Robert Leighton
Born(1858-06-05)5 June 1858
Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland
Died11 May 1934(1934-05-11) (aged 75)
NationalityScottish
Occupation(s)Author, Journalist, Editor
Years active1880  1922
Known forWriting adventure books for boys
Notable workThe Complete Book of the Dog

Robert Leighton (5 June 1858  11 May 1934) was a Scottish journalist, editor, and writer of boys' fiction. He was an editor of juvenile magazines, and through his work at Young Folks he met his future wife Marie Connor, a prolific author in her own right. Leighton became an expert on dogs and their care and produced many works on this topic.

Early life

Leighton was born in the town of Ayr in Scotland on 5 June 1858 to Robert Leighton, a Scottish poet (20 February 1822  10 May 1869),[1] and Elizabeth Jane Campbell (1820  1914). Some sources, such as the British Library give his year of birth as 1859. Others, including Sutherland, give it at 1858.[2]:370 However, his father only worked in Ayr from 1854 to 1858 for a Liverpool seed merchant,[1] and the only male Leighton born in the District of Ayr from 1854 to 1864 was an unnamed son to Leighton's parents on 5 June 1858.[3][4]

In the 1861 Census, Leighton was living in Liverpool, where his father was employed by a seed and agricultural supplies merchant.[1] He was educated in the school attached to the Hope Street Unitarian Chapel in Liverpool.[5] He began work as a journalist at age 14, working first for the Liverpool Porcupine, a social and satirical journal.

Moving to London

Leighton moved to London in 1879 and began working for Young Folks magazine as an assistant editor. Young Folks accepted Treasure Island from Robert Louis Stevenson and ran it as a serial from 1881 to1882 while he was first assistant editor. Young Folks also serialised The Black Arrow in June  October 1883. Leighton was the editor from 1884 to 1885.

While he was at Young Folks, he met the tempestuous Marie Connor[note 1] (February 1866  28 January 1941), the adopted daughter of James Nenon Alexander Connor, formerly a captain in the 87th Foot, and the daughter of Elizabeth Ann Harris (1849  16 April 1908), a widow, born Trelawny.[note 2] Connor, who contributed to the magazine, published her first novel Beauty's Queen, a three-volume melodrama, in 1884 when she was 18.[7][8] In 1886 Leighton left Little Folks to move to the Bristol Observer, but returned to London in 1887.[9]

In London, he eventually found work with the Harmsworths, and was a director of their Answers Ltd company[10] from 1893 to 1896.[9]

Marriage and family

In 1889, Leighton eloped with Marie Connor; they were married at Marylebone in the first quarter of 1889. Marie was an established novelist at this stage, publishing her sixth book in the year of her marriage.[2]:369[8]

Leighton began to produce books himself, starting with The Pilots of Pomona in 1892, but throughout the marriage, his wife's income from writing far exceeded his.[6]:4 Leighton was the literary editor of the Daily Mail from 1896 to 1899.

The Leightons had four children:

  • Their first child was accidentally smothered in infancy by a nurse.[11]
  • Roland Aubrey Leighton (27 March 1895  23 December 1915), a poet who was killed in the First World War. He was Vera Brittain's fiancé and features largely in Testament of Youth, the first instalment of her memoirs. He was his mother's favourite. "He is the only one of my children who is beautiful enough to be worth dressing" her daughter reports her as saying.[6]:203 Marie was devastated when Roland was killed and published an anonymous memoir of him as Boy of My Heart in 1916.
  • Clare Leighton[note 3] (12 April 1898  4 November 1989), a writer and artist. She wrote several novels as well as the biography of her mother, and was a noted wood engraver. Marie was dismissive of her looks, ambitions and talents.[13]
  • Evelyn Ivor Robert Leighton (31 May 1901  21 October 1969) was destined from boyhood for the Navy.[6]:193 He enjoyed a long naval career, being posted to the Royal Australian Navy for a while, and married an English bride while he was there.[14]

Leighton's day-to-day influence on the household was limited by his deafness. He was so deaf by the time his children were growing up, that he was able to write his adventure books sitting next to his wife while she dictated her next melodrama.[6]:11 Leighton was older and wiser than Marie, and helped Clare's artistic development.[13] His daughter recalls that Leighton adored his wife and that he had something of a cherishing paternal attitude towards her.[6]:39

Work

Leighton produced four types of output:

  • Adventure stories for boys.
  • Melodramas written together with his wife, the most famous being Convict 99 (1898).
  • Books about dogs starting with Cassell's two-volume New Book of the Dog in 1907.
  • Short stories and serials for boys' papers.

In a memoir,[15] Larry McMurtry (American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter) said Leighton's Sergeant Silk: the prairie scout [16] (about a fictional member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), was one of the first books McMurtry ever read. He had been given it by a young relative departing to fight in World War II.

One enormous job Leighton did undertake was the editing of Hall Caine's Life of Christ. When he began this work, the book had some three-million words.[5] Leighton managed to reduce this to some 750,000 before his death in 1934. It was eventually published in 1938, but Leighton's contribution was not mentioned by Caine's sons in their introduction to the work.[17]

Example of illustrations from a historical novel by Leighton

The following illustrations by Alfred Pearse (1856  1933) for The Thirsty Sword – a story of the Norse invasion of Scotland (1262–1263) give an idea of the pacing of Leighton's writing in a novel which was meant to teach history as well as entertain.[18]

List of long works

The following is a list, drawn from the Jisc Library Hub Discover collated catalogue.[note 4]

Details of Book full title, secondary authors and publisher
SerialYearTitleOther authorsPublisher
11892The pilots of Pomona: a story of the Orkney IslandsLondon: Blackie & Son
21893The thirsty sword: a story of the Norse invasion of Scotland (1262–1263)London: Blackie & Son
31894In the Grip of the Algerine. A historical tale, etc.London: Sunday School Union
41894Wreck of the Golden Fleece. The story of a North Sea fisher-boy, etc.London: Blackie & Son
51895Olaf the Glorious: a historical story of the Viking age, etc.London: Blackie & Son
61896Under the Foeman's Flag: a story of the Spanish Armada, etc.London: Andrew Melrose
71910The golden galleon: being a narrative of the adventures of Master Gilbert Oglander, and of how, in the year 1591 he fought under the gallant Sir Richard Grenville in the great sea-fight off Flores, on board Her Majesty's ship The RevengeLondon: Blackie and Son
81898Convict 99: a true story of penal servitudeMarie ConnorLondon: Grant Richards
91898The splendid stranger: a story of the Monmouth rebellionLondon: The Sunday School Union
101901In the grip of the Corsair: being the personal narrative of Sir Lester Willoughby, KnightLondon: Andrew Melrose
111901In the shadow of guilt: a novelMarie ConnorLondon: Grant Richards
121902Cap'n Nat's Treasure: a tale of Old Liverpool, etc.London: S. W. Partridge & Co
131902The Boys of Waveney, etc.London: Grant Richards
141903Fighting fearful odds, or, The temptations of Jack RodneyLondon: Andrew Melrose
151903In the land of the Ju-Ju: a tale of Benin, the city of bloodLondon: Andrew Melrose
161903The haunted ship: a tale of the Devon smugglersLondon: Andrew Melrose
171903The Kidnapping of Peter Cray. A story of the South Seas, etc.London: Grant Richards
181904Hurrah! for the Spanish Main: a tale of Drake's third voyage to Darien, etc.London: Andrew Melrose
191904The Other Fellow; or, the Heir from the Colonies, etc.London: Andrew Melrose
201905The boy and his school: what it can and what it cannot give himLondon: J. Murray
211905The green painted shipLondon: Andrew Melrose
221905With Nelson in Command: a story of adventure in the battle of the Baltic, etc.London: Andrew Melrose
231906Gipsy Kit; or the man with the tattooed faceLondon: S. W. Partridge & Co
241906Monitor at Megson's. A master, a schoolboy and a secretLondon: Cassell and Company
251907A bit of a bounder, or, The surreptitious cigaretteLondon: Sunday School Union
261907The new book of the dogLondon: Cassel and Company
271909Gildersley's Tenderfoot. A story of Redskin and prairieLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
281910Dogs and all about themLondon: Cassell and Company
291910Kiddie of the camp: a story of the western prairiesLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
301910My Memoirs. [With an introduction by Robert Leighton, and with illustrations.]Princess Caroline MuratLondon: Eveleigh Nash
311910The cleverest chap in the schoolLondon: Jarrold & Sons
321911Coo-ee!: a story of peril and adventure in the South SeasLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
331911The kidnapped regiment: a story of 1745London: Pilgrim Press
341911The perils of Peterkin: a story of adventure in north-west CanadaLondon: Jarrold & Sons
351912Rattlesnake Ranch. A story of adventure in the great North WestLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
361912The bravest boy in the camp: a story of adventure on the western prairiesLondon: Jarrold & Sons
371913Sergeant Silk: the prairie scoutLondon: Jarrold & Sons
381915The red patrol: a story of the North-West Mounted PoliceLondon: Jarrold & Sons
391916Dreadnoughts of the Dogger: a story of the war on the North SeaLondon: Ward, Lock & Co
401917Woolly of the wilds: a story of pluck and adventure in North-West CanadaLondon: Ward, Lock & Co
411920Kiddie the scoutLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
421922The complete book of the dogLondon: Cassell and Company
431922The white man's trail: a story of adventure and mystery in the Canadian wildsLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
441923Sea Scout and Savage, etc.London: Ward, Lock & Co
451923The Black Prince of Africa. A sketch for boys, etc.London: United Council for Missionary Education
461924Kiddie the prairie riderLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
471924Your dogLondon: Cassell and Company
481926Softfoot of Silver CreekLondon: Ward, Lock & Co
491928A jewel of the seasLondon: John F. Shaw
501928The popular Chow Chow: its history, strains, pedigrees, breeding, character and kennel managementLondon: Popular Dogs Pub. Co
511929Who killed lord Luxmore?Marie ConnorLondon: C. Arthur Pearson
521930The Red Shadow [and other tales]London: Collins
531932The Dalmatian and all about itJames SaundersIdle, Bradford: Watmoughts Ltd

Further details on long works. The columns PG, IA, HT, and BL indicate if online texts are available at:

Example of illustrations from an adventure story by Leighton

While still set in a historical tale, The Golden Galleon was more of an adventure story than a history lesson. It was illustrated by William Rainey.[19]

Shorter works

Leighton published both short stories and serials in publications such as Cheer, Boys, Cheer, Boys Realm, Boys Herald, Comic Cuts, Chums, and Scout.

Death

Leighton died age 75 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire on 11 May 1934. He was survived by his widow, daughter and a son. His estate was valued at only £286.[20]

Notes

  1. Marie's daughter Clare wrote a biography of her mother entitled Tempestuous Petticoat. In this she describes how her mother told her children that she had her first love affair, with a married father of eight children, a window-cleaner, when she was ten years of age (p.39). Her parents packed her off to a convent in France where she fell in love with the Mother Superior and the Priest and became a devout Catholic.[6]
  2. Originally spelt Treglown.
  3. Baptised Clare Marie Veronica Leighton on 26 May 1898,[12]} she was also known as Clare Ellaline Hope Leighton and Clare Veronica Hope Leighton
  4. Library Hub Discover is a database collating 161 UK and Irish academic, national & specialist library catalogues.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bayne, T. W.; Couper, Sarah (8 October 2009). "Leighton, Robert (1822–1869)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/16403. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 5 April 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. 1 2 Sutherland, John (1989). The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Retrieved 5 August 2020 via The Internet Archive.
  3. "Statutory registers – Births – Search results". ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. "1858: Leighton Statutory registers – Births – 578/380". ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Famous Book Romance". Liverpool Echo (Wednesday 30 May 1934): 5. 30 May 1934.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leighton, Clare (1947). Tempestuous Petticoat. New York: Rinehard & Co., Inc. Retrieved 8 April 2020 via The Internet Archive.
  7. "New Novels". The Graphic (Saturday 4 October 1884): 23. 4 October 1884.
  8. 1 2 Kirk, John Foster (1891). "Connor, Marie". A Supplement To Allibone S Critical Dictionary Of English Literature British And American Authors Vol I. Vol. I. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. pp. 374. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  9. 1 2 A. & C. Black Ltd. (1967). "Bell, Nancy R. E.". Who Was Who: Volume III: 1929-1940 (2nd ed.). London: Adam and Charles Black. pp. 798–9. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  10. Howard Cox; Simon Mowatt (March 2014). Revolutions from Grub Street: A History of Magazine Publishing in Britain. OUP Oxford. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-19-960163-9.
  11. Mark Bostridge; Paul Berry (25 February 2016). "Two: Roland". Vera Brittain: A Life. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-0-349-00854-7. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  12. London Metropopolitan Archives (2010). "Reference Number: p89/ALL1/065: Baptisms solenmized in the Parish of All Saints', St John's Wood, in the county of London in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight". London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813–1917. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com. p. 44.
  13. 1 2 Leighton, David (8 August 2008). "Clare Leighton: Her Family Foundations". Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  14. "Naval Men to the Fore". Daily Pictorial (Wednesday 25 June 1930): 18. 25 June 1930.
  15. McMurtry, L. (2009). Books: A Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  16. . Sergeant Silk: the prairie scout. London: Jarrold & Sons
  17. Vivien Allen (1 July 1997). Hall Caine: Portrait of a Victorian Romancer. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 428. ISBN 978-1-84714-168-2.
  18. Leighton, Robert (1892). The Thirsty Sword: a story of the Norse invasion of Scotland (1262–1263). London: Blackie and Son.
  19. Leighton, Robert (1898). The golden galleon: being a narrative of the adventures of Master Gilbert Oglander, and of how, in the year 1591 he fought under the gallant Sir Richard Grenville in the great sea-fight off Flores, on board Her Majesty's ship The Revenge. London: Blackie and Son.
  20. "Wills and Probates 1858–1996: Pages for Leighton and the year of death 1934". Find a Will Service. p. 75. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
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