Harry Collingwood was the pseudonym of William Joseph Cosens Lancaster (23 May 184310 June 1922),"Wrote Boys' Stories; W. J. C. Lancaster (Harry Collingwood) Dead", ''The Gazette'' (Montreal), 4 July 1922 p. 4 a British civil engineer and novelist who wrote over 40 boys' adventure books, almost all of them in a nautical setting.

Early life

Collingwood was the eldest son of master mariner Captain William Lancaster (1813(18611871)) and Anne, née Cosens (c. 18209 October 1898). His birth certificate shows that he was born in

Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, on the English Channel coast of England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, south of the county town of Dorchester, Weymouth had a population of 53,427 in 2021. It is the third l ...

on 23 May 1843 at 9:30am at Concord Place. The

Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

notes that most references, except his birth certificate, give his date of birth as 1851. His application for Associate Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers gives his birth date as 23 May 1846. Collingwood was the first of three children for the couple. He was eight when his sister Ada Louise (c. 18528 January 1929) was born and 12 when his sister Sarah Anne (1 June 185327 December 1941) was born. Both women were shown as drapers assistants in the 1871 census. By then Collingwood's father had died, and his mother continued to live with her daughters until her death. Ada never married and lived with her sister after leaving the paternal home. Sarah Anne married Mathew Smellie in St Michaels, Toxteth, Liverpool, Lancashire on 30 June 1880. The couple had one child, Harold Ernest Smellie (11 April 188130 April 1961). Harold was the nephew who registered Collingwood's death in 1922. Collingwood's mother died at his home in Norwood on 9 October 1898, with her daughter Ada Louise as the executrix of her effects of £1,308 11s 11d. When Ada Louise died on 8 January 1929, her widowed sister Sarah Ann (with whom she was living) was the executrix for her effects of £1,907 16s 8d. Harold was the executor for the effects (£4,574, 15s 1d) of his mother Sarah Ann when she died on 27 December 1942. Most sources state that he attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and distinguished himself there by carrying off many prizes. However, this college closed in 1837 , and when it reopened it was only for those who had passed the exam for lieutenant. Kirk states that Collingwood attended the

Royal Naval School The Royal Naval School was an England, English school that was established in Camberwell, London, in 1833 and then formally constituted by the Royal Naval College Act 1840. It was a Charitable cause, charitable institution, established as a board ...

, which was at New Cross, near Greenwich. This school had over 210 boys destined for careers at sea on the rolls by 1865 and trained officers and men for both the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and Merchant Marine. In Collingwood's first book ''The Secret of the Sands'' the hero, called Harry Collingwood, was educated at the

at Greenwich. Collingwood joined the

as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

at 15. However, his severe near-sightedness forced him to abandon his chosen career. Kitzen states that Collingwood traveled widely in both his short naval and much longer civilian career. Kirk states that it was during his civilian career that Collingwood travelled widely.

Work as an engineer

In September 1860, at age 17, he began working as a pupil in the architectural office of G R Crickmay RIBA in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. That architectural practice continues today under the name of John Stark and Crickmay. He continued in

until March 1864 and then moved to

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. He worked there in a range of posts until the end of 1870, by which time he was the Government Engineer and Surveyor for the Port District of Natal. He returned to the UK in 1871 and worked on an eight-mile section of the

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

for two years (the section of the London and South Western Railway from Okehampton to Lydford was under construction at this time). He continued in the UK, working on a range of projects including

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

works in the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

, as well as work at Burntisland on the Firth of Forth, where he lived in 1880, while advertising in Coleraine in Northern Ireland, for accommodation for himself, his wife, and infant son. In 1888 he spent a year on the island of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, surveying for a deep-water

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

and associated

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

. He also travelled to the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, and the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

. His wide travels provided accurate backgrounds for many of his works. Returned to England, and now living in Norwood, London, Collingwood applied for associate membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 31 July 1889 and was elected on 3 December 1889. Associated membership is the grade of membership open to engineers who are not academically qualified Civil Engineers, but have learned engineering by another route. In 1893 Collingwood was one of the three short-listed candidates from the 89 applicants for Resident Engineer at

Llanelly Llanelly ( cy, Llanelli) is the name of a parish and coterminous community in the principal area of Monmouthshire, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales. It roughly covers the area of the Clydach Gorge. The popula ...

Harbour, but was unsuccessful. From 1894 to 1896 he was the engineer, working out of London, for works on the River Bann for the

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...

Harbour Commissioners. In 1906, Collingwood moved to Mutley in

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

. By 1908 he was back in London, at New Bushey in

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...

, London.

Marriage and son

On 10 July 1878, at Conisborough near

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

, Collingwood married Kezia Hannah Rice Oxley (184818 April 1928), the fourth child of George Oxley, a provisions dealer, and Mary Rice. Like Collingwood's two sister, Kezia worked as a draper's assistant in Liverpool. The Oxley's were a large family and Kezia had two sisters and seven brothers. One of her brothers, Sir Alfred James Rice-Oxley (25 January 185610 August 1941) was a physician to members of the Royal Family. Her nephew Alan Rice-Oxley was a flying ace in World War I, and Alan's sister married Kezia's only son (her first-cousin) in 1906. Kezia's family were close and both the 1891 and 1901 census show relatives staying with her. The couple had a son William Arthur Percy Lancaster, generally known as

Percival Lancaster Percival Lancaster (24 February 188025 October 1937) was a British civil engineer and a writer of boy's adventure fiction, whose progress was derailed by the First World War. Although his full name was William Arthur Percy Lancaster, he general ...

, (1880-1937) born at Park House in

Burntisland Burntisland ( , sco, also Bruntisland) is a former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 6,269. It was previously known as Wester Kingho ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, on 24 February 1880 at 8:30am. He followed his father's example, not only becoming a

Civil Engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

but also a novelist.

Death

Collingwood died suddenly at his sister Sarah's house at 40 Liverpool Road,

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

on 10 June 1922,, only five days after the death of Sarah's husband. Collingwood left the relatively modest sum of £866 11s. 8d. to his widow. Kezia died in

on 18 April 1928, leaving £1,028 18s. 7d. to her son William Arthur Percy, then described as a ''Surveyor'' rather than a ''

''.

Alleged inspiration for Swallows and Amazon

Sutherland Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...

states of Collingwood that "His most enduring monument is that his yacht ''Swallow'' inspired his friend

Arthur Ransome Arthur Michell Ransome (18 January 1884 – 3 June 1967) was an English author and journalist. He is best known for writing and illustrating the ''Swallows and Amazons'' series of children's books about the school-holiday adventures of childre ...

's children's book '' Swallows and Amazons''." However, Ransome did not write the book until 1929 - seven years after Collingwood's death. The ''Swallow'' that served as Ransome's inspiration was the sailboat belonging to

W. G. Collingwood William Gershom Collingwood (; 6 August 1854, in Liverpool – 1 October 1932) was an English author, artist, antiquary and professor of Fine Arts at University College, Reading.Obituary in ''The Times'', ''Mr W.G. Collingwood'', ''Artist, Autho ...

, who was no relation. Ransome learned to sail, at age 12, in W. G. Collingwood's boat ''Swallow'' at Coniston in 1896. He then repaid the favour by teaching W. G. Collingwood's grandchildren, the five Altouyans, to sail in "Swallow II" in 1928.

Writing

Collingwood's first

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

in 1878, the year of his marriage, was ''The Secret of the Sands'', a tale of the sea with

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

and buried treasure thrown in. The hero and pseudonymous author of this tale was “Harry Collingwood”. This pseudonym was chosen by the author in homage to Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood (whom Thackeray described as a virtuous Christian knight). This was clearly intended as an adult book. At the time, adult books were typically produced in three volumes, whereas books for the juvenile market were typically produced in a single volume with illustrations. In the preface to his first novel, Collingwood stated that ". . . my purpose has simply been to combine a little information with, I hope, a great deal of interest and amusement; and if my book serves but to while pleasantly away an idle hour or two for the general reader, or conveys a scrap of useful information to the young yachtsman, that purpose will be fully accomplished." Collingwood was well considered as a story teller, and especially as a teller of sea stories. Reviewers at the time wrote: *"As a story-teller Mr Collingwood is not surpassed. — ''Spectator'' *"Mr. Harry Collingwood, we need hardly say, does know how to tell a story..." — ''Academy'' *"...well known as the writer of tales of adventure by sea..." — ''Athenaeum'' *"Mr. Collingwood writes of the sea with a sympathy and understanding which are all too rare in writers of boys’ books, and his hero is a fine character, well drawn." — ''The Academy'' *"His descriptions of adventure at sea are not surpassed by those of any other writer for boys, while his plots are of an exciting nature" — ''Morning Post'' *"In sea stories this talented author excels, and this is one of his best. It is full of wonderful adventure told in a style which holds the reader spell-bound" — ''Practical Teacher'' *"... in our opinion the author is superior in some respects as a marine novelist to the better-known Mr. Clark Russell" — ''The Times'' *"Another excellent yarn-spinner, and one who rivals Mr. Clark Russell in his ability to get the “whiff of the briny” into his pages, is Mr. Harry Collingwood" — ''St. James's Gazette'' Collingwood was popular, and his novels remained in print for a long time. In 1913, Blackie was still offering 18 novels by Collingwood they had published over the previous two decades, and only one, ''An Ocean Chase'' was not included. Ellis noted that ''in the 1920's, adventures stories were represented by the work of Harry Collingwood, Captain W.E. Johns, and Percy Westerman''. Sternlicht list him as one of the four standard boys' novelists of

C. S. Forester Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare, such as the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series depicting a Roya ...

's childhood. Collingwood was one of the authors of children's fiction that

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

recommended for translation into Russian. Sampson Low were still advertising all 6 titles by Harry Collingwood that they had published in an advertisement published in the late 1930s. Dizer notes that Collingwood's books were being re-issued in England through at least 1939. Dizer notes that apart from the three science fictions stories about the ''Flying Fish'' Collingwood's books ''are mainly sea stories of young English heroes''. Unlike G. A. Henty, whose heroes are often public schoolboys, Collingwoods heroes are usually from the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy, and public schools are rarely referred to. Unlike G. A. Henty who has occasional Scottish and Irish heroes, Collingwood's heroes, with very few exceptions, are English. Collingwood's professional background occasionally appears in the novels. The hero in ''Harry Escombe; a tale of adventure in Peru'' (1910) was an engineering surveyor. The eponymous hero of ''Geoffrey Harrington's Adventures'' was a manager of an engineering company, and the hero of ''The Cruise of the Thetis'' was the head of a marine engineering and shipbuilding enterprise.

Engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

also appear as strong secondary characters in such stories as ''The Pirate Island'' (1884) and ''The Missing Merchantman'' (1888). Ferreira examines some of the underlying prejudices displayed by Collingwood in ''Harry Escombe; a tale of adventure in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

''. In ''With

Airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

and

Submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

'' (1908) he describes anarchists as "enemies of society and of the human race". Almost all of Lancaster's novels have a predominantly nautical theme. Even those that don't often include a long sea-voyage. Three, featuring a flying

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

, are frank

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

. Several of the works, most especially ''Geoffrey Harrington's Adventure'' (1907), include a lost white tribe in the story. Other recurrent themes in Lancaster's novels include storms,

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

, being

castaway A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade captors or the world in general. A person may also be left a ...

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, buried treasure, long voyages in open boats, disasters at sea, derelict ships, and pearl fishing. Lancaster excelled at swimming, rifle-shooting, and

horse-riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

and these skills can sometime be found among the heroes of his novels. Lancaster was a keen yachtsman and

yacht designer Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and o ...

and the design of small craft to escape from isolated islands is a recurring theme in the novels.

Sample illustrations from a Collingwood book

The following illustrations by C. J. Staniland and J. R. Wells were for ''The Pirate Island, a story of the South Pacific'' (1884, Blackie, London) by Collingwood. The illustrations cover common themes in Collingwood's works: personal bravery, swimming, mutiny, fires at sea, piracy, treasure, voyages in open boats, and fighting sharks. File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page020-Swimming.png, Page 20 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page097-Mutiny.png, Page 97 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page113-Burning Ship.png, Page 113 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page126-Sinking Boat.png, Page 126 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page175-Pirate Ship.png, Page 175 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page222-Saving little May.png, Page 222 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page247-In the Gold Cave.png, Page 247 File:Illustration by C. J Staniland (1838-1916) and J. R. Wells (1849-1897) for The pirate island (1884, Blackie, London) by Harry Collingwood (1843-1922)-by courtesy of the Hathi Trust-page328-Attack by Pirates.png, Page 328

Background to the books

Nield, speaking of historical fiction, says that ''among the most deservedly popular of recent imaginative writers ... Of those who cater for young people, ... Harry Collingwood ... may be mentioned as having come well to the fore''. However, ''The Athenaeum'' noted that of ''The Log of a Privateersman'', that ''The book, as such a book has a right to do, sets history, chronology, and law at defiance ; but the story is told with life and vigour which carry it swimmingly over the most absolute impossibilities''.. The novels set in a particular historical context include: *The three novels set in the late 16th Century are set in the context of the

Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) The Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) was an intermittent conflict between the Habsburg Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of England. It was never formally declared. The war included much English privateering against Spanish ships, and several wid ...

with one ''The Cruise of the 'Nonsuch' Buccaneer'' set in the context of the aftermath of the

Battle of San Juan (1595) The Battle of San Juan (1595) was a Spanish victory during the Anglo–Spanish War. This war broke out in 1585 and was fought not only in the European theatre but in Spain's American colonies. After emerging from six years of disgrace following ...

. *The four books and one short story set in the

West Africa Squadron The West Africa Squadron, also known as the Preventative Squadron, was a squadron of the British Royal Navy whose goal was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa. Formed in 1808 after the British Parliame ...

deal with the blockade of Africa for the suppression of the

Atlantic Slave Trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

. However, Kitzan stated that: ''The slaves are but a vehicle to provide a rationale for a series of rousing and deadly adventures''. *''Under the Chilian Flag'' (1909) is set in the context of the War of the Pacific of 1879-1884 between Chile and a Bolivian-Peruvian alliance. *''Under the Ensign of the Rising Sun'' was set in the context of the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

of 1904–1908. *''A Chinese Command'' (1915) is set against the context of the

Donghak Peasant Revolution The Donghak Peasant Revolution (), also known as the Donghak Peasant Movement (), Donghak Rebellion, Peasant Revolt of 1894, Gabo Peasant Revolution, and a variety of Donghak Peasant Revolution#Role played by Donghak, other names, was an armed ...

for whom the hero is smuggling arms, and the resulting

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the po ...

of 1894–1895, and the story effectively ends with the signing of the

Treaty of Shimonoseki The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Firs ...

. *''Under the Meteor Flag'' (1884) is set in the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. *''Blue and Grey'' is set in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and specifically around the events of the Battle of Cherbourg (1864). *''The Cruise of the 'Thetis' ''(1910) is set during the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). The final three months ...

1895–1998. However, the novels should not be taken as accurate portrayals of historical fact, as Lancaster changes event to suit the plot. In ''The Cruise of the 'Nonsuch' Buccaneer'' for example, Drake's attack on San Juan is presented as Spanish treachery in violation of a truce rather than the blatant attempt to sack the city. In ''Warship International'', Sturton, commenting about the description of the Battle of Yalu in ''A Chinese Command'', said: ''The book's account of the battle is not factual; only three Chinese and three Japanese ships are named correctly and certain lurid episodes are entirely fictional''.

Books with son

As well as his solo writing Lancaster wrote one published work ''In the Power of the Enemy'' (1925) together with his son. This was originally published as a serial in an English magazine in 1912. Collingwood and his son wrote another unpublished manuscript: ''The Fourth Temptation. The Love Story of Mary Magdalene.'' This may have been the manuscript that Percival referred to as being ''taken to England'' by the Managing Director of Sampson Low in 1912. Collingwood was in Toronto with his son at the time. Percival wrote two book himself, ''Captain Jack O'Hara R.N.'' (1908) and ''Chaloner of the Bengal Cavalry: a Tale of the Indian Mutiny'' (1915). ''The Serpent'', was set in New Zealand and was due for publication in 1913. ''The Ship of Silence'' is referenced on the title page of ''In the Power of the Enemy'' Percival wrote a short story under this name for MacLeans.

List of works

Please see

Works by Harry Collingwood This page list the published work of Harry Collingwood, the pseudonym for William Joseph Cosens Lancaster. The 44 novels and the stories are organised by year of first publication, but the tables can be sorted interactively. Novels Sources This ...

for a list of works by the author.

Notes

References

External links

* *
The Online Books Page for Harry Collingwood

British Library Catalogue listing for Harry Collingwood (i.e. William Joseph Cosens Lancaster)

Historic Naval Fiction page for Harry Collingwood
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collingwood, Harry 1843 births 1922 deaths British civil engineers People from Weymouth, Dorset English historical novelists 19th-century English novelists Maritime writers Writers about the Age of Sail Nautical historical novelists Victorian novelists Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age