William Brighty Rands (December 24, 1823 - April 23, 1882) was an English poet and children's writer. A major children's author of the Victorian era, he has been dubbed "the laureate of the nursery."[1]
William Brighty Rands (1823-1882), circa 1877. Courtesy Victorian Web.
| William Brighty Rands | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 24 1823 Chelsea, London, England |
| Died |
April 23 1882 (aged 58) East Dulwich, London, England |
| Pen name | Matthew Browne, Henry Holbeach, T. Talker. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | English |
| Period | 19th century |
| Genres | children's literature |
Life[]
Rands was born in Keppel Street, Chelsea, the son of a small shopkeeper. He received a very limited education, and derived much of what he knew from a habit of reading at the second-hand bookstalls.
Rands was in many ways an eccentric character. His domestic life was somewhat irregular.[2] He had a varied career: He was for some years in a warehouse, then on the stage, and then a clerk in an attorney's office.[1] He was for some time a regular preacher in a chapel at Brixton.[2]
Having taught himself stenography, in May 1857 he entered the employment of Gurney & Co.,[1] and was soon appointed a reporter in the committee-rooms of the House of Commons. Here he proved very efficient, and after attending, during a session of the house, a committee on the merits of the Armstrong and Whitworth ordnance, he received a vote of thanks from the committee.[2]
When parliament was not sitting he spent his time in literary work by special arrangement with his employers, and wrote much in verse and prose. At an early period he became a member of the staff of the Illustrated Times, and from 13 October to 1855 to 24 June 1871 furnished the greater part of a weekly article on men and manners, entitled "The Literary Lounger."[2]
In the meantime he commenced writing for Cassell's Boy's Paper, St. Paul's Magazine, Good Words, Good Words for the Young, and The Peep Show. To The Argosy (vols. iii. and iv.), in 1867, he contributed, under the name of Henry Holbeach, a tale entitled "Shoemakers' Village." For the Contemporary Review he wrote many articles under the pseudonyms of Henry Holbeach and Matthew Browne; the earliest, called "Moral Criteria and Moral Codes," appeared in December 1869 (pp. 584–600).[2]
To the Saturday Journal, published by Alexander Strahan between April 1874 and April 1875, he furnished 12 4-leaf Monthly Supplements of Notes, Literary, Social, and Scientific; and to Tait's Edinburgh Magazine a number of articles entitled "Reading Raids." He was a reviewer in the Pall Mall Gazette in its early years, and in his later days wrote many articles in the ‘Spectator.’ In 1878 he aided in founding the Citizen newspaper in London.[2]
Ill-health occasioned his resignation in August 1875. He died at Luton Villa, Ondine Road, East Dulwich, Surrey, on 23 April 1882, and was buried in Forest Hill cemetery, leaving 4 children.[2]
Writing[]
Rands composed hymns of great force and originality. A hymn commencing "One Lord there is all lords above," which appeared originally in his Lilliput Lectures (1872), was included in Horder's Congregational Hymns (1884), and in the ‘Congregational Church Hymnal’ (1887) (Julian, Hymnology, 1892, p. 951).[2]
As a poet he showed a keen love of nature and a sense of the music of words. His first book, brought out in 1857, and one of the few to which his name is attached, was called Chain of Lilies, and other poems. In after years he regarded it as crude and unsatisfactory.[2]
It is as a writer of verse for children that his position was most secure. Mr. James Payn called him, in Chambers's Journal, the "laureate of the nursery," and had he done no more than write the lyric "Beautiful World," in his Lilliput Lectures (1871), he would have claimed remembrance. His fairy tales, of which he published one every Christmas for many years, combined much delicate fancy with well-contrived allegory; the chief of them were reprinted in Lilliput Legends.[2]
His elaborate book on Chaucer's England, 1869 (2 vols.), under the pseudonym of ‘Matthew Browne,’ is an admirable piece of work.[2]
Besides the works noticed, he wrote: 1. ‘Tangled Talk, an Essayist's Holiday’ (by T. Talker), 1864. 2. ‘The Frost upon the Pane; a Christmas Story,’ 1854 (anon.). 3. ‘Lilliput Levee,’ 1864; 3rd edit. 1868 (anon.). 4. ‘Lilliput Revels,’ 1871 (anon.). 5. ‘Lilliput Legends,’ 1872 (anon.). 6. ‘Henry Holbeach, Student in Life and Philosophy: a Narrative and a Discussion,’ 1865 (by ‘Henry Holbeach’), 2 vols.; 2nd edit. 1866. 7. ‘Shoemakers' Village’ (by ‘Henry Holbeach’), 1871, 2 vols. 8. ‘Verses and Opinions’ (by ‘Matthew Browne’), 1866.[2]
Recognition[]
His poems "The Flowers" and "The Thought" were included in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900.[3] [4]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- The Chain of Lilies, and other poems. London: Knight & Son, 1857.
Novels[]
- The Shoemaker's Village (as "Henry Holbeach"). (2 volumes), Alexander Strahan, [1871?] Volume I, Volume II.
- The Young Norseman. London: David Nutt, 1907.
Non-fiction[]
- Tangled Talk: An essayist's holiday (as "T. Talker"). London: Alexander Strahan, 1864.
- Henry Holbeach, Student in Life & Philosophy: A narrative and a discussion (as "Henry Holbeach"). (2 volumes), London: Alexander Strahan, 1865-1866. Volume I, Volume II.
- Views and Opinions (as "Matthew Browne"). London: Alexander Strahan, 1866.
- Chaucer's England (as "Matthew Browne). (2 volumes), London: Hurst & Blackett, 1869. Volume I, Volume II
- Lazy Lessons; and, Essays on conduct (edited by Brimley Johnson). James Bownden, 1897.
Juvenile[]
Poetry[]
- Lilliput Levee: Poems of childhood, child-fancy, and childlike moods (anonymous; illustrated by Millais et al). London: Alexander Strahan, 1864.
- expanded (with 7 additional poems). London: Alexander Strahan, 1868.
- Little Ben Bute (as "Matthew Browne"). Thomas Gray, [1880?]
- Lilliput Lyrics (edited by Brimley Johnson; illustrated by Charles Robinson). London: John Lane, 1899.
- Miss Hooper's Hoop. Tudor Press, 1949.
Plays[]
- Lilliput Revels (anonymous). London: Alexander Strahan, 1871.
- Lilliput Revels / Innocent's island. (edited by Brimley Johnson; illustrated by Griselda Wedderburn). London: John Lane, 1900.
Prose[]
- "The Frost upon the Pane: A Christmas story”. London: W. & F.G. Cash, 1854.
- Sydenham Sindbad: A narrative of his seven journeys to Wonderland (anonymous). J. & C. Brown, 1859.
- The Stealing of the Princes Lock; and, Ernest & Albert of Saxony (anonymous). Ward & Lock, 1865.
- Lilliput Lectures (by "the author of Lilliput Levee"). London: Alexander Strahan, 1871.
- (edited by Brimley Johnson). James Bowden, 1897.
- Lilliput Legends (by "the Author of Lilliput Levee"; illlustrated by Dalziel). London: Alexander Strahan, 1872,
The World a poem written by W B Rands
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WilliamBrightyRands.com.[5]
Poems of W.B. Rands[]
See also[]
References[]
Boase, George Clement (1896) "Rands, William Brighty" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 47 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 283-284 . Wikisource, Web, February 28, 2017.
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Boase, 283.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Boase, 284.
- ↑ "The Flowers". Arthur Quiller-Couch, editor, Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919). Bartleby.com, Web, May 12, 2012.
- ↑ "The Thought". Arthur Quiller-Couch, editor, Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919). Bartleby.com, Web, May 12, 2012.
- ↑ W.B. Rands, Books and articles published in his lifetime, & Books Published Posthumously. WilliamBrightyRands.com, David Rands, 2004. Web, Oct. 29, 2013.
External links[]
- Poems
- "Wonderful World"
- Rands in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900: "The Flowers", "The Thought".
- Rands, William Brighty (1823-1882) (3 poems) at Representative Poetry Online
- William Brighty Rands at Hymnary (3 hymns)
- Rands in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "Topsy-Turvy World," "Polly," "Dressing the Doll," "I Saw a New World"
- William Brighty Rands at PoemHunter (14 poems)
- Selected Poems at the Victorian Web
- William Brighty Rands at Poetry Nook (26 poems)
- W.B. Rands Official website
- Books
- William Brighty Rands at Internet Archive
- W.B. Rands at the Online Books Page
- William Brighty Rands at Amazon.com
- About
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Rands, William Brighty
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