William Wymark Jacobs (8 September 1863 – 1 September 1943) was an English author of short fiction and drama. His best remembered story is "

The Monkey's Paw "The Monkey's Paw" is a horror short story by English author W. W. Jacobs, first published in the collection '' The Lady of the Barge'' in 1902. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey's Paw, but the wishes come with ...

". He was born in

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...

, London, on 8 September 1863, the son of William Gage Jacobs and his wife Sophia, ''née'' Wymark. His father ran the South Devon wharf at Lower East. William and his siblings were still young when their mother died. Their father then married his housekeeper and had seven more children. Jacobs attended a private London school before Birkbeck College (Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, now part of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

),"Jacobs, William", in Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, ''Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature'', (Third Edition). New York, The H. W. Wilson Company, 1950, pp. 721–723. where he befriended William Pett Ridgcap.

Early work

In 1879, Jacobs began work as a clerk in the Post Office Savings Bank. By 1885 he had his first short story published, but success came slowly. Yet

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

in 1898 was astonished to hear that Jacobs had turned down £50 for six short stories. He was financially secure enough to be able to leave the post office in 1899.

Literature

Jacobs is remembered for a macabre tale, "

", (published 1902 in a short-story collection, '' The Lady of the Barge'')Norman Donaldson, "W. W. Jacobs", E. F. Bleiler, ed. ''Supernatural Fiction Writers''. New York: Scribner's, 1985, pp. 383–388. and several other ghost stories, including "The Toll House" (from the 1909 collection ''Sailors' Knots'') and "Jerry Bundler" (from the 1901 ''Light Freights''). Most of his work was humorous. His favourite subject was marine life – "men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage," said ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'', reviewing his first collection, ''Many Cargoes'', which gained popular success on publication in 1896.

Michael Sadleir Michael Sadleir (25 December 1888 – 13 December 1957), born Michael Thomas Harvey Sadler, was a British publisher, novelist, book collector, and bibliographer. Biography Michael Sadleir was born in Oxford, England, the son of Sir Michael ...

has said of Jacobs's fiction, "He wrote stories of three kinds: describing the misadventures of sailor-men ashore; celebrating the artful dodger of a slow-witted village; and tales of the macabre." Drawing of W

''Many Cargoes'' was followed by the novel ''The Skipper's Wooing'' in 1897, and another collection of short stories, ''Sea Urchins'' (1898), confirmed his popularity. Other titles included ''Captains All'', ''Sailors' Knots'', and ''Night Watches''. The title of the last reflects the popularity of an enduring character: the night-watchman on the wharf in Wapping, recounting the preposterous adventures of his acquaintances Ginger Dick, Sam Small, and Peter Russet. These three characters, pockets full after a long voyage, took lodgings together, set on enjoying a long spell ashore, but the crafty inhabitants of dockland London soon relieved them of their funds, assisted by their own fecklessness and credulity. Jacobs showed a delicacy of touch in his use of the coarse vernacular of the East End of London, which attracted the respect of such writers as

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

, who mentions Jacobs in his autobiographical work '' Bring on the Girls!'', written with

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...

and published in 1954. The stories in ''Many Cargoes'' had varied previous serial publication, while those in ''Sea Urchins'' were for the most part published in

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...

's ''

Idler The Idler refers to someone idle: * An idle game * A slacker, a person who habitually avoids work * Idler-wheel, a system used to transmit the rotation of the main shaft of a motor to another rotating device * Idler circuit, a circuit in a parame ...

''. From October 1898, Jacobs's stories appeared in the ''

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

'', which provided him with financial security almost up to his death. John Drinkwater described Jacobs's fiction as "in the

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

tradition".

Dramatic work

Jacobs's short-story output declined somewhat around the time of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. His literary efforts thereafter were mainly adaptations of his own short stories for the stage. His first stage work, ''The Ghost of Jerry Bundler'', opened in London in 1899, was revived in 1902 and was eventually published in 1908. He wrote 18 plays altogether, some in collaboration with other writers.

Personal life

Jacobs married Agnes Eleanor Williams in 1900 at West Ham, Essex. Agnes was later a noted suffragette. The 1901 Census records their living with a first child, a three-month-old daughter, at Kings Place Road,

Buckhurst Hill Buckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area developed following the o ...

, Essex. Also recorded in the household were his journalist sister Amy, his sister-in-law, Nancy Williams, a cook, and an additional domestic servant. Altogether the Jacobs had two sons and three daughters. Jacobs went on to set up home in

Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...

, Essex, first at the Outlook in Park Hill, and then at Feltham House in Goldings Hill, which bears a blue plaque to him. Loughton is the "Claybury" of some of the stories; Jacobs's love for the local forest scenery features in "Land Of Cockaigne". Another blue plaque appears on Jacobs's central London residence at 15 Gloucester Gate, Regents Park (later held by the Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture). Jacobs stated that after his youthful

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

opinions, his political position in later years was "

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and

Individualistic Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-relianc ...

". On 7 January 1914, in King's Hall, Covent Garden, Jacobs was a member of the jury in the mock trial of John Jasper for the murder of

Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opiu ...

. At this all-star event G. K. Chesterton was Judge and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

appeared as foreman of the jury. In 1928 he was involved in the creation of films of his works. The first film made was titled "The Bravo". Fifty actresses were auditioned and Jacob was said to be impressed by

Paddy Naismith Paddy Naismith or Eirane Redmond Naismith (16 May 1903 – 28 November 1963) was a British actress, pilot and racing driver. She appeared in an early live colour TV demonstration. Life She was born in 1908 to parents John Naismith and Mary Fran ...

who was chosen to play the lead role. W. W. Jacobs died on 1 September 1943 at Hornsey Lane, Islington, London, at the age of 79. An obituary in ''The Times'' (2 September 1943) described him as "quiet, gentle and modest... not fond of large functions and crowds."

Ian Hay Major General John Hay Beith, CBE MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who wrote under the pen name Ian Hay. After rea ...

remarked, "He invented an entirely new form of humorous narrative. Its outstanding characteristics were compression and understatement."Sandra Kemp, Charlotte Mitchell and David Trotter, eds., "Jacobs, W. W.", ''The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction'', Oxford: OUP, 1997,

Bibliography

*''Many Cargoes'', 1896 *''The Skipper's Wooing'' and ''The Brown Man's Servant'', 1897 (novel and novella) *''More Cargoes'', 1897 *''Sea Urchins'', 1898 (also known as ''More Cargoes'', US) *''A Master of Craft'', 1900 *''Light Freights'', 1901 *'' The Lady of the Barge'', 1902 **"

", "The Lady of the Barge", "Bill's Paper Chase", "The Well", "Cupboard Love", "In the Library", "Captain Rogers", "A Tiger's Skin", "A Mixed Proposal", "An Adulteration Act", "A Golden Venture", "Three at Table" *''Dialstone Lane'', 1902 *''At Sunwich Port'', 1902 *''Odd Craft'', 1903 (contains "The Money Box") *''Captains All'', 1905 *''Short Cruises'', 1907 *''Salthaven'', 1908 *''Sailors' Knots'', 1909 (contains "The Toll House") *''Ship's Company'', 1911 *''Night Watches'', 1914 *''The Castaways'', 1916 *''Deep Waters'', 1919 *''Sea Whispers'', 1926

Short stories

*"Mrs Bunker's Chaperon", ''Henry's Christmas Annual'', 1895 *"Contraband of War", ''The Idler Magazine'', February 1896 *"In Borrowed Plumes", ''The Minster Magazine'', February 1896 *"A Benefit Performance", ''To-Day'', August 1896 *"A Love Passage", ''The Idler Magazine'', February 1896 *"The Brown Man's Servant", ''Pearson's Magazine'', December 1896 *"Wapping-on-Thames", ''Windsor Magazine'', June 1897 *"Rule of Three", ''The Graphic'', 1 July 1897 *"The Skipper's Wooing", ''Windsor Magazine'', July 1897

Film adaptations

*1922 '' A Master of Craft'' *1936 '' Our Relations'', a Laurel and Hardy feature film with a "suggested by" credit to Jacobs's "The Money Box" *1937 '' Beauty and the Barge'' *1955 ''

Footsteps in the Fog ''Footsteps in the Fog'' is a 1955 British Technicolor film noir crime film starring Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons, with a screenplay co-written by Lenore Coffee and Dorothy Davenport, and released by Columbia Pictures. The film is bas ...

'', from the short story "The Interruption" *2013 '' ''The Monkey's Paw'''', and versions in 1915,

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

, 1933 and 1948

References

External links

W. W. Jacobs Collection
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

William Wymark Jacobs letters
at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

* * * *
Works by W. W. Jacobs
at

Hathi Trust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...

''The Monkey's Paw''
can be read online a
American Literature

''The Toll House"''
Full text. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, William Wymark 1863 births 1943 deaths Writers from London Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London People from Loughton People from Wapping Victorian novelists 19th-century English writers 19th-century British novelists 20th-century English novelists English short story writers Ghost story writers 19th-century British short story writers English comedy writers English horror writers