On The Queen's Service, A Tale of Many Lands –

 By J.J.G. Bradley

“Now,” said the Foreign Secretary, “I have one more instruction to give you, and it is this: you will travel armed to the teeth, and defend your despatches with your life, for their loss may lose England the Crimean War. Travel night and day, sleep, even in your diligence, with one eye open, for perils will beset you every inch of your way – perils the magnitude of which you cannot guess…”

There have been very few reprints of 19c penny bloods and dreadfuls, so it is a pleasure to have James Skipp Borlase’s (using the pseudonym “J.J.G. Bradley”) 1878 serial On the Queen’s Service, a Tale of Many Lands brought back to light in an affordable edition by Steve Holland through his imprint Bear Alley Books. It is a handsomely printed paperback, printed on very nice cream paper, with all of the original woodcut illustrations by Warwick Reynolds, who, in addition to his Boy’s Standard illustrations, contributed strips and cartoons to Judy; or, The London Serio-Comic Journal, Funny Folks, and C.H. Ross’s Variety Paper.

In the introduction Steve Holland describes Borlase story as written “clearly and straightforwardly,” true, and an ominous overlay of supernatural doom, mystery, and unreality hangs over Harry Dunbar’s hellish journey to the thick of the fighting in the Crimean Peninsula. The tone is unsettling, to this reader at any rate. 

One strange example is a fixation on the number 3. On his journey Dunbar picks up a traveling companion named Louis Foucarte. Their footsteps are dogged by Russian spies in groups of three, armed with double-barreled guns, and affecting a variety of nationalities; German, French, and Greek, fresh faces every time. Foucarte saves Dunbar from the Germans by bawling out “Potorogna! Brichka! Potorogna!” while holding forth a small square piece of wood painted with a double-headed eagle and bearing the words he had just uttered.

In addition, Foucarte has two doppelgängers, adding up to a trio: Frenchman Louis Foucarte, Kakalogg, a Russian noble, head of all the Russian spies in Europe, and Eugene Polacki, a Polish Count. Many years ago, when the serial was being discussed on the Yahoo Bloods and Dime Novels group one member compared it to Polish Count Jan Potocki’s massive, weird occult book The Manuscript Found in Saragossa (c. 1814). They are not that alike, but I can believe that Borlase quite possibly read the novel and adapted the tone, the idea of a strange and picaresque journey, and much more from that novel.

“A piercing scream, and a woman rushed out of the door, almost naked, with a bleeding shoulder, and in her arms a headless babe.

The passing ball had decapitated it.”

On the Queen’s Service is certainly the most curious penny dreadful Borlase ever penned. It was what collectors of penny dreadfuls described as “fierce bloods,” those serials containing the most blood, gore, flogging and nudity. Borlase was most obliging to those fans, supplying startling and horrible scenes in all his penny romances, and I think only the author of Jack Harkaway (Bracebridge Hemyng) ever surpassed him – in Jack Harkaway Out West Among the Indians.

I would highly recommend On the Queen’s Service, a Tale of Many Lands. As far as penny dreadfuls go it was the perfect choice for a reprint, a classic example of the genre, authored by one of the best of the penny parts novelists of the 1870s. All the Boy’s Standard/Hogarth House titles by J.J.G. Bradley are well worth the reading. It leaves me wanting more of the same, particularly when they are presented as attractively as this title, with the care and attention that they deserve. The book was sent by LULU well packaged, with square corners, no dents, fresh off the press. I think it says a lot that several people, no doubt attracted by the cover, who asked me what I was reading, have expressed interest in borrowing the volume. Next!

Details and Ordering Information can be found HERE.

 

Available in paperback, Kindle, and, in the UK and USA in hardcover.

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A Tale of Two Roberts

A TALE OF TWO ROBERTS

By Steve Holland

Robert Prowse (1826-1886 ) and Robert Prowse Junr. (1858- )

Born in Liverpool in 1826, the son of Richard (a lapidary) and his wife Elizabeth, Robert Prowse was a prolific artist for penny dreadfuls, rated amongst the best of the woodcut artists working in the field. His illustrations accompanied some of the most famous of the ‘dreadfuls’, including many of Edward Harrison's publications (The Blue Dwarf, Black Bess, Blueskin, etc.), Charley Wag, Fanny White and many of the novels from the Emmett family.

His earliest known artwork appeared in The Weekly Magazine (1860) and his illustrations accompanied a number of long-running serials in the London Herald including Percy B. St. John's ‘The Sailor Crusoe’ (Nov 1861-Jun 1862) and ‘Lealliwah, or the Valley of Cedars’ (from May 1862), engraved by Walter Gorway. Around the same time he was also illustrating ‘Ethel Grey, or Alone in the World’ by W. Stephens Hayward (Halfpenny Journal, 1861).

Prowse became one of the leading contributors to boys' adventure weeklies in the 1860s, contributing to Vicker's Boys' Journal, The Young Englishman's Journal (approx. 1867-73) where he illustrated many of George Emmett's famous stories, including the famous ‘Shot and Shell’ series and ‘Charity Joe’ -- and The Boys' Standard (1878).

Robert Prowse's brother Henry Prowse, born c.1821, was an engraver, who, I believe, died in 1873. His son, Henry (born 1851), was also an engraver.

Robert Prowse was married to Jane Anne Smith in Clerkenwell in 1858 and had seven children: Robert (1858), Jessy Jane (1860), Arthur (1862), Jane Adelaide (1864), Maud Elizabeth (1873), Grace Ethel (1876) and Frederick Ernest (1879). Jane Prowse was ten years his junior, and during his early artistic career the family lived in Clerkenwell, London EC, where four of their children were born (the last registered in Islington). The Prowses later moved to Battersea where a further three children were born. In the 1881 census the family was living at 80 Freke Road, Battersea, Surrey. The senior Robert Prowse died in 1886.

There has been some confusion over the years about Robert Prowse's long career, which seemed to extend into the 20th century. His work was usually signed “R.P.” which has led to some confusion over the years. There was a second Robert Prowse, the son of the penny dreadful artist, born in Clerkenwell in 1858. Prowse junior married Josephine Veillard in Wandsworth in 1878 and had thirteen children: Josephine (1880), Beatrice (1881), Robert (1883), Jessie J. (1884), Kate E. (1887), Richard M. (1889), Charles G. (1891), Tom (1894), Rene (1896), Albert E. (1898), Mildred A. (1899), Dorothy M. (1901) and Marjorie Adelaide (1903).

His earliest known work appeared under the byline R. Prowse Junr. In 1877 when he provided illustrations for The Vacant Throne! by Oswald Allan (London, E. Head, 1877) and Everybody's Christmas Annual whilst still in his late teens. He provided covers for a number of E. Harcourt Burrage's novels when they were published in the “Best for Boys” series in 1892-93.

It was around 1893 that Robert Prowse junior began his association with the Aldine Publishing Co., producing illustrations for their partwork publications of Burrage's The Lambs of Littlecote and The Island School amongst many other contributions. His illustrations appeared in Aldine's Garfield Boys' Journal (1894-95) and Aldine Cheerful Library (1894-95), and he worked for most of Aldine's library titles, becoming their main cover artist from the mid-1890s. His work can be found on Boys' First-Rate Pocket Library, Aldine Detective Tales, and Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel and Adventure Library in the 1890s. Probably his most famous covers were for the Aldine Robin Hood Library, and he continued to provide cover art for years to come, his last known work appearing on the Aldine Invention Library (1913) and Aldine Cinema Novels (1915).

Robert Prowse Junr. was living in Tottenham, Middlesex, in 1901 with his wife Josephine (born in Paris) and two children, Josephine and Beatrice, both born in Battersea. I'm still not sure when Robert Prowse Jr. died but my best suspect died in Romford, Essex, in 1934 aged 76. Unfortunately, there's no way of confirming this without a copy of the death certificate.

Illustrations by Robert Prowse Sr.

The Double Man; or, The Revelations of an Old Jailer. London, John Lofts, 1860?

Charley Wag, the New Jack Sheppard. London, United Kingdom Press, 1860.

The Blue Dwarf, by Lady Esther Hope. London, E. Harrison, 1861[1860-61].

Jessie, the Mormon's Daughter. A tale of English and American life. London, E. Harrison, 1861.

The Mysterious Man; or, The Three in One. London, Webbe, 1861.

Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road [by Edward Viles?]. London, E. Harrison, 1863.

Blueskin. A romance of the last century [by Edward Viles?]. London, E. Harrison, 1863.

The Women of London. Disclosing the trials and temptations of awoman's life in London, with occasional glimpses of a fast career [by Bracebridge Hemyng?]. London, George Vickers, 1863.

Fanny White and Her Friend Jack Rawlings. A romance of a young lady thief and a boy burglar. London, George Vickers, 1863.

The Boy Brigand; or, The Dark King of the Mountains. London, Henry Lea, 1864.

The Boy Rover; or, The Smuggler of the South Seas, by Lieutenant Parker. London, Henry Lea, 1864.

Gentleman Clifford, and his white mare Brilliant; or, The Ladies' Highwayman. London, E. Harrison, 1864.

The Life and Career of a London Errand Boy, by John Bennett. London, Henry Vickers, 1865.

Rose Mortimer; or, The Ballet-girl's Revenge. London, London Romance Co. [Newsagents' Publishing Co.], 1864.

Red Ralph; or, The Daughter of the Night, by Percival Wolfe. London, London Romance Co. [Newsagents Publishing Co.], 1865.

Wild Will; or The Pirates of the Thames, by Percival Wolfe. London, London Romance Co. [Newsagents Publishing Co.], 1865.

Hounslow Heath and its Moonlight Riders, by Julian St. George. London, London Romance Co., 1866.

The Mystery of Marlborough House. A tale of trial and temptation. London, E. Harrison, 1866.

The Sailor Crusoe, by Percy B. St. John. London, "London Herald", 1866.

The Black Highwayman [by Edward Viles?]. London, E. Harrison, 1869.

Robin Hood and the Outlaws of Sherwood Forest, [by George Emmett].London, Temple Publishing Co., 1869.

Dick the Diver; or, The London Treasure-seeker. London, T. Roberts,1870?

Union Jack. The British boy sailor, by Charlton. London, A. Ritchie, 1870?

Captain Tom Drake; or, England's Hearts of Oak. London, A. Ritchie,1870?

The Gipsy Boy; or, The Green Woods and Battle Fields. London, Edwin J. Brett, 1870 [1869-70].

Tom King and Jonathan Wild; or, The Days of Young Jack Sheppard. London, A. Ritchie, 1884.

Charity Joe; or, From Street Boy to Lord Mayor, by George Emmett. London, Hogarth House, 1885?

The War Cruise of the Mosca, by George Emmett. London, Hogarth House, 1885?

Illustrations by Robert Prowse Junr.

Ching-Ching’s Own, by E. Harcourt Burrage. London: W. Lucas, 1888 [covers].

Dashing Duval; or, The Ladies' Highwayman. London, Palmer & Co., 1889? [**].

Hal o' the Heath, the Wandering Heir, by E. H. Burrage. London, "Best for Boys" Publishing Co., 1892. [cover].

Lionel the Bold; or, The Circus Rider's Revenge, by E. H. Burrage. London, "Best for Boys" Publishing Co., 1892. [cover].

Jack Jaunty; or, Friend and Foe, by E. H. Burrage. London, "Best for Boys" Publishing Co., 1893. [cover].

The School of the Regiment; or, Life at Bangfire Barracks. London, Aldine Publishing Co., 1893.

The Lambs of Littlecote. A thrilling school story. London, Aldine Publishing Co., 1894-95. The first 13 numbers were illustrated by Harry Maguire, the rest by Prowse.

The Island School. A story of school life and adventure. London, Aldine Publishing Co., 3 vols. 1895-96.

Happy Jack, the Rover. London, Aldine Publishing Co., 1895.

Broad-Arrow Jack, by E. Harcourt Burrage. London, [Hogarth House?], 1897?

Dick Strongbow, the Diamond King, by E. Harcourt Burrage. London, [Hogarth House?], 1897?

Buffalo Bill Library. London: London: Aldine Publishing Co. [1^st series] 1897-1909, [2^nd series] 1909-1913, [3^rd series] 1912-1918, [4^th series] 1918-1932. All covers were by Prowse.

Buffalo Bill Novels. London: London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1901?

The Robin Hood Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1901-1906.

The Dick Turpin Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1902-1909.

The Claude Duval Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1902-1906.

The Spring Heeled Jack Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., March to September 1904, 12 numbers.

The Jack Sheppard Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1904.

The Black Bess Library. London: Aldine Publishing Co., 1909-1910.

NOTES

[**] Dashing Duval is dated by James/Smith as ca 1875 but describes itself as the “most interesting and thrilling story ever presented to the boys of Albion.” The short-lived magazine, Boys of Albion was launched by Palmer in 1888, hence the likely date for Dashing Duval in 1889.