Andrew Melrose Publisher
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Andrew Melrose (5 February 1860 - 6 November 1928''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' obituary; 7 November 1928
) was a British
publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
. Although he was noted for publishing theological works, he was also active in promoting new fiction, and offered a substantial cash prize for the best first novel submitted to his firm.


Life and works

Melrose was born in
Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
. Much of his early career was spent at the London Ludgate Hill offices of the Sunday School Union, where from 1893 he published the ''Sunday School Chronicle''. He began publishing under his own name around 1899 in York Street,
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
, finally moving to an address next door to
Macmillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...
in St. Martin Street,
Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester ...
. Among the early writers he encouraged and published was
W.E. Cule William Edward Cule (5 December 1870 – 13 July 1944) was a British author of children's books and several books for adults on Christian themes. In all, he wrote some thirty books encompassing a number of popular genres – public school storie ...
, a friend and colleague from the Sunday School Union. Between 1900 and 1903 Melrose published and contributed to a weekly paper ''Boys of the Empire'', the official organ of the Boys Empire League. The League's stated purpose was" to promote and strengthen a worthy Imperial Spirit in British-born boys". The paper was edited by
Howard Spicer Sir Howard Handley Spicer KBE, (1872 in Bexley, Kent – 16 August 1926 in London) was a prominent papermaker and wholesale stationer and a magazine editor. He was the founder of the Empire League, a patriotic movement for British boys, and e ...
(later Sir Howard). In 1911, Melrose was living at 68 Southwood Lane, Highgate, with his wife Margaret and their children Ernest (20), Douglas (17), Allan (14), Kenneth (11) and Marjorie (9). Melrose gained a reputation for publishing distinctive books of a theological kind. He was described as "an extremely shrewd, somewhat dour Scotsman, possessing a keen sense of literary values". He was one of the pioneers of offering substantial money prizes to aspiring authors. Two early winners of the 250-guinea prize were Agnes E.Jacomb for her first novel ''The Faith of His Fathers'' (1909) and
Patricia Wentworth Dora Amy Turnbull (formerly Dillon, née Elles; 15 October 1877 – 28 January 1961), known by pen name Patricia Wentworth, was a British crime fiction writer. Early life and education She was born in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India (then the Bri ...
for ''A Marriage Under The Terror'' (1910). In 1913, Margaret Peterson won the prize for her novel ''The Lure of the Little Drum''. A notable winner was
Catherine Carswell Catherine Roxburgh Carswell (née Macfarlane; 27 March 1879 – 18 February 1946) was a Scottish author, biographer and journalist, now known as one of the few women to take part in the Scottish Renaissance. Her biography of the Scottish poet Ro ...
for her novel ''Open the Door'' (1920). Melrose also had a keen sense of book design, commissioning illustrations from some of the leading illustrators of his day such as Charles Robinson, Florence Meyerheim,
Amelia Bauerle Amalie Mathilde Bauerle (12 November 1873 – 4 March 1916), known as Amelia Bauerle, was a British painter, illustrator and etcher. She also used the name Amelia Matilda Bowerley. Life Bauerle was born in the Bayswater area of London, the ...
and William Gordon Mein. Melrose was not afraid of courting controversy in his choice of authors. In 1915 he published
Caradoc Evans David Caradoc Evans (31 December 1878 – 11 January 1945), was a Welsh story writer, novelist and playwright. Biography Evans was brought up in a Welsh language, Welsh-speaking community in Rhydlewis, Ceredigion, Cardiganshire, and although he ...
's story collection '' My People'', a work that provoked outrage for its depiction of Welsh society. He was also responsible for introducing David Grayson to English readers and for publishing the letters of
Donald Hankey Donald William Alers Hankey (27 October 1884 – 12 October 1916) was an English soldier best known for two volumes of essays about the British volunteer army in World War I both titled ''A Student in Arms''. Biography Donald Hankey was born in ...
. The book on which Melrose chiefly prided himself was ''
The House with the Green Shutters ''The House with the Green Shutters'' is a novel by the Scottish writer George Douglas Brown, first published in 1901 by John MacQueen. Set in mid-19th century Ayrshire, in the fictitious town of Barbie which is based on his native Ochiltree, ...
'' by
George Douglas Brown George Douglas Brown (26 January 1869 – 28 August 1902) was a Scottish novelist, best known for his highly influential realist novel ''The House with the Green Shutters'' (1901), which was published the year before his death at the age of 33 ...
. Melrose had met Brown through Howard Spicer, and the two encouraged Brown to write his grim story of a Scottish village. The following year, Brown died unexpectedly of pneumonia at Melrose's house in
Hornsey Hornsey is a district of north London, England in the London Borough of Haringey The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner Lo ...
. Melrose published a memorial edition of Brown's ''House with the Green Shutters'' in 1923 and subsequently unveiled a memorial to the author in his
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
birthplace. Under the pseudonym of A. E. Macdonald, Melrose wrote popular biographies of missionary
Alexander Murdoch Mackay Alexander Murdoch Mackay (13 October 1849 – 4 February 1890) was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Uganda known as Mackay of Uganda. Life Mackay was born on 13 October 1849 in Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, the son of Rev Alexander Mackay LLD ...
, British statesman
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
and explorer
Henry Morton Stanley Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa Cen ...
.E.A. Macdonald (pseud.Andrew Melrose. ''The Story of Stanley, the Hero of Africa'', 1890 In 1927 Melrose's publishing business was taken over by the Hutchinson group and became known as Andrew Melrose Limited. It published religious and general titles and the imprint lasted until the mid-1950s. Melrose's son Douglas Melrose, who was associated with his father's business, founded the publishing firm of Melrose and Co. of
St Martin's Lane St Martin's Lane is a street in the City of Westminster, which runs from the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, after which it is named, near Trafalgar Square northwards to Long Acre. At its northern end, it becomes Monmouth Street. St Martin ...
.


Melrose prize winners

The Melrose prize was awarded eight times between 1908 and 1923, and seven of the winners were women.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melville, Andrew Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom Publishers (people) from Edinburgh Writers from Edinburgh 1928 deaths 1860 births 19th-century Scottish people People from Hornsey Companies based in the City of Westminster