s life whilst he was fighting on foot at the head of his troops, you will own that I have some real facts worth writing about. I have been shut up with Bezaine in Metz, too, and the horrors we endured in that infernal town are almost indescribable. I fear that in narrating some of them I shall scarcely be believed. When the whole army surrendered to the Germans, my regiment was, I believe, to have been marched to Frankfort, but before we had got half way through Alsace, we made a most brilliant attack on our guard, and cut our way to freedom. A fortnight later 700 of us reached Paris, wherein we are shut up….
To conclude, I have since my first skirmish had five horses shot under me, and received nine wounds mostly flesh ones.
I send you this letter by balloon post, and my first batch of MSS in the same way. Remembering how you used to compliment me on my acquaintance with English, I have endeavoured to write it in your language to save you the trouble of translating : if there are any inaccuracies of idiom pray set them right….
I am, my dear friend, still your comrade in heart. LEON LORRAIN.

No. 39. “Harlequin Hal; or, The Tricks and Traps of Theatrical Life.” By An Old Actor.

No. 43. “The Cuirassiers of the Guard,” by One of Themselves.

No. 48. Feb. 4, 1871, “Tom Wildrake,” Part 3.

53. “Longshore Luke; or, The Riverside Mystery,” by E. Harcourt Burrage.

58. “Through a Thousand Perils,” by J. J. G. Bradley, “Dick Darrington: A Tale of the Great Riots”.

63. “Red Snake, The Last of the Prairie Kings,” by the author of “For Honour,” “Lionel Westmore” &c.

67. “Tom Wildrake,” Part 4.

70. “The Factory Lad; or, Step by Step to Wealth and Fame.”

76. “The Roman Standard Bearer : A Tale of Britain‘s First Invasion” by Charles Stevens.

90. “Three Brave Boys”.

91. “An Ocean of Ice: a Story of the Polar Regions” by the author of “For Honour” “Harry Power,” &c.

97. “The Boy Gladiator,” by G. Ricken Alcot, U.S.A.

100. Feb. 5, 1872, “The Cloud King; or, Up in the Air and Down in the Sea,” by W. Stephens Hayward. (Maguire)

105. “Dashing Charlie the Texan Whirlwind,” by Ned Bunting.

114. “Hurricane Dick; or, The Child of the Storm”.

121. “Mazeppa; or, The Demon Horse of the Ukraine” Probably by Borlase (J. G. G. Bradley)

128. “Racketty Ralph the Hero of Scampdown College”

133. “Captain Tom Drake; or, England’s Hearts of Oak,” by W. L. Emmett author of “Shipwrecked Willie.”

148. “The Young Jockey ; or, A Ride For Life” by Vane St. John author of “The Haunted School,” “The Rightful Heir,” &c.

149. “Mountain Tom,” by Ned Bunting, and “Tom Wildrake” ends, Chapter 203. Jan. 8, 1873

156. “The Hundred Guardsmen: a Romance of the Second Empire,” by Captain Leon Lorraine, author of “The Cuirassiers of the Guard.”

March 19, 1873. OUR LETTER-BOX. John G. Sheen, Toronto, writes : “Having been for some years now a subscriber to all three of your valuable publications, which I think are extensively read here (in proportion to the population) as in the old country, I feel no hesitation in asking a favour of you, which is, that you oblige your Canadian readers, by giving them a genuine Canadian story. No doubt some one of your clever writers could find plenty of scope for his talents in giving us a tale of the many perilous adventures encountered and overcome by the pioneers of this land, who, loyal to their King and country, left their comfortable homes, and have by their perseverance and industry converted the unbroken forests of Canada into a smiling and fertile land, and have built up a Dominion that now extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I feel assured that your ‘British Boys’ will join their ‘Canadian Cousins,’ and as they have enjoyed your tales of life in Australia, South America, Central Africa, the South Sea Islands, and in fact every other part of the world (by the bye, your Australian stories are very great favourites here), they will enjoy, as well as we shall, a tale of Canadian life in the wild woods, in the days of the first settlers. In conclusion, I will only say how superior I consider all your publications to the trash contained in the innumerable Yankee periodicals that flood the bookseller’s stores in Toronto and other cities and towns of our Dominion. I trust you will insert this letter in the Sons of Britannia, and hope some of your Old Country boys will second it.

[We are exceedingly pleased to hear from our Canadian cousin, and at the earliest possible opportunity will comply with his request. As he speaks so highly of our stories of South America, we will call his attention to a story of Texan life, Now appearing in our companion journal, The Rover’s Log, entitled “The Goblin Scout,” by Percy B. St. John Esq., author of “The Arctic Crusoe” &c. In a letter to Mr. George Emmett he writes, “I would like to write you a story in connection with Texas as an independent republic. My naval experiences were rough and comic, with plenty of adventure. I was at the battle of Jacinto and the taking of Tobasco. I was twice a prisoner in the hands of the Mexicans. I was starved, went in rags, was obliged to do common seaman’s service on board a pilot’s boat,” &c., &c. &c. The “Goblin Scout” commenced in No. 53 of the Rover’s Log. Any of your friends in England can secure the numbers for you. Ed. S. O. B.

161. “Happy Go Lucky” by Alfred Sherrington, Esq.

165. “The King of the Iron Mace: or, The Ghost Riders of the Rhine”

170. “The Red Regiment,” by Percy B. St. John

176. “The Rascal Jack, A Tale of Thrashemwell College” by J. J. G. Bradley, illustrated by Phiz

182. “Tom, the Link Boy of Old London,” by Vane St. John author of “Jack-O’-the Mint.”

189. “The Desolate Raft,” by Percy B. St. John

194. “Giant Jack: the Hero of Red Mountain,” by E. H. Burrage.

No. 208. “Bound ‘Prentice To a Waterman. A Tale of the City and the River.” by Percy B. St. John. Illustrated by Phiz.

211. “The Cruise of the Volta; or, The Lost Heir of Altham,” by the author of “Mid of the Flora Bell,” etc.

216. “The Young Bushranger. A Story of the Australian Wilds.” By Vane St. John. Author of Claude the Outcast” “Tim Ne’er-Do Well” &c.

220. May 23, 1879, “Fatherless Bob; or, The True Story of a Poor Boy’s Life on Land and Sea,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

228. “Old Winchester; or, the Schooldays of Dashing Dick Tichborne,” by A Foundation Scholar

234. “Vagabond Dick,” by E. H. Burrage, author of “Spangles and Gold.”

241. “Alpine Jack ; or, The Mountain Guide” by the author of “William Tell,” &c.

245. “Lone Wolf, the Apache Chief,” by Lieut. E. R. Jayne, “Hal the Arab; or, the Earl and the Outlaw,” by E. H. Burrage.

Dec. 19, 1874. (No. illegible) “Hal the Arab; or, The Earl and the Outlaw.” by author of “Young Tom’s Schooldays.”

No. 256. “The Boy Mutineer. A Romance of the Whale Hunters” by Roger Starbuck, Esq.

No. 258. “Telegraph Tom ; The Mystery of a Lightning Flash” by author of “Benjamin Badluck,” “Tim Ne’er-Do Well” &c. (Vane St. John.) The illiterate boy’s dialogue in this tale is the closest I have seen to the dialogue style in the “Wild Boy’s of London.” Add Vane St. John, along with Bracebridge Hemyng to list of author suspects.

May 15, 1875. No. illegible. “Will Wilding ; or, The Hero of the School” by Bracebridge Hemyng, Esq. (Jack Harkaway.)

July 10, 1875. No. illegible. “The Wehr Wolf ; or, The Boy Avenger” by author of “Young Tom Truant,” “Joe the Call-Boy,” &c.

290. “The Land of the Crimson Snow: or, The Voyage of the Lucky Friday”

No. 296. “Harry Goldspur, The Knight of the Magic Ring.”

305 “Jolly Jack Johnson”

309. “Frost, Lightning and Frolic: or, A Newfoundland Boy’s Schooldays,” Written expressly for the Sons of Britannia.

313. “Rattling Tom of Cork,” by Vane St. John;

316. “Mischievous Mat; or, Mirth and Mystery,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

319. April 8, 1876, “Catch me who can; or, the Magic Horseshoe” by Walter Villiers, illustrated by P.O.P. (R. Proctor)

325. “Mat Mesures; or, The Terrible Will,” by Bertie Harcourt, illustrated by P. O. P.

334. July 22, 1876, “Lion Jack,” by P. T. Barnum, the great American Showman, illustrated by Bergham

345. “Ben Braveall,” by A. Sherrington

342. “Young Ironsides; or, The Pirates of the Treasure Ship”

353. “Frank’s Freaks at the Finishing School,” by the author of “Master John Bull at the French Academy”

359. “Larry O’Keefe,” by Bracebridge Hemyng

365. “Jack in the Jungle; a Tale of Land and Sea. Sequel to Lion Jack,” by P. T. Barnum

377. “Three Dashing Boys; or, The Cruise of the Island Queen”

380. June 9, 1877, “The Shadow Ship; or, The Prince of Pearl Island,” by Henry Emmett, author of “Union Jack,” “Mid of Flora Bell,” etc.

386. “A Troublesome Boy; or, His Way thro’ the World”

389. “Plucky Charlie, the Bluecoat Boy”

392. “The Haunted Island; or, The Adventures of Young Tom Trim and Uncle Sam”

The Sons of Brittania’s last number was No. 394 on September 15, 1877.

“Look out next week for No. 1 of ‘The Champion Journal.’ In addition to tales, ‘Dick Dare the Bareback Rider,’ ‘The Wondership; or, The Mysteries of the Sea,’ ‘Poor Jack, the Street Boy of London,’ ‘Happy Hal; or, True to the Core,’ ‘Marvels of Earth, Sea and Air,’ etc., etc., will be presented an illustrated supplement. All the stories now appearing in ‘The Sons of Britannia’ will be continued, so that the boys will have a splendid new journal and ‘The Sons of Britannia’ for one penny.”

Percy B. St. John Westerns

“Mr. St. John has visited Texas, roamed through the woods, and in reality witnessed the scenes he delineates in so powerful a manner. Knowing that he has sailed upon salt water - worn a cocked hat upon the deck of a man of war; that he has handled the rifle, the paddle and the musket, and for aught we know danced the bear, the scalp, or the buffalo dance -”

Every Week, a Journal of Entertaining Literature, London : John Dicks. Every Week ran to fifty-four volumes from July 7, 1869- February 28, 1896, when it merged with bow Bells Novelettes. Emmerson Brand, editor. The Trappers of Blue Ridge Every Week Vol. XXIV No. 600 1881. By the Camp Fire Every Week Vol. XXI. No. 535, 1878 (reprints from The Trapper’s Bride).

Percy Bolingbroke St. John. 1821-1889. (1819 is birth date according to Allibone.) Percy was a son of James Augustus St. John, and a brother of Bayle and Horace. His earliest work seems to have been “Young Naturalists Book of Birds” in 1844. After “The Trapper’s Bride” came out in 1845 he was reviewed in Hood’s Magazine and Comic Miscellany. This was edited by Thomas Hood, author of “Song Of A Shirt,” his son and namesake would become editor of Fun. Hood was dead by the time Percy began writing tales for the magazine in 1846. His first works for Hood’s were short stories, “Caleb Von Dustenberg,” “The Inheritance,” “The Two Travellers” and “The Usurer.” Then he began a short western serial, “White Cloud,” taking place amongst the Seminoles in Florida.



He contributed to the Mirror ( The Misers Will,) Lloyd’s Weekly (The Raven of the Reynards ,) Cassell’s Illustrated Family Paper, The London Journal, The London Reader (Violetta,) and edited The London Herald. His most famous penny dreadful was The Blue Dwarf , A Tale of Love, Mystery and Crime; Introducing Many Startling Incidents In The Life of That Celebrated Highwayman, Dick Turpin, Hogarth House, Illustrated by Robert Prowse.

The first mention of Percy in Hood’s is a review of “The Trapper’s Bride” in 1845 :

The Trapper’s Bride: A Tale of the Rocky Mountains. With The Rose of Ouisconsin (Wisconsin.) Indian Tales By Percy B. St. John. London: John Mortimer, Adelaide Street. 1845.

‘It is a bold undertaking in Mr. St. John to take up a subject which Cooper seems to have exhausted; and it is no slight merit to have produced a tale which, even after the vivid and graphic scenes of the American novelist, is interesting and exciting. The present little book consists of two slight tales, which lead the reader to desire that the author would write more on the same subject, and this is as high praise as he can desire. In order to do justice to him, we present our readers with the following extracts, as specimens of his style and matter. We should premise that the author states in his preface, that “a residence in the wilds of America, in the backwoods of Texas, and much study, have rendered him familiar with the scenes and habits which he has endeavored to illustrate.”’



There follow numerous quotes on ‘Native aristocracy of Oregon,’ ‘Substitute for a lucifer match’ and ‘the Ojibeway (sic) Indians,’ taken from the two fictional tales. In his Preface St. John says “a residence in the wilds of America, in the backwoods of Texas, and much study, have rendered him familiar with the scenes and habits which he has endeavoured to illustrate.”

Hood’s next reviewed The Enchanted Rock under the heading Indian Tales by Percy B. St. John.
The Eagle’s Nest; or, the Lone Star of the West By the Editor (St. John). Mirror of Literature, Amusement and Instruction Vol.2 No. 1 July-August 1846.

The Enchanted Rock London : Hayward and Adam. 1846.
The Trapper’s Bride, Second Edition. London : Hayward and Adam. 1846.
The Miser’s Will; or, Love and Avarice. English Tale by the Editor. January, 6, 1847 The Mirror of Literature No. 6

‘Apart from their merit as stories, Mr. Percy St. John’s productions have the great advantage of being records derived from personal observation. this makes them valuable. We learn from a contemporary, “Mr. St. John has visited Texas, roamed through the woods, and in reality witnessed the scenes he delineates in so powerful a manner. Knowing that he has sailed upon salt water - worn a cocked hat upon the deck of a man of war; that he has handled the rifle, the paddle and the musket, and for aught we know danced the bear, the scalp, or the buffalo dance - his narratives acquire a zest and interest which would not otherwise belong to them.”
Utility is thus added to the mere amusement of the tales, and this quality must always make them suitable books for the young.’

Three pages are devoted to quotes from the “Rose of Ouisconsin” and the review ends with the following ;

‘“The Enchanted Rock,” just published, has been received with enthusiasm by the press.
We are told that “this Comanche legend is written in a style so simple and yet so fresh, truthful and picturesque, that it carries the reader along with an irresistible charm.” The story of the enchanted Rock is founded upon a somewhat simple plot - possessed, however, of a certain dash of mystery in its composition, quite sufficient to enlist the interest of the reader at the outset, and maintain it uninterrupted to the end.’



Now the editor, impressed by Percy’s western tales, began publishing his short stories in 1846 and The White Cloud a Tale of Florida was serialised in Hood‘s.

Percy would seem to have been in the West about the same period Mayne Reid traveled west from St. Louis either with Audubon to Fort Union or with Sir William Drummond Stewart to Wyoming in 1843 or 1844. Percy beat him to the punch as an “authentic” writer of Western fiction, Reid’s first western was “War Life” privately printed in 1849 in New York. The book was later polished up and republished as the “Rifle Rangers.” (1850.) Percy would seem to have been in Texas, Florida, and St. Louis and may have been at Bent’s Fort in Colorado. The “dude” Englishman or German on a hunting jaunt was a common site in the camps of the mountain men and fur trappers in the 1840’s. By 1846 the war against the Seminoles was over and the war against Mexico was about to begin. Bracebridge Hemyng was another late travelling “dude,” and in Boy’s Library Series; or, Frank Leslie’s Popular American Tales For Boys (1876-1877,) contributed in #23, Jack Harkaway Out West Among the Indians, and #25 Red Dog, Blue Horse, and Ghost-that-Lies-in-the-Woods.

The Pet Heiress; or, the Gipsy’s Secret by author of “Quadroona” Blythe Hall” &c. London Journal, June,1864.
By the Camp Fire Every Week Vol. XXI. No. 535, 1878.

A list of St. John’ books from Allibone follows;

St. John, Percy B., a son of James Augustus St. John, and a brother of Bayle and Horace, (q. v.,) b. 1819, has been a large contributor of Tales to Cassell’s Illustrated Family Paper, (The London Journal, &c.,) and pub. the following works :

1. Young Naturalist’s Book Of Birds, new ed. London, 1844, 18 mo.
2. King’s Musketeer.
3. Paul Peabody, last ed.,1865, fp. 8 vo.
4. Trappers Bride &c, 12 mo. 1845, ’55.
5. Keetsea; or, The Enchanted Rock, 12 mo., 1846, ‘55.
6. White Stone Canoe, 1846, 12 mo.
7. Fireside, 1847, sq. 16 mo.
8. Three Days of the French Revolution, 12 mo., 2 edits. in 1848.
9. Arctic Crusoe, Lon. p. 8 vo, 1854, ‘56. Bost. 1859, 12 mo.
10. Our Holiday, A Week in Paris, 12 mo. 1854, ‘55.
11. Book Of The War. 12 mo., 3rd ed. 1855.
12. Lobster Salad Mixed, 1855, 12 mo.
13. Amy Moss, fp. 8vo., 2 edits. in 1860, ‘61, ‘63.
14. Mary Rock, 1860, fp. 8vo.
15. Countess Miranda, 1861., fp., 8vo.
16. Alice Lisle, 1861, fp, 8vo.
17. Quadroona; or, The Slave Mother, 1861, fp., 8 vo.
18. Indian Maiden, 1863, fp. 8vo.
19. Red Queen, 1863, fp., 8vo.
20. Creole Bride, 1864, fp. 8vo.
21. Sailor Crusoe, 1864, fp., 8vo.
22. Backwood Rangers, 1865, fp., 8 vo.
23. Snow Ship, 1865, fp. 8vo.
24. Coral Reef, 1866, fp. 8vo.
Beadle’s were by St. John Beadle’s ;
1. The Big Hunter : or, The Queen of the Woods. A Romance of the Days of Boone by the author of "The silent hunter"
2. Blackhawk, the bandit : or, The Indian scout.
3. Keetsea, queen of the plains : or, The enchanted rock New York : Beadle, [1871].
4. Queen of the woods : or, The Shawnee captives. A romance of the Ohio New York : Beadle, [1869] c1868.
5. The white canoe : or, The spirit of the lake / by the author of the "Silent hunter."
6. The silent hunter : or, The Scowl Hall mystery / by Percy B. St. John.
New York : Beadle & Adams, 1878.

Sons of Britannia story paper. March 19, 1873. >

OUR LETTER-BOX. John G. Sheen, Toronto, writes : “Having been for some years now a subscriber to all three of your valuable publications, which I think are extensively read here (in proportion to the population) as in the old country, I feel no hesitation in asking a favour of you, which is, that you oblige your Canadian readers, by giving them a genuine Canadian story. No doubt some one of your clever writers could find plenty of scope for his talents in giving us a tale of the many perilous adventures encountered and overcome by the pioneers of this land, who, loyal to their King and country, left their comfortable homes, and have by their perseverance and industry converted the unbroken forests of Canada into a smiling and fertile land, and have built up a Dominion that now extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I feel assured that your ‘British Boys’ will join their ‘Canadian Cousins,’ and as they have enjoyed your tales of life in Australia, South America, Central Africa, the South Sea Islands, and in fact every other part of the world (by the bye, your Australian stories are very great favourites here), they will enjoy, as well as we shall, a tale of Canadian life in the wild woods, in the days of the first settlers. In conclusion, I will only say how superior I consider all your publications to the trash contained in the innumerable Yankee periodicals that flood the bookseller’s stores in Toronto and other cities and towns of our Dominion. I trust you will insert this letter in the Sons of Britannia, and hope some of your Old Country boys will second it."

[We are exceedingly pleased to hear from our Canadian cousin, and at the earliest possible opportunity will comply with his request. As he speaks so highly of our stories of South America, we will call his attention to a story of Texan life, Now appearing in our companion journal, The Rover’s Log, entitled “The Goblin Scout,” by Percy B. St. John Esq., author of “The Arctic Crusoe” &c. In a letter to Mr. George Emmett he writes, “I would like to write you a story in connection with Texas as an independent republic. My naval experiences were rough and comic, with plenty of adventure. I was at the battle of Jacinto and the taking of Tobasco. I was twice a prisoner in the hands of the Mexicans. I was starved, went in rags, was obliged to do common seaman’s service on board a pilot’s boat,” &c., &c. &c. The “Goblin Scout” commenced in No. 53 of the Rover’s Log. Any of your friends in England can secure the numbers for you. Ed. S. O. B.