Chartism
Reynolds was also a major figure in the Chartist movement
Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...
. In 1846, he founded two magazines, ''Reynolds' Miscellany'' (''RM'') and ''The London Journal
''The London Journal; and Weekly Record of Literature, Science and Art'' (published from 1845 to 1928) was a British penny dreadful, penny fiction weekly, one of the best-selling magazines of the nineteenth century.
It was established by George ...
'' (''LJ''). In 1849, he founded ''Reynolds's Political Instructor'', which in May 1850 became '' Reynolds Weekly Newspaper'', the leading radical newspaper of the post-Chartist era. It long survived him, ending publication in 1967 as the ''Sunday Citizen''.
Edwin Brett
Edwin John Brett (1828–1895) was a Victorian editor and publisher of boys' magazines, romantic fiction and "penny dreadfuls" who pioneered the weekly format of serialised and sensational fiction.
Early life
Edwin Brett was born in White Horse L ...
, a fellow chartist and publisher of
penny dreadfuls
Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typically referred to ...
, became a lifelong friend.
For both ''Reynolds's Political Instructor'' and ''Reynolds's Weekly Newspaper'', between 1849 and 1856, he would write a signed editorial every week in which he gave his opinion on the pressing political matters of the day.
In 1854, he relocated to
Herne Bay
Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government ...
in Kent, where he became one of the town's Improvement Commissioners. Reynolds was an advocate of
British Republicanism
Republicanism in the United Kingdom is the political movement that seeks to replace the United Kingdom's monarchy with a republic. Supporters of the movement, called republicans, support alternative forms of governance to a monarchy, such as an e ...
; much of his journalism, especially during the 1870s, "promoted a levelling agenda against traditional social hierarchies and accentuated the difficulties of the British throne".
[Andrzej Olechnowicz, ''The Monarchy and the British Nation, 1780 to the Present''. Cambridge University Press, 2007. , (p. 190).]
Works
Novels
A prolific novelist, the list of Reynolds's works is long; matters are made more complex by the fact that American publishers often attributed the authorship of various anonymously written books to Reynolds as well. Furthermore, although he is known as a penny blood author, not all of his works appeared as serialised penny instalments.
The following works have, as a result of research by
E. F. Bleiler
Everett Franklin Bleiler (April 30, 1920 – June 13, 2010) was an American editor, bibliographer, and scholar of science fiction, detective fiction, and fantasy literature. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he co-edited the first "year's best" s ...
, been confirmed to have been definitely authored by Reynolds:
* ''The Youthful Imposter''
** (published in 3 vols by Librarie des Estrangers in 1835)
* ''The Baroness: A Novel''
** (serialised in the ''Monthly Magazine'' in 1837, under the pseudonym of "Parisianus")
* ''Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France''
** (serialised in the ''Monthly Magazine'' between 1837 and 1838)
* ''Alfred de Rosann''
** (serialised in the ''Monthly Magazine'' in 1838).
* ''The Father''
** (serialised in the ''Monthly Magazine'' in 1838).
* ''Mary Hamel''
** (serialised in the ''Monthly Magazine'' in 1838).
* ''The Appointment: A Tale''
** (serialised in ''The Isis'' in 1839).
* ''Grace Darling; or, the Heroine of the Ferne Islands''
** (published in one volume by George Henderson in 1839).
* ''
Robert Macaire
Robert Macaire is a fictional character, an unscrupulous swindler, who appears in a number of French plays, films, and other works of art. In French culture he represents an archetypal villain. He was principally the creation of an actor, Frédér ...
in England''
** (published in 3 vols by Thomas Tegg in 1839).
* ''Noctes Pickwickianae''
** (serialised in ''The Teetotaller'' in 1840).
* ''The Steam Packet: A Tale of the River and Ocean''
** (published in one volume by Willoughby in 1840).
* ''The Drunkard's Tale''
** (serialised in ''The Teetotaller'' in 1840).
* ''Pickwick Married''
** (serialised in ''The Teetotaller'' in 1841).
* ''Master Timothy's Bookcase''
** (issued in weekly parts beginning 15 July 1841 and published as a single volume by W. Emans in 1842).
* ''The Mysteries of London'', First Series
** (issued in weekly parts beginning in October 1844)
** (published in two volumes by G. Vickers in 1846).
* ''The Assassin''
** (short story which appeared in ''The London Journal'' on 29 March 1845).
* ''Margaret Catchpole''
** (short story which appeared in ''The London Journal'' on 5 April 1845).
* ''Faust: A Romance''
** (serialised in ''The London Journal'' between 4 October 1845 and 26 September 1846).
* ''The Mysteries of London'', Second Series
** (issued in weekly parts beginning on 3 October 1846 and 16 September 1848)
** (published in two volumes by G. Vickers in 1848).
* ''Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 6 November 1846 and 24 July 1847).
* ''A Tale for Christmas''
** (short story which appeared in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' on 26 December 1846).
* ''The Matrimonial Advertisement''
** (short story which appeared in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' on 30 January 1847).
* ''The Days of Hogarth; or, the Mysteries of Old London''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 29 May 1847 and 29 April 1848).
* ''The Coral Island, or the Hereditary Curse''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 15 July 1848 and 31 March 1848).
* ''The Mysteries of the Court of London'', First Series
** (issued in weekly parts between 9 September 1848 and 17 August 1850).
** (published in one volume by John Dicks in 1850).
* ''The Pixy; or, The Unbaptized Child''
** (published in one volume by John Dicks in 1848).
* ''The Bronze Statue; or, the Virgin's Kiss''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 31 March 1849 and 14 March 1850).
* ''The Castellan's Daughter''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 22 June and 29 June 1850).
* ''The Greek Maiden; or The Banquet of Blood''
** (short story which appeared in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' on 27 July 1850).
* ''The Seamstress; a Domestic Tale''
** (serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 23 March 1850 and 10 August 1850).
*''Pope Joan, the Female Pontiff''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 10 August 1850 and 25 January 1851).
*''The Mysteries of the Court of London'', Second Series
**(issued in weekly parts between 24 August 1850 and August 1852).
*''The Janizary; or, The Massacre of the Christians''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 2–9 November 1851).
*''The Prophecy; or, The Lost Son''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 7–10 December 1851).
*''Kenneth, a Romance of the Highlands''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 25 January 1851 and 27 December 1851).
*''The Necromancer''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 27 December 1851 and 31 July 1852).
*''Mary Price; or the Memoirs of a Servant Girl''
**(issued in weekly parts between November 1851 and October 1852).
*''The Mysteries of the Court of London'', Third Series
**(issued in weekly parts between 1 May 1852 and 3 December 1853).
*''The Massacre of Glencoe, a Historical Tale''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 31 July 1852 and 18 June 1853).
*''The Soldier's Wife''
**(issued in weekly parts between November 1852 and June 1853)
**(published in one volume by John Dicks in 1853)
*''The Ryehouse Plot; or, Ruth, the Conspirator's Daughter''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 18 June 1853 and 19 August 1854).
*''Joseph Wilmot; or, the Memoirs of a Manservant''
**(issued in weekly parts between 29 July 1853 and 4 July 1855).
*''Rosa Lambert; or, the Memoirs of an Unfortunate Woman''
**(issued in weekly parts between 4 November 1853 and October, 1854).
*''The Mysteries of the Court of London'', Fourth Series
**(issued in weekly parts between 30 December 1853 and 5 December 1855).
*''May Middleton; or, The History of a Fortune''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 19 August 1854 and 6 January 1855).
*''Omar, a Tale of the War''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 6 January 1855 and 5 January 1856).
*''The Loves of the Harem: A Romance of Constantinople''
**(issued in weekly parts between 3 February 1855 and 7 July 1856).
*''Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress''
**(issued in weekly parts between 21 July 1855 and September 1857).
*''Agnes; or, Beauty and Pleasure''
**(issued in weekly parts between 12 December 1855 and January 1857).
*''Leila; or, the Star of Mingrelia''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 5 January 1855 and 5 July 1856).
*''The Empress Eugenie's Boudoir''
**(issued in weekly parts beginning 4 February 1857; exact date of final serial unknown).
*''Margaret; or, the Discarded Queen''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 5 July 1856 and 11 July 1857).
*''The Young Duchess'' (sequel to ''Ellen Percy'')
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 17 June 1857 and 9 June 1858).
*''Canonbury House; or, the Queen's Prophecy''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 11 July 1857 and 1 May 1858).
*''Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 14 May 1859 and 24 December 1859).
*''Two Christmas Days''
**(short story featured in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' on 29 December 1860).
*''The Young Fisherman''
**(serialised in ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' between 5 October 1861 and 9 November 1861).
Translation
*
The Last Day of a Condemned Man (1829) by
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
Miscellaneous works
*''The Errors of the Christian Religion Exposed'' (London: Richard Carlile, 1832)
*''The Modern Literature of France,'' 2 vols (London: George Henderson, 1839)
*''The Anatomy of Intemperance'' (London: United Temperance Union, 1840)
*''The French Self-Instructor'' (London: Dicks, 1846)
*'The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire' (serialised in Reynolds's Miscellany between 18 and 25 February 1854).
*''The Self-Instructor'' (London: Dicks, 1861)
Journalism career
* ''The London and Paris Courier'' (editor between January–August 1836)
* ''The Monthly Magazine of Politics, Literature, and the Belles-Lettres'' (editor between 1837 and 1838)
* The Teetotaller (editor between June 1840 and September 1841)
* ''The London Journal'' (editor between March 1845 and November 1846)
* ''Reynolds's Miscellany'' (editor between 1846 and 1869)
* ''Reynolds's Political Instructor'' (editor between 1849 and 1850)
* ''Reynolds's Weekly Newspaper'' (editor between 1850 and 1879)
* ''Bow Bells'' (editor from 1864 until 1868).
Poetry
* ''A Sequel to Don Juan'' (London: Paget and Co., 1843)
References
Further reading
*
archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
's snapshot of the .
''The Literary Encyclopedia'' G. W. M. Reynolds
''Mapping History's Nightmares: A Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction''27–33;
Robert Mighall.
* The Library 1973 s5-XXVIII(4):319–26; "George W. M. Reynolds: A Bibliography".
* ''G.W.M. Reynolds: Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Politics, and the Press'', ed. by Anne Humpherys and Louis James, Ashgate 2008.
*
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
Sunday Feature
"The Other Dickens"(45-minute audio documentary).
Reviews and literary criticism
* Published between 1918 and 1921. Posted by Justin Gilbert at GeoCities.
*"G. W. M. Reynolds" by E.F. Bleiler, in Bleiler (ed) ''Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror'' NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1985, 205–11. Primarily an examination of Reynolds novels ''Faust'', ''The Necromancer'', and ''Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf''.
* E.F. Bleiler. "Introduction"; and "Bibliography". in G. W.M. Reynolds, ''Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf.'' NY: Dover, 1975. (The only full modern statement on Reynolds, with much new information. The bibliography is the only disentanglement of Reynolds' exceedingly complex publications.)
* ''G. W. M. Reynolds: Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Politics, and the Press,'' edited by Anne Humpherys and Louis James, Ashgate, 2008
* Andrew King, ''The London Journal 1845–1883: Periodicals, Production and Gender,'' Ashgate, 2004
* Dick Collins. "Introduction". George W.M. Reynolds, ''Wagner The Werewolf'' Hertforshire: Wordsworth Editions, 2006, ix–xvii.
External links
*
*
Books available online
All titles marked (RM) and (LJ) above are available online at the British Periodicals website.
*
*
*
Alfred de Rosann; or, Adventures of a French Gentlemanat Internet Archive.
Ellen Percy: or, The memoirs of an actress, vol. IIat the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.
The Empress Eugenie's Boudoirat Internet Archive.
The French Self-Instructorat Internet Archive.
Mary Price; or, The memoirs of a servant-maidat the University of Michigan.
at
victorianlondon.org.
The Soldier's Wifein epub format at the MobileRead Forums.
The Seamstressin epub format at the MobileRead Forums.
Alfred: The Adventures of a French Gentlemanin ePub Format at the MobileRead Forums.
The complete set of the two series in four volumes of "The Mysteries of London
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245536] in epub format is available at the MobileRead Forums.
Mysteries of the Court of London (
John Dicks (publisher), Dicks edition in 8 volumes; 4 series, 2 volumes each) online at
books.google.com
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...
:
First Series, vol. I
First Series, vol. II
Second Series, vol. I
* Second Series, vol. II (not available),
Third series, vol. I
Third series, vol. II
Fourth series, vol. I
Fourth series, vol. II
The Mysteries of the Court of London (privately printed edition of the "Mysteries" in 20 volumes (by a so-called "Oxford Society") was entitled "The Works of George W. M. Reynolds", online at www.archive.org (only 7 volumes of this edition):
Volume I
Volume III
Volume V
Volume VII
Volume X
Volume XVI
Volume XVII
The complete set of the four series in eight volumes of "The Mysteries of the Court of London
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243435
in epub format is available at the MobileRead Forums.
The Parricide; or, The Youth's Career of Crime
a slightly modified re-printing of ''The Youthful Imposter'' at Internet Archive.
Pickwick Abroad
at Internet Archive.
Robert Macaire; or, The French Bandit in England
at the University of Michigan.
Wagner the Wehr-Wolf
a
Project Gutenberg
The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality
at the University of Michigan.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, George W. M.
1814 births
1879 deaths
Chartists
English male journalists
19th-century English novelists
English horror writers
Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
People from Sandwich, Kent
Naturalized citizens of France
Victorian novelists
19th-century British journalists
English male novelists
British republicans
British social commentators
British emigrants to France