''The New Monthly Magazine'' was a British monthly magazine published from 1814 to 1884. It was founded by Henry Colburn and published by him through to 1845.

History

Colburn and

Frederic Shoberl Frederic Shoberl (1775–1853), also known as Frederick Schoberl, was an English journalist, editor, translator, writer and illustrator. Shoberl edited '' Forget-Me-Not'', the first literary annual, issued at Christmas "for 1823" and translated ' ...

established ''The New Monthly Magazine and Universal Register'' as a "virulently

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

" competitor to Sir Richard Phillips' ''

Monthly Magazine ''The Monthly Magazine'' (1796–1843) of London began publication in February 1796. Contributors Richard Phillips was the publisher and a contributor on political issues. The editor for the first ten years was a literary jack-of-all-trades, Dr ...

'' in 1814. "The double-column format and the comprehensive contents combined the ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

'' with the '' Annual Register''". In its April 1819 issue it published John Polidori's

Gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ...

'' The Vampyre'', the first significant piece of prose vampire literature in English, attributing it to

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

, who partly inspired it. In 1821 Colburn recast the magazine with a more literary and less political focus, retitling it ''The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal''. Nominally edited by the poet Thomas Campbell, most editing fell to the sub-editor Cyrus Redding. Colburn paid contributors well, and they included Sydney Morgan,

Thomas Charles Morgan Sir Thomas Charles Morgan (1783 – 28 August 1843) was an English physician and writer with an interest in philosophical and miscellaneous subject matter. His wife was the novelist Lady Morgan. Biography Morgan was born in Charlotte Street, Bloo ...

, Peter George Patmore,

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book ''Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764– ...

Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...

Stendhal Marie-Henri Beyle (; 23 January 1783 – 23 March 1842), better known by his pen name Stendhal (, ; ), was a 19th-century French writer. Best known for the novels ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' ('' The Red and the Black'', 1830) and ''La Chartreuse de ...

, Thomas Noon Talfourd,

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...

, Felicia Hemans,

Ugo Foscolo Ugo Foscolo (; 6 February 177810 September 1827), born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and a poet. He is especially remembered for his 1807 long poem ''Dei Sepolcri''. Early life Foscolo was born in Zakynthos in the Ion ...

Richard Lalor Sheil Richard Lalor Sheil (17 August 1791 – 23 May 1851), Irish politician, writer and orator, was born at Drumdowney, Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The family was temporarily domiciled at Drumdowney while their new mansion at Bellevue, near ...

, Mary Russell Mitford, Edward Bulwer, James and Horace Smith, and

William Hazlitt William Hazlitt (10 April 177818 September 1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English lan ...

. Hazlitt's "

Table-Talk ''Table-Talk'' is a collection of essays by the English cultural critic and social commentator William Hazlitt. It was originally published as two volumes, the first of which appeared in April 1821.Bate 2004. The essays deal with topics such as ...

" essays, begun in the '' London Magazine'', appeared in the ''New Monthly'' from late 1821, his essay "The Fight" appeared in 1822, and his series "The Spirits of the Age'" was later republished, with essays from other sources, in the book ''

The Spirit of the Age ''The Spirit of the Age'' (full title ''The Spirit of the Age: Or, Contemporary Portraits'') is a collection of character sketches by the early 19th century English essayist, literary critic, and social commentator William Hazlitt, portraying ...

'' (1825). Charles Knight's '' London Magazine'' merged with the ''New Monthly'' in 1829, and in that year

Richard Bentley Richard Bentley FRS (; 27 January 1662 – 14 July 1742) was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. Considered the "founder of historical philology", Bentley is widely credited with establishing the English school of Helle ...

became Colburn's business partner. After Redding resigned in 1830, Campbell found himself unable to edit the magazine on his own and

Samuel Carter Hall Samuel Carter Hall (9 May 1800 – 11 March 1889) was an Irish-born Victorian journalist who is best known for his editorship of '' The Art Journal'' and for his much-satirised personality. Early years Hall was born at the Geneva Barracks in W ...

became editor for a year. In 1831 the novelist Edward Bulwer became editor, turning "the essentially apolitical, slightly Whiggish, literary journal into a vigorous radical organ shouting 'Reform' at the top of its lungs." Hall, a political Conservative, had remained as sub-editor, and resisted Bulwer's efforts: Bulwer resigned in 1833, with Hall taking up the editorship once more. Contributors now included Catherine Gore, Anna Maria Hall,

, Felicia Hemans,

Caroline Norton Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, Lady Stirling-Maxwell (22 March 1808 – 15 June 1877) was an active English social reformer and author.Perkin, pp. 26–28. She left her husband in 1836, who sued her close friend Lord Melbourne, then the Whig ...

Thomas Haynes Bayly Thomas Haynes Bayly (13 October 1797 – 22 April 1839) was an English poet, songwriter, dramatist and writer. Life Bayly was born in Bath on 13 October 1797, the only child of Nathaniel Bayly, an influential citizen of Bath: he was related t ...

, and Theodore Edward Hook. In 1837 the magazine was retitled ''The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist'', to meet the challenge of '' Bentley's Miscellany''. Now edited by Theodore Hook, it published contributions from

, Douglas Jerrold, Frederick Marryat, Frances Trollope,

Charles Robert Forrester Charles Robert Forrester (1803, London – 15 January 1850, London) was an English lawyer and writer, who sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Hal Willis, frequently with illustrations provided by his brother Alfred Henry Forrester (1804–1872) wh ...

, and W. M. Thackeray. Upon Hook's death in 1841,

Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs" and " The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for '' The London Magazine'', '' Athenaeum'', and ''Punch' ...

was editor until 1843. In 1845 Colburn sold the magazine for £2500 to William Harrison Ainsworth, who had earlier edited ''Bentley's Miscellany'' and who now edited his own ''Ainsworth's Magazine''. Ainsworth edited the ''New Monthly'' with his cousin William Francis Ainsworth as sub-editor. From 1871–79 William Francis Ainsworth was editor.

Titles

Over the years, the magazine had several titles. These are listed at ''Periodicals Online'', (Scroll down to see title listings for ''The New Monthly'', listed below ''The New London Magazine'' and above ''The New Quarterly Magazine'' and comprise: *''The New Monthly Magazine and Universal Register'' – February 1814 to December 1820 *''The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal'' – January 1821 to December 1836 *''The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist'' – January 1837 to December 1852 *''The New Monthly Magazine'' – January 1853 to December 1881 *''The New Monthly'' – January to October 1882.

Editors

The editorship of the ''New Monthly Magazine'' was complicated by the frequent use of a deputy position, or "working editor". Hook, Hood, Ainsworth, and Ainsworth alone are named on bound volume title pages. *1814

* John Watkins *1819 Alaric Alexander Watts *1821 Edward Dubois, one issue only *1821–1830 Thomas Campbell *1821–1830 Cyrus Redding de facto editor *1830

, sub-editor and then editor *1831–1833

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whigs (British political party), Whig member of Parl ...

*1837–1841 Theodore Hook *1837–1841

Benson Earle Hill Benson Earle Hill (''c.'' 1795 – 1845) was a nineteenth century English writer, soldier and epicure. Life Hill was born in 1795. He lived with his sister Isabel Hill in 1820 and this was a life-long friendship. They had lived together befo ...

, assistant1839–1840 Francis Foster Barham edited with John Abraham Heraud, according to Thompson Cooper's DNB article on Barham; contradicted by the ODNB biography of Heraud which says it was the ''

'' 1839–1842, though supported by the ODNB biography of Barham. *1841–1843

*1841–1853 Peter George Patmore *1845–1870 William Harrison Ainsworth proprietor-editor *1871 William Francis Ainsworth

References

External links

Listings for ''New Monthly Magazine''
at

Internet Archive 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 ...

– primarily the American ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine'' (

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

, from 1850) {{DEFAULTSORT:New Monthly Magazine 1814 establishments in the United Kingdom 1884 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct literary magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1814 Magazines disestablished in 1884

History

Titles

Editors

References

Further reading

External links