Peeps into the Past –

  A Detailed 1919 History of Penny Bloods, Penny Dreadfuls, and Penny Journals

by Frank Jay

Compiled by Bill Blackbeard and Justin Gilbert (2001)

Link HERE

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Old Boys' Book Collectors Part Three

“The London Journal that I knew ceased some years ago; but it was continued in several different forms, until with the issue dated 27 Jan1912, it finally disappeared as a separate publication after the title had been kept up for sixty-five years. It was merged in another weekly paper, full of interest and amusement, called Spare Moments, belonging to the same publishers, Messrs. C. and W. Bradley & Co. of Fetter Lane. They have been kind enough to answer some of a series of questions I put to them, whence I learn that they have a complete set of the London Journal, and also possess the woodblocks of the illustrations from which good proofs could still be taken. Gilbert’s illustrations in the reprints in book-form were printed from stereotype copies.” -- Ralph Thomas, N&Q 11s. VIII. 23 Aug 1913, p.142.



Associated with the old boys book collectors were collectors of a different sort, men like Ralph Thomas, who I introduced back in Part One under the name Oliver Hamst in an 1877 post to N&Q. I’m pleased to see that Thomas alluded to this old article on Highwayman Literature in a footnote (N&Q 11s. VII. 22 Mar 1913) thirty-six years later. He had apparently had a change of heart.

“On looking now at the illustrations to Miles’s ‘Dick Turpin,’ I think more of them than I used to do. They are no doubt rough, but they appear to me to be vigorous and full of life, and the execution as good as an artist and wood engraver could afford to put into them at the low price they were probably paid.”

Unlike the old boys book collectors, who favoured boys story papers, Ralph Thomas collected the London Journal for its John Gilbert illustrations. In 1913 Thomas began a long series of articles titled “Sir John Gilbert, J. F. Smith, and the London Journal.” I think its safe to say Frank Jay’s Peeps into the Past (1919) was largely inspired by Thomas’s original explorations. Thomas is often quoted in Peeps about such subjects as W. West’s Theatrical Prints, the Skelt’s, and the London Journal.

To begin we will first have a look at an article posted two years earlier by Herbert Clayton, “Sir John Gilbert as Illustrator,” which was taken up by Ralph Thomas and largely expanded upon. “Sir John Gilbert as Illustrator” appeared in N&Q on 30 Dec 1911.







“Sir John Gilbert, J. F. Smith, and the London Journal” runs to over twenty pages from 22 Mar 1913 to 17 Oct 1914, so I will just post the beginning of his informative articles and move on.















I don’t have much information on the activities of John James Wilson and the old boys book collectors from T. P.’s Weekly between 1913 and 1917. They probably sought out literary papers with letter columns where they could continue sharing information for their scrapbooks and attract new enthusiasts. John James Wilson contributed an article on "M.J. Errym" to a newspaper, Bootle Times 9 Jun 1916, probably on a Queries page. They may also have moved on to the pages of Spare Moments, which had a queries and replies page.

They were definitely in Vanity Fair an Amateur Magazine, edited by Joseph Parks, which ran 31 numbers in 3 volumes from June 1917 to May & June 1927 then changed title to The Collector’s Miscellany a bimonthly Journal for Collectors. I don’t know when The Collector’s Miscellany ended its run but it was still being published in March 1935.

In 1919 Spare Moments, which had absorbed the old London Journal, published Frank Jay’s brilliant book-length “Peeps into the Past; being a history of old-time periodicals, journals and books” in instalments. It ran from 26 Oct.1918 to 19 February 1921. Frank Jay wrote of this series of articles in 1922 that they appeared “in Spare Moments (London Journal supplement) ... the whole series of articles numbering 50, can be seen in the British Museum Library (Press number 11850, v. 33).” The publisher was F. A. Wickhart, 4, Crane Court, Fleet-street.

One of the contributors to Spare Moments was Herbert John Allingham, nephew of Albert John Allingham (Ralph Rollington). A caricature by Tom B. showing “Wild Uncle John” in a drunk and disheveled state appears in Julia Thorogood's 1991 book Margery Allingham a Biography.

Continued in our next...

Old Boys' Book Collectors Part Two

The Founding of the Old Boys' Book Club

Part One HERE.

In 1913 we find Ralph Rollington, an old-time boys periodical publisher, has authored “A Brief History of Boys’ Journals with Interesting Facts about the Writers of Boys’ Stories.” The London publisher was H. Simpson and the book appeared in July 1913. Volume II of Ralph Rollington’s “Our Boys’ Paper” had previously carried an article entitled “The History of Boys’ Literature a Bibliographic Review of Twenty Years Progress” in 1882.

Ralph Rollington's real name wasJohn Allingham (actually Albert John Allingham), the younger brother of James William Allingham, and uncle of Herbert John Allingham. He was known as “Wild Uncle John” to his family.

Occultist Arthur Edward Waite published “Byways of Periodical Literature” in Walford’s Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographic Review Vol. 12, July 1887. Walford's was edited by Arthur Machen. Waite also penned “Dealings in Biblomania” which was not published until 1997 under the title “Quest for Bloods.” The publisher was Ferrett Fantasy.

In 1909 boys author E. Harcourt Burrage presented Frank Jay with an inscribed copy of “The Ruin of Fleet Street,” and, in 1913, was reported to be writing his memoirs. Burrage was an enthusiastic friend of the collectors to the end of his days.

On 23 Feb 1906, in the pages of T. P.’s Weekly, a series of letters had been published on the bygone boys papers of the Victorian era. Approximately six years later, on 20 Dec 1912 the old boys book brigade returned with fresh correspondence which ran through the early days of 1913.. At first the letters and articles were merely initialled but soon the authors gave their full names. The man who opened the conversation signed himself F.J. In a later post he admitted to the opening missive and signed his full name: Frank Jay.



Another squib appearing on the same page, not about boys books, was signed Desmond Coke. “Penny Dreadfuls,” an illustrated article by Desmond Coke, (1879-1931) appeared in The Connoisseur, November 1930. Coke was author of Sanford of Merton and the Smart Set by Belinda Blinders, edited by Desmond Coke, London: Chapman and Hall 1909, and Beauty for Ashes: a Comedy of Caste. (Dates appear at the top of the title bar when illustrations are enlarged.)



Now we have a series of posts in T. P.’s signed G.F. (Weedon), W.W. (Derby), before the articles begin to appear fully signed (for the most part) by William Taylor, Harold Simpson, Harry Ward, and F. C. W.

Harold Simpson may have been the publisher of Ralph Rollington's "Brief History." On 24 January 1913, Harold Simpson, 33 Queen Street, Leicester, appeared in the letter column of T. P.’s Weekly and queried “Can any reader inform me whether Ralph Rollington was the real name of the writer, or a nom de plume?”

A few months later in July 1913, Ralph Rollington‘s “A Brief History of Boys’ Journals” was published and the title-page states “(Copyright) H. Simpson, Grove Road, Leicester England.” H.S. added an Appendix to Ralph Rollington's book. Quote: "In the following pages I have endeavored to give a little further information concerning E. J. Brett’s and G. Emmett’s papers, and also some notices of journals which do not find mention in Mr. Rollington’s work."







“Tales of the Old Boys” is signed by J. J. Wilson. He contributed "M. J. Errym" to Bootle Times, a newspaper (probably to a Queries column) and “Penny Dreadfuls and Penny Bloods” an illustrated article by John James Wilson appeared in The Connoisseur, April 1932. We also have E. Blair and Joseph Hayes.



John James Wilson and Frank Jay contribute their thoughts on “Old Boys Books.” Further articles appear by Reginald G. Berry, S. E. Hillis, and J. S. G. and then > [This correspondence is closed. - Ed.] Still two more contributions are published. R. R. (Dollar) contributes “Boys Magazines” and on 20 June 1913 John James Wilson announces the founding of the Old Boys’ Book Club.











Continued in our next…

Old Boys' Book Collectors Part One

The first wave of collectors of penny dreadfuls, boys books, and boys story papers grew up in the 1870's reading and collecting the penny papers of Edwin Brett, George Emmett, and Charles Fox. By the turn of the century these men, now in their forties, and feeling nostalgic for the books of their youth, turned to the columns of Notes and Queries and T. P.'s Weekly for discussions and comradeship with fellow enthusiasts.

The story of old boys book collectors begins in 1877, when J. Penderell-Brodhurst (editor at The Guardian) addressed a letter from Wolverhampton to Notes & Queries (5thS.VIII, 21 July 1877). He was interested in obtaining a list of book titles pertaining to “highwaymen and knight-of-the-roadism in its many shapes.” Penderell-Brodhurst stated that he was not collecting the books, merely lists. He appended a list of eight titles, including Ainsworth’s Rookwood, Jack Sheppard, and Talbot Harland, and Lord Lytton’s Paul Clifford. “I may say that I am attempting to write the Romance of the Road, and shall be very glad of suggestions or assistance.”

J. Penderell-Brodhurst’s request brought an enthusiastic response (5thS.VIII, 6 Oct 1877) from John Taylor (Northampton), Olphar Hamst, J. Brander Matthews (Lotos Club, New York), Ed. Marshall, C. A. Ward (Mayfair), and Sam Shaw (Andover). One of these people, Hamst, once his name is unscrambled, was Ralph Thomas. Thomas was a prolific contributor to N&Q and will return later in our story.









The first literature on boys’ journals began appearing in 1882 in Volume 2 of Ralph Rollington’s Our Boys’ Paper, which carried an article entitled The History of Boys’ Literature, “a bibliographic review of twenty years progress” covering the period 1862-1882. That same year E. Harcourt Burrage, author of Handsome Harry, published The Ruin of Fleet Street, part reminiscence and part temperance tract, under the by-line of “A Latter Day Pilgrim.”

According to Frank Jay: “One of Mr. Burrage's last works was a volume of reminiscences entitled either “People I Have met,” or “Characters I have met,” I forget which, in which he told the writer he had included a good chapter dealing with the old bohemian journalists, etc., connected with old boys' literature, etc., and although he repeatedly tried to take various publishers to take it up he failed to do so, and so the MSS, has not appeared in print. As a matter of fact, the MSS has, I am afraid, been irretrievably lost.”

We now turn to 23 Feb 1906, in the pages of T. P.’s Weekly, where another query, by “J. W.” (John James Wilson?) in the ‘Notes, Questions, and Answers’ (N.Q.A.) column, led first to assorted replies T.P.‘s Letter Box, then to a series of articles on Bygone Boys’ Papers, authored by “J.” and others.

It' anyones guess who the personages behind “J. W.,” “Bookworm,” “J.,” “H. K.,” “G. J. T. H.,” and “An Old Publisher” were. J. W. may have been John James Wilson, a noted old boy; J. may have been Frank Jay, although none of this is certain. One familiar name was that of a well-known collector, George Gilbertson, who was born in 1860, which I know because he wrote a rollicking poem in the Collector's Miscellany in 1935 to celebrate his 75th.

I’m Seventy five! I’m Seventy-five!

Happy that I am yet alive;

You can read the rest of that gem here.

Frank Jay must have been approximately the same age as Gilbertson judging by the letter to George Emmett I opened this post with. Barry Ono reported the death of Frank Jay in 1934.



Note: Dates will appear in the top page bar when clicked on to enlarge.














Here the correspondence ended but the old boys book brigade carried on, returning to T. P.'s Weekly columns in December of 1912.

Continued in Our Next...