Henry Mayhew (25 November 1812 – 25 July 1887) was an English journalist, playwright, and advocate of reform. He was one of the co-founders of the satirical magazine ''
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
* Pu ...
'' in 1841, and was the magazine's joint editor, with
Mark Lemon, in its early days. He is also known for his work as a social researcher, publishing an extensive series of newspaper articles in the ''
Morning Chronicle
''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. I ...
'' that was later compiled into the book series ''
London Labour and the London Poor
''London Labour and the London Poor'' is a work of Victorian journalism by Henry Mayhew. In the 1840s, he observed, documented and described the state of working people in London for a series of articles in a newspaper, the ''Morning Chronicle'' ...
'' (1851), a groundbreaking and influential survey of the city's poor.
Biography
Early life
He was born in London, the thirteenth of 17 children of Joshua Mayhew. He was educated at
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
before running away from his studies to sea. He then served with the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sou ...
as a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...
on a ship bound for
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...
. He returned after several years, in 1829, becoming a trainee lawyer in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
.
[Taithe (1996), p. 9] He left this and became a freelance journalist. He contributed to ''The Thief'', a readers' digest, followed quickly by editing a weekly journal – ''Figaro in London''. Mayhew reputedly fled his creditors and holed up at the Erwood Inn, a small public house in the village of
Erwood, south of
Builth Wells
Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
in Wales.
Paris and writing
In 1835, Mayhew found himself in a state of debt and, along with a fellow writer, escaped to Paris to avoid his creditors.
He spent his time writing and in the company of other writers including
William Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and th ...
and
Douglas Jerrold. Mayhew spent over 10 years in Paris, returning to England in the 1850s, whereby he was involved in several literary adventures, mostly the writing of plays. Two of his plays – ''But, However'' and the ''Wandering Minstrel'' – were successful, whilst his early work ''Figaro in London'' was less successful.
[Taithe (1996), p. 10]
''Punch'' magazine
On 17 July 1841, Mayhew cofounded
''Punch ''magazine. At its founding, the magazine was jointly edited by Mayhew and Mark Lemon. The two men hired a group of writers and also illustrators to aid them. These included Douglas Jerrold, Angus Reach, John Leech, Richard Doyle, and Shirley Brooks. Initially, it was subtitled ''The London Charivari'', this being a reference to a satirical humour magazine published in France under the title ''
Le Charivari'' (a work read often whilst Mayhew was in Paris). Reflecting their satiric and humorous intent, the two editors took for their name and masthead the anarchic glove
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move ...
Mr. Punch.
''Punch'' was an unexpected success, selling about 6,000 copies a week in the early years. However, sales of as many as 10,000 issues a week were required to cover all costs of the magazine. In December 1842, the magazine was sold to Bradbury and Evans; Mayhew resigned as joint editor,
and he continued at the magazine as "suggestor in chief" with Mark Lemon reappointed as editor. Mayhew eventually severed his connection with the magazine, writing his last article in February 1845. His brother
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...
stayed on the board of Punch until his own death.
The ''Punch'' years gave Mayhew the opportunity to meet talented illustrators whom he later employed to work from
daguerreotypes on ''
London Labour and the London Poor
''London Labour and the London Poor'' is a work of Victorian journalism by Henry Mayhew. In the 1840s, he observed, documented and described the state of working people in London for a series of articles in a newspaper, the ''Morning Chronicle'' ...
''.
Following ''Punch'', Mayhew launched ''Iron Times'', a railway magazine. However, this venture lost Mayhew so much money that he was forced to appear in a court of
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...
in 1846.
Formative work
In 1842, Mayhew contributed to the pioneering ''
Illustrated London News
''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...
''. By this time, he had become reasonably secure financially, had settled his debts, and married Jane Jerrold, the daughter of his friend
Douglas Jerrold. She lived until 1880.
''London Labour and the London Poor''
The articles comprising ''London Labour and the London Poor'' were initially collected into three volumes in 1851; the 1861 edition included a fourth volume, co-written with Bracebridge Hemyng, John Binny, and
Andrew Halliday, on the lives of prostitutes, thieves, and beggars. This extra volume took a more general and statistical approach to its subject than volumes one to three.
Mayhew wrote in volume one: "I shall consider the whole of the metropolitan poor under three separate phases, according as they ''will'' work, they ''can't'' work, and they ''won't'' work". He interviewed everyone – beggars, street-entertainers (such as Punch and Judy men), market traders, prostitutes, labourers,
sweatshop workers, even down to the "
mudlarks" who searched the stinking mud on the banks of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
for wood, metal, rope, and coal from passing ships, and the "pure-finders" who gathered dog faeces to sell to
tanners. He described their clothes, how and where they lived, their entertainments and customs, and made detailed estimates of the numbers and incomes of those practising each trade. The books show how marginal and precarious many people's lives were, in what, at that time, was the richest city in the world.
Mayhew's richly detailed descriptions give an impression of what the street markets of his day were like. An example from volume one:
Some of the London street traders did not like the way Mayhew wrote about them. In spring/summer 1851, they established a Street Trader's Protection Association to guard themselves against the journalist.
Family
Mayhew was the grandfather of Audrey Mayhew Allen (b. 1870), an author of a number of children's stories published in various periodicals, and of ''
Gladys in Grammarland'', an
imitation
Imitation (from Latin ''imitatio'', "a copying, imitation") is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our culture. I ...
of
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...
's ''Wonderland'' books.
Influence
Mayhew's work was embraced by and was an influence on the
Christian Socialists
Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe capi ...
, such as
Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes (20 October 182222 March 1896) was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. ...
,
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the worki ...
, and
F. D. Maurice
John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805–1872), known as F. D. Maurice, was an English Anglican theologian, a prolific author, and one of the founders of Christian socialism. Since the Second World War, interest in Maurice has expanded."Frede ...
. Radicals also published sizeable excerpts from the reports in the ''
Northern Star'', the ''
Red Republican'', and other newspapers. The often sympathetic investigations, with their immediacy and unswerving eye for detail, offered unprecedented insights into the condition of the Victorian poor. Alongside the earlier work of
Edwin Chadwick
Sir Edwin Chadwick KCB (24 January 18006 July 1890) was an English social reformer who is noted for his leadership in reforming the Poor Laws in England and instituting major reforms in urban sanitation and public health. A disciple of Ut ...
, they are also regarded as a decisive influence on the thinking of
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 er ...
.
Mayhew's work inspired the script of director
Christine Edzard's 1990 film ''
The Fool''. Mayhew has appeared as a character in television and radio histories of Victorian London ; he was played by
Timothy West in the documentary ''
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
'' (2004), and
David Haig in the
Afternoon Play
''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast each ...
''A Chaos of Wealth and Want'' (2010). In the 2012 novel ''
Dodger'' by
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his '' Discworld'' series of 41 novels.
Pratchett's first no ...
, Mayhew and his wife appear as fictionalised versions of themselves, and he is mentioned in the dedication.
Publications, Plays and Public Speeches: Select List
Although Mayhew is most remembered for his works of non-fiction, he also authored many plays, farces, novels, public speeches (many of which have been transcribed and subsequently published) alongside his numerous works of non-fiction and newspaper articles.
*1831
Figaro in London
''Figaro in London'' was an English comic paper of the early nineteenth century. Founded as a weekly on 10 December 1831, it ran until 31 December 1838.
The French connection
The paper's original editor was Gilbert Abbott à Beckett and it was mo ...
o-founder and editor, weekly, radical paperref name="britannica.com">’’Henry Mayhew’’
iographical notes ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Mayhew
* 1832 ''The Thief ''
eriodical
* 1834: ''The Wandering Minstrel: A Farce in One Act'' (farce first performed at the Fitzroy Royal Theatre, 16 January 1834)
* 1838 But, however: A Farce in One Act
lay by Henry Mayhew and Henry Bayliss
* 1841-1842: Punch (satirical magazine, co-founded with Mark Lemon,
Ebenezer Landells
Ebenezer Landells (Newcastle 1808 – 1 October 1860 London) was a British wood-engraver, illustrator, and magazine proprietor.
Life
Born in Newcastle, Landells was apprenticed to the wood-engraver Thomas Bewick.
In 1829 he moved to London ...
and possibly others)
* 1844: ''The Comic Almanack '', vol 2, 1844
o-authored with William Makepeace Thackery, Gilbert Abbott A’ Beckett, Horace Mayhew (brother) and Albert Smith/ref>
* 1847: ''The Greatest Plague of Life: or, the Adventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant, '' Carey and Hart, London,
atirical novel, co-authored with Augustus Mayhew (brother)* 1849-1850: ''Survey of Labour and the Poor'' - series of 82 letters, surveying the conditions of the nation’s labouring population as published in the Morning Chronicle in 1849-1850
* 1851: ''London Labour and the London Poor'', 2 volumes, 1851, 1862 (reprinted 1865)
ook, based on the Morning Chronicle articlesref name=jstor3825892>
* 1851 ''The Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Sandboys and Family, who Came up to London to Enjoy Themselves and See the Great Exhibition'', George Newbold, London, 1851
omic novel
* 1856: “The Great World of London”
amphlet seriesref name=jstor3825892/>
[Anne Humphreys (ed), ''Voices of the Poor: Selections from the Morning Chronicle, 'Labour and the Poor' (1849-1850) by Henry Mayew'', Frank L Cass, NY, 1971, p. xviii]
* 1862: ''The Criminal Prisons of London: And Scenes of Prison Life''
[
* 1871: ''London Characters and the Humorous Side of London Life: with upwards of seventy illustrations'', Stanley Rivers, London, 1871
]
Notes
References
* Anne Humpherys (1984), Henry Mayhew, Boston/Mass.: OUP.
*
* Ole Münch (2017), Henry Mayhew and the Street Traders of Victorian London – A Cultural Exchange with Material Consequences, in: The London Journal.
*
*
*
External links
London Labour and the London Poor
Mayhew, Henry, Published in London, 1861–62. Retrieved 7 July 2010
Punch Magazine History and FAQs
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayhew, Henry
English magazine editors
English male journalists
People educated at Westminster School, London
Oral historians
1812 births
1887 deaths
19th-century British journalists
English male non-fiction writers
Social documentary photographers
19th-century English male writers
Punch (magazine) people
Mayhew family
British magazine founders
British social commentators