''John Halifax, Gentleman'' is a

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

Dinah Craik Dinah Maria Craik (; born Dinah Maria Mulock, often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik; 20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. She is best remembered for her novel, '' John Halifax, Gentleman'', which presents ...

, first published in

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – The American sidewheel steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatl ...

. Through hard work, the protagonist becomes a successful industrialist. The novel is set in the context of Britain's

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

. The book sold well in the 19th century. In the 20th century it was adapted for film and television.

Location

Dinah Craik grew up in an industrial conurbation,

the Potteries The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing the six towns Burslem, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall and Stoke-upon-Trent, Stoke ( ...

district of Staffordshire. However, the plot of the novel revolves around

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, an town which she visited but never lived in. While Tewkesbury was not heavily industrialised, there are mills such as Abbey Mill, dated 1793, which supposedly features in the book along with other prominent buildings. A memorial to Dinah Craik was erected in Tewkesbury Abbey. A photographic postcard, probably from the early 20th century, depicts Dunkirk Mills, Inchbrook, near Nailsworth and Stroud, Gloucestershire, stating it was the "original Mills of 'John Halifax Gentleman'". A discussion on a Stroud Fakebook 'sic''page suggests that Enderley and the cottage were modelled on an area near Avening.

Plot summary

The story is narrated by Phineas, a friend of the central character. John Halifax is an orphan, determined to make his way in the world through honest hard work. He is taken in by a tanner, Abel Fletcher, who is a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

, and thus meets Phineas, who is Abel's son. John eventually achieves success in business and love, and becomes a wealthy man.

Editions

The novel was first published by

Hurst and Blackett Hurst and Blackett was a publisher founded in 1852 by Henry Blackett (26 May 1825 – 7 March 1871), the grandson of a London shipbuilder, and Daniel William Stow Hurst (17 February 1802 – 6 July 1870). Shortly after the formation of their partn ...

. It has been published in dozens of editions and translated into various languages. An illustrated edition was published by J. M. Dent & Co. in 1898, with twelve colour plates by three artists: W. C. (Cubitt) Cooke. L. M. (Laura) Fisher and F. C. (Frederick Colin) Tilney.

Adaptations

The novel has been adapted several times. A 1915 silent film '' John Halifax, Gentleman'' was directed by George Pearson. In 1938 a film version '' John Halifax'' was made. The novel was adapted for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

in 1970. In 1974 a

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television series '' John Halifax, Gentleman'' was made starring

Robert Coleby Robert Coleby (born 1947) is a British actor who has spent most of his career in Australia. Active since the 1970s, he has over 70 film and television credits to his name. Coleby has acted on stage in numerous productions for the Queensland The ...

In popular culture

The books appears to have been awarded frequently as a prize by

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

s. The book is mentioned in Agatha Christie's 1935 novel '' Why Didn't They Ask Evans?''. The book is mentioned in the first Elinor Brent-Dyer’s

Chalet School The Chalet School is a series of 58 school story novels by Elinor Brent-Dyer, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, initially published between 1925 and 1970. The fictional school was initially located in the Tyrol (state), Austrian Tyrol, before it was moved t ...

series, “The School at the Chalet”, as being read three times consecutively by central character, Jo Bettany. Chapter 11.

References

External links

''John Halifax, Gentleman''
a
A Celebration of Women Writers
* * 1856 British novels Novels set in Gloucestershire Tewkesbury British novels adapted into films {{1850s-novel-stub