William Henry Wills (journalist)
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William Henry Wills JP (13 January 1810 – 1 September 1880) was a British journalist, playwright, a
newspaper editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
and a close friend and confidant of the author
Charles 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 e ...
, who entrusted Wills with the task of forwarding his letters to his mistress
Ellen Ternan Ellen Lawless Ternan (3 March 1839 – 25 April 1914), also known as Nelly Ternan or Nelly Wharton-Robinson, was an English actress known for association with the author Charles Dickens. Birth and family life Ellen Ternan was born in Roches ...
.William Henry Wills
in the
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 ...
, 1885–1900, Volume 62


Early career

Born 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 ...
in 1810, his father, at one time a wealthy ship-owner and prize-agent, met with misfortunes, and the family moved to London in 1819. On the death of his father the responsibility of supporting his mother and brother and sister fell on William Henry, or Harry Wills as he was always called. After leaving school he became a wood-engraver in the office of J. H. Vizetelly before becoming a journalist, contributing to
periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also examples ...
s such as the ''Penny Magazine'' and ''Saturday Magazine'', John Ramsay McCulloch's ''A Dictionary, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical'' before being appointed sub-editor of ''The Monthly Magazine''. His play ''The Law of the Land'' was produced at the
Surrey Theatre The Surrey Theatre, London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama (hippodrama). It stood in Blackfriars Road, near the jun ...
in 1837. In the same year he first met
Charles 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 e ...
who was then the editor of ''
Bentley's Miscellany ''Bentley's Miscellany'' was an English literary magazine started by Richard Bentley. It was published between 1836 and 1868. Contributors Already a successful publisher of novels, Bentley began the journal in 1836 and invited Charles Dickens ...
''.Wills on Spartacus Educational
/ref> He was one of the original writers on ''
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 ...
'', and had some share in the composition of the draft prospectus. He contributed to the first number (17 July 1841) the satiric verse on
Lord Cardigan Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England, currently held by the Marquess of Ailesbury, Marquesses of Ailesbury, and used as a Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title by the heir apparent to that Marquessate, currentl ...
called ''To the Blackballed of the United Service Club''. He was for some time the regular drama critic, in which capacity he ridiculed
Louis Antoine Jullien Louis George Maurice Adolphe Roche Albert Abel Antonio Alexandre Noë Jean Lucien Daniel Eugène Joseph-le-brun Joseph-Barême Thomas Thomas Thomas-Thomas Pierre Arbon Pierre-Maurel Barthélemi Artus Alphonse Bertrand Dieudonné Emanuel Josué V ...
, the introducer of the promenade concerts at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
, and severely criticised the acting of
Charles Kean Charles John Kean (18 January 181122 January 1868), was an English actor and theatre manager, best known for his revivals of Shakespearean plays. Life Kean was born at Waterford, Ireland, a son of actor Edmund Kean and actress Mary Kean (''ne ...
. Among his other contributions in prose and verse were ''Punch's Natural History of Courtship'' (illustrated by Sir John Gilbert), ''Punch's Comic Mythology'', ''Information for the People'', and skits such as ''The Burst Boiler and the Broken Heart'', and ''The Uncles of England'', in praise of
pawnbroker A pawnbroker is an individual or business (pawnshop or pawn shop) that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral. The items having been ''pawned'' to the broker are themselves called ''pledges'' or ...
s. From 1842 to 1845 Wills was in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
where he was assistant editor of ''
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal ''Chambers's Edinburgh Journal'' was a weekly 16-page magazine started by William Chambers in 1832. The first edition was dated 4 February 1832, and priced at one penny. Topics included history, religion, language, and science. William was soo ...
''; in April 1846 he married Janet Chambers (1812–1892), the youngest sister of
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
and Robert Chambers, the Edinburgh publishers for whom he had been working.


Association with Dickens

On his return to London he wrote for the ''Punch Almanack'' in 1846, but his contributions were thenceforth infrequent. Also in 1846 Harry Wills began his lifelong association with
Charles 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 e ...
, when he became one of the sub-editors of '' The Daily News'' under Dickens' editorship. He continued in this role when John Forster replaced Dickens as editor. In 1850, on Forster's suggestion, Wills joined Dickens as secretary, sub-editor and proprietor of the new journal ''
Household Words ''Household Words'' was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s. It took its name from the line in Shakespeare's ''Henry V'': "Familiar in his mouth as household words." History During the planning stages, titles origi ...
'', Wills holding an interest of one-eighth share, which was increased to three-sixteenths in 1856. He was given the same position by Dickens when, ten years later, '' All the Year Round'' was incorporated with it, but by now Wills had a quarter share. His business capacity was invaluable to Dickens, and he was one of the most intimate friends of the novelist in later life. Despite this, Dickens accorded him no higher title than "subeditor". But as far as the reading public was concerned, Wills was as much a part of the two periodicals as was Dickens. Of ''Household Words'' (or at times of both ''Household Words'' and ''All the Year Round''), he was variously referred to as "acting editor" (Wills' obituary in ''
Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...
'', 4 September 1880), "working editor" (
John Hollingshead John Hollingshead (9 September 1827 – 9 October 1904) was an English theatrical impresario, journalist and writer during the latter half of the 19th century. After a journalism career, Hollingshead managed the Alhambra Theatre and was later th ...
, ''My Lifetime'', vol. I, p. 98), "assistant editor" (Lady Priestley, ''Story of a Lifetime'', p. 95), "co-editor" (''Athenaeum'', 29 October 1892), and "editor" ( W. J. Linton, ''Memories'', p. 161). Dickens realised Wills's importance in making his periodicals a success. At various times he referred to Wills as his "fellow-workman", even as his "colleague" but also as his "
factotum Factotum may refer to: *A handyman, employed as a servant * ''Factotum'' (novel), a 1975 novel by Charles Bukowski * ''Factotum'' (film), a 2005 film adaptation of the novel *Factotum (arts organisation), an arts organisation based in Belfast *fact ...
". However, Dickens was under few illusions regarding Wills's literary capabilities, on 15 May 1861 writing to
Edward Bulwer Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secre ...
, "Wills has no genius, and is, in literary matters, sufficiently commonplace to represent a very large proportion of our readers".William Henry Wills on ''Dickens Journals Online''
/ref> In 1850 Wills edited ''Sir Roger de Coverley by the Spectator'', illustrated with engravings from designs by Frederick Taylor (Boston, Massachusetts, 1851; reissued in the ''Traveller's Library'', 1856). At the end of 1851 Wills accompanied Dickens on his theatrical tour in connection with the Guild of Literature and Art, a philanthropic organisation founded by Dickens,
Augustus Egg Augustus Leopold Egg RA (2 May 1816, in London – 26 March 1863, in Algiers) was a British Victorian artist, and member of The Clique best known for his modern triptych '' Past and Present'' (1858), which depicts the breakup of a middle-class ...
and Edward Bulwer Lytton, intended to provide welfare payments to struggling artists and writers who had fallen on hard times. Wills was honorary secretary of the Guild. Wills also published ''Old Leaves Gathered from Household Words'' (1860), dedicated to Dickens. In 1861 he issued ''Poets' Wit and Humour'', illustrated by a hundred engravings from drawings by Charles Bennett and G. H. Thomas. Two pieces, ''A Lyric for Lovers'' and an ''Ode to Big Ben'', the latter of which originally appeared in ''
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 ...
'', were from his own pen. The book was republished in 1882. Wills also republished under the title ''Light and Dark'' some of his contributions to ''
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal ''Chambers's Edinburgh Journal'' was a weekly 16-page magazine started by William Chambers in 1832. The first edition was dated 4 February 1832, and priced at one penny. Topics included history, religion, language, and science. William was soo ...
''. He was a fluent writer both in prose and verse, with a faint tinge of pedantry, which afforded Dickens much amusement.
Douglas Jerrold Douglas William Jerrold (London 3 January 18038 June 1857 London) was an English dramatist and writer. Biography Jerrold's father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Dougla ...
was fond of exercising his wit at his expense, and Wills had enough humour to enjoy the situation. In 1855 Wills was asked to edit the ''Civil Service Gazette'' in addition to editing ''Household Words''. Dickens refused him permission to hold these dual roles, but realising that Wills needed both positions because he was short of money suggested that he become part-time secretary to
Baroness Burdett-Coutts Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
who for many years had the advantage of Wills's judgement and experience in the conduct of her philanthropic undertakings. Wills was a highly trusted friend to Dickens, who entrusted Wills with the task of forwarding his letters to
Ellen Ternan Ellen Lawless Ternan (3 March 1839 – 25 April 1914), also known as Nelly Ternan or Nelly Wharton-Robinson, was an English actress known for association with the author Charles Dickens. Birth and family life Ellen Ternan was born in Roches ...
during Dickens's 1867–8 American reading tour. In 1868, while Dickens was still in America, Wills suffered a
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
from an accident while hunting when he was thrown from his horse, and was disabled from his duties as editor of ''All the Year Round''. He never recovered, and retired from active work. The remaining years of his life Wills spent at his home, Sherrards at
Welwyn Welwyn is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands, Hertfordshire, Oaklands. It is sometimes referred to as Old Welwyn or Welwyn Village, ...
in Hertfordshire. In Welwyn he acted as
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
and Chairman of the
Board of guardians Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...
. He died there on 1 September 1880, and was buried on 6 September. In 1883 his widow Janet Hills left Welwyn and moved to London.'Sherrards Secluded Mansion, Hidden History' on 'Our Welwyn Garden City' website
/ref>


Personal life

Wills married Janet Chambers (1812–1892), the youngest sister of
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
and Robert Chambers, the Edinburgh publishers. There were no children of the marriage. Janet Wills was a woman of strong character, and a great favourite with Dickens, in whose correspondence her name frequently appears and who wrote the part of Nurse Esther in ''
The Frozen Deep ''The Frozen Deep'' is an 1856 play, originally staged as an amateur theatrical, written by Wilkie Collins under the substantial guidance of Charles Dickens. Dickens's hand was so prominent—beside acting in the play for several performances, ...
'' (1857) for her; she played the role "to much acclaim",A. Lohrli, 'Wife to Mr Wills', ''The Dickensian'', 81 (1985), pg 24 in one of Dickens's amateur theatricals held at
Tavistock House Tavistock House was the London home of the noted British author Charles Dickens and his family from 1851 to 1860. At Tavistock House Dickens wrote ''Bleak House'', '' Hard Times'', ''Little Dorrit'' and ''A Tale of Two Cities''. He also put on a ...
. She had an extensive knowledge of Scottish literature, and a large fund of anecdotes, and was for many years the centre of a wide literary and social circle. She died on 24 October 1892. At her death the sum of £1,000 accrued to the newspaper press fund, in which Wills had interested himself after the failure of the Guild of Literature and Art.


References

This article is based in part on Wills' entry in the ''
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 ...
'', a work published in 1900 and now in the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...


External links

*
William Henry Wills on Spartacus Education websiteThe William Henry Wills Papers
in the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
Collection
Digital copy of ''Charles Dickens as Editor, being letters written to William Henry Wills, his sub-editor (1912)''
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
Special Collections website {{DEFAULTSORT:Wills, William Henry 1810 births 1880 deaths Writers from Plymouth, Devon English male journalists English dramatists and playwrights 19th-century British dramatists and playwrights English newspaper editors Charles Dickens 19th-century British journalists English male dramatists and playwrights English male novelists People from Welwyn