...by the author of Honor Bright and other points of confusion
by K Cummings Pipes, July 2007
last updated February 2009
- Points of confusion arise when books written by anonymous authors are honestly misattributed to
others. Old library catalogs are a treasure trove of information but they are not always complete nor are they always
accurate since they reflect title page information. Anonymous authors and pirated editions cause problems for library
catalogers. Library catalogs are not always updated when new information about writers' identities bcomes available. Errors
are picked up by others and proliferate.
-
Galenet, a literature resource center used by Houston Public Library and others lists several Evelyn
Whitaker titles--Miss Toosey's Mission, Laddie, Tip Cat, Our Little Ann, Pen--among the writings of Elizabeth Thomasine
Meade (Mrs. Toulmin Smith). This error may have arisen from a volume of Miss Toosey's Mission published
by M. A. Donohue & Co. (Chicago) in 1903 which named Mrs. Meade on the cover. L.T. Meade is the author of the material
which was added to the back of the book, Tanglewood Tales,a children's introduction to classic myths.
- The most likely source is an early misidentification by Mr. Allibone.
"The publishers of Miss Toosey's Mission and its successors have recently written to an inquiring librarian:
'While we can assure you that Mr. Allibone is in error in stating that the author of Miss Toosey's Mission is Mrs. Elizabeth
Thomas Meade Smith, we must also state that it is the author's wish that the name be unknown, and we cannot, therefore, give
you any information. Yours truly Little Brown and Co."
Library Journal, Novemeber 1898, p. 644 digitized by Google.
- (Several works for children, published anonymously, — " Miss Toosey's Mission," and others by the same writer, —
have been erroneously ascribed to Mrs. Smith. The lady by whom those books were written desires that her name be not made
public.)
A Supplement to Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature... by John Foster Kirk, 1891. digitized by Google.
-
L.T. Meade published many other books for girls. The
W. & R. Chambers issue of Don in this collection includes a publisher's catalog listing many titles
by L.T. Meade. It also contains a separate listing of titles by "the author of Laddie" e.g. Evelyn Whitaker. Click LINKS on the navigation bar to learn more about L.T. Meade.
- Points of confusion arise when publishers issue pirated editions and credit other authors. Remember International
Copyright Law was not enforced in the US until 1891. Click Links on the
navigation bar for more information.
- Miss Toosey's Mission, first published prior to 1879, had no copyright protection in the U.S. and was subject
to abuse. To a lesser extent so was Laddie. Roberts Brothers and then Little Brown & Company
(both of Boston) are the U.S. publishers who held the rights to the titles by Evelyn Whitaker and their attributions
may be trusted. British copyright was secured much earlier so British publishers' attributions and catalog citations
should be given more credence than U.S. sources. British copyright to Evelyn Whitaker's works were held by
A.D. Innes, Walter Smith (Mozely), and W. & R. Chambers and their attributions may be trusted. Attributions
by other U.S. publishers (particularly A. L. Burt) are suspect.
- As late as December 1898, A. D. Porter published an issue of People's Magazine
Monthly with such a pirated edition. The publication which is part of this collection has a paperback cover
which features an article provocatively entitled Miss Toosey's Lover by Bertha C. Clay.
Inside page headings indicate the title is Miss Toosey's Mission by Charlotte M. Braeme.
Charlotte a.k.a Bertha is not the author of Miss Toosey's Mission. She did however have
an interesting history as an author; she pirated her own books from her British publishers and sold them to American publishers
who made free use of her name or rather names. Click LINKS on the navigation bar to
learn more about Charlotte Braeme/Bertha Clay.
- Points of confusion arise when authors have similar names
- Evelyn Maud Whitaker is also a writer of books for children. She is a bit later than
Evleyn Whitaker, author of Laddie, Tip Cat, etc. and her books are for very young children. Her titles include:
- Bee, Paul, and Babs
- Bumper book for children
- My own book of pictures and stories
- Peter's adventures
- etc.
- Points of confusion arise when different books have the same or similar titles. Especially when
the authors are anonymous, the similarity may lead to cases of mistaken identity.
- Laddie by Evelyn Whitaker was first published anonymously in 1879. It is the story of a successful
doctor, his wealthy fiance Violet, and his old country mother. Because it was first published before U.S. publishers
were forced to respect British copyright, it is sometimes attributed to others. The converse is also true: other
books not written by Evelyn Whitaker are sometimes published as "by the author of Laddie..."
- Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter (1862-1924), sub-titled A True Blue Story
is the classic dog tale and was first published in 1913.
- Laddie & Lassie, a story for little lads and lassies is a nursery book for very young children
by Mary Dow Brine nee Northam. There is a 1902 edition published by W. & R. Chambers,
although it may be a reissue. Since Evelyn Whitaker also wrote a book entitled Lassie there is ample opportunity
for mistaken identities.
By the author of Honor Bright
- The confusion between Evelyn Whitaker, the author of Tip Cat, and the anonymous author of Honor
Bright is the most interesting point of confusion. See paragraphs below. Honor Bright, or the Four-leaved
Shamrock was published anonymously in 1879. This early date means that it was subject to copyright
abuse in the U.S. The anonymous author of Honor Bright has other points of confusion.
- Among the series books written by Laura Elizabeth Howe
Richards (1850-1943) is one entitled Honor Bright, first published in 1920 and followed by Honor Bright's
New Adventure in 1925. Laura Richards is not the anonymous author sometimes confused with Evelyn Whitaker, e.g. the author
of Honor Bright or the four leaved shamrock, Gilly Flower, etc. Click Links
on the navigation bar for more information about Laura E. Richards.
- Mary Catherine Rowsell wrote a book titled Honor
Bright, a story of the days of old King Charles. It is not the same as Honor Bright or the four leaved
shamrock.
- Sue Chestnutwood Perkins is the author of Honor
Bright, a romance, (1870) and Malbrook (1868) both published by S. Low, Son & Co. (London) and by Carleton,
(New York) and her identity as the author of both books is confirmed by an 1883 reference to her in The
Literary World. Despite the frequent attribution to her (including by Google digitized books), she
is not the author of Honor Bright or the four-leaved shamrock, Gilly Flower, etc.
Malbrook & Honor Bright available online at Wright American Fiction, 1851-1875
The Literary World. Vol 14, No 17 Boston, August 25, 1883. digitized by Google.
- When the identity of an anonymous author became known, librarians usually added (hand written, often in pencil) the name
of the author to the title page and to the card catalog. The title page of the volume of Malbrook
digitized by Google has the author's name so written as Ruth Woodland. Ruth Woodland is the pseudonym
of Sue Chestnutwood.
The Literary World, February 11, 1882.
Malbrook digitized by Google.
-
Honor
Bright or the Four Leaved Shamrock was first published in 1879 by William Wells Gardner, London. The British Library
Intergrated Catalog lists these titles by the author of Honor Bright, all published by Wells Gardner, Darton &
Co., London:
-
One
of a Covey (1882)
-
Peasblossom
(1883)
-
N.
or M. (1885)*
-
All's
Well (1893) {probably Larry's Luck in U.S. editions.}
-
Hardy and Foolhardy (1895)
-
Gilly
Flower (1904)
-
title
pages add: Two Blackbirds
-
many
are illustrated by T. Pym e.g. Clara Creed
-
title
page of Gilly Flower (A.L. Burt issue) adds Larry's Luck and Tom's Opinion
*not to be confused
with M.or N. "Simula similibus curantur" by George John Whyte-Melville (1821-1878), published in
1869. Evelyn Whitaker did however use some similar plotting items in Pomona: sisters of identical appearance,
separted & reared apart, painters, fathers whose failings endangered/impoverished their daughters
Link to G.J. Whyte-Melville will open new browser window.
Who
is the author of these books? It is neither Sue Chestnutwood Perkins nor Evelyn Whitaker. Is it
Mable Louise Fuller Blodgett (1869-?) who is sometimes credited with Peasblossom? She is American and wrote fairie stories
under her own name so I do not think so.
Honor
Bright or the Four Leaved Shamrock , Gilly Flower, N. or M., Robin & Linnet are sometimes attributed
in error to Evelyn Whitaker. I believe the source of this error is likely to be a number of issues by A. L. Burt (New
York) which added Miss Toosey's Mission and Laddie to the titles listed on the title page as "by the author
of..."
EvelynWhitakerLibrary.org includes Honor
Bright or the Four Leaved Shamrock and Gilly flower . {Also
added to the collection by the author of Honor Bright are: Five, Ten, and Fifteen; Tom's Opinion; and Hardy and Foolhardy
which I have not yet read. kcp February 2009} Having read both books, I can say with some
certainty the author of Honor Bright and Gilly Flower is not Evelyn Whitaker. The writing
style of the anonymous author is less refined and elegant. The books don't "read the same" as those by Evelyn Whitaker
but more telling is the lack of flower language: in Gilly Flower a hedge is just a "hedge," a tree is just
a "tree" while in Evelyn Whitaker's novels trees, plants, flowers are always specifically named and generally are fraught
with meanings from Victorian language of flowers. The events of Evelyn Whitaker novels are everyday events; the
focus is on home and neighborhood, friends and family, work and church, with just a bit of a love story. The books
of the anonymous writer may appropriately be classified as children's adventure stories. In Gilly Flower there
is an element of the fantastic--buried treasure, con men, theives. Honor Bright or the Four Leaved Shamrock includes
a near-disastrous tidal beach episode. This writer is "preachier" than Evelyn Whitaker. The works of both
anonymous authors are didactic in intent but Whitaker has a more delicate touch and better descriptive powers than the
anonymous author of Honor Bright or the Four Leaved Shamrock , Gilly Flower, etc.
Investigations continue but at present I think
the list of publications by Evelyn Whitaker complete. It includes:
Miss Toosey's Mission, Laddie, Tip Cat, Gay, My Honey,
Zoe, Lassie, Our Little Ann, Baby Bob, Baby John, Belle, Dear, Don, Faithful, For the Fourth Time of Asking, Letters to Our Working Party, Lil, Pen,
Pomona, Pris, Rob [Rob & Kit in US editions], Rose and Lavender, Tom's Boy. [New addition: Phoebe's Hero is pending varification.
kcp Oct 2008]
Five,
Ten, and Fifteen.
Five, Ten and Fifteen is listed in
the BPLC as by the author of Honor Bright and has been attributed to Evelyn Whitaker by at least one major U.S. university
library exhibit. The publisher of the book on exhibit is A.L. Burt and that publisher's attribtution may not be
trusted.
Left til Called for (1883) is
a short story in the collection which is sometimes attributed to Evelyn Whitaker but is more likely to be by the author
of Honor Bright, or the four-leaved shamrock.
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