Henry Brereton Marriott Watson (20 December 1863 – 30 October 1921), known by his pen name H. B. Marriott Watson, was an Australian-born British novelist, journalist, playwright, and short-story writer. He worked for the ''St. James Gazette'', was assistant editor of the '' Black and White'' and ''

Pall Mall Gazette ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood. In 1921, '' The Globe'' merged into ''The Pall Mall Gazette'', which itself was absorbed in ...

'', and staff member on

W. E. Henley William Ernest Henley (23 August 184911 July 1903) was an English poet, writer, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem " Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, the ...

's '' National Observer''. Marriott Watson was a popular author during his lifetime, best known for his

swashbuckling A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...

, historical and

romance fiction A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Pre ...

, and had over forty novels published between 1888 and 1919; these included seventeen short story collections and one collection of essays. He was a longtime resident of New Zealand, living there from 1872 to 1885, and often used his childhood home as the setting for many of his novels. He and his common law wife, English poet

Rosamund Marriott Watson Rosamund Marriott Watson (née Ball; 6 October 1860 – 29 December 1911) was an English poet, nature writer and critic, who early in her career wrote under the pseudonyms Graham R. Tomson and Rushworth (or R.) Armytage. Early life and educatio ...

, were well known in Britain's literary circles and were associated with many fellow writers of the period including

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

, Thomas Hardy,

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

and

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Although now largely forgotten, Marriott Watson's contribution to

Gothic horror Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

during the latter part of the nineteenth century is notable for its romantic

decadence The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members ...

. The stories which appeared in such collections as ''Diogenes of London'' (1893) and ''The Heart of Miranda'' (1898) bear favourable comparison with those produced by fellow contemporaries

Arthur Machen Arthur Machen (; 3 March 1863 – 15 December 1947) was the pen-name of Arthur Llewellyn Jones, a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His ...

, Vincent O'Sullivan and

M. P. Shiel Matthew Phipps Shiell (21 July 1865 – 17 February 1947), known as M. P. Shiel, was a British writer. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a ''de facto'' pen name. He is remembered mainly for supernatura ...

Biography

YellowBookVol13-BookplateHBMarriottWatson

Henry Brereton Marriott Watson was born in Caulfield,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia to Henry Crocker Marriott Watson and Annie McDonald Wright. His father was an

Anglican priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and spent nine years traveling with him as he took up various ministries throughout

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. He and his family moved to New ZealandTyson, Brian, ed. ''Bernard Shaw's Book Reviews: Originally Published in the Pall Mall Gazette from 1885 to 1888.'' University Park: Pennsylvania State Press, 1991. (pg. 345) in 1872 when his father accepted a position at St John's in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

.Hughes, Linda K. ''Graham R.: Rosamund Marriott Watson, Woman of Letters''. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2005. (pg. xxiv, 155-162, 190, 311-317) Marriott Watson spent much of his childhood there and would later use it as a setting for many of his novels.Wilson, Neil. ''Shadows in the Attic: A Guide to British Supernatural Fiction, 1820–1950''. British Library, 2000. (pg. 483) Educated at Christ Church Grammar School and

Canterbury College Canterbury College may refer to: * Canterbury College (Indiana), U.S. * Canterbury College (Waterford), Queensland, Australia * Canterbury College (Windsor, Ontario), Canada * Canterbury College, Kent, England * Canterbury College, Oxford, England ...

, Marriott Watson left for England in 1885 to become a journalist. He later worked for the '' St. James's Gazette'', was an assistant editor for both the '' Black and White'' and the ''

''Waller, Philip. ''Writers, Readers, and Reputations: Literary Life in Britain, 1870–1918''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. (pg. 822) Lamb, Hugh, ed. ''A Bottomless Grave and Other Victorian Tales of Terror''. Mineola, New York: Courier Dover Publications, 2001. (pg. 13) and was a staff member of the '' National Observer'' under W.E. Henley. Bleiler, Everett F. '' Science-Fiction, The Early Years: A Full Description of More Than 3,000 Science-Fiction Stories from Earliest Times to the Appearance of the Genre Magazines in 1930''. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1990. (pg. 689) Wertheim, Stanley. ''A Stephen Crane Encyclopedia''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. (pg. 220) It was while working for the ''National Observer'' that Marriott introduced Henley to H.G. Wells. While an editor, he gained a considerable number of publishing and literary contacts. A member of the

Savile Club The Savile Club is a traditional London gentlemen's club founded in 1868. Located in fashionable and historically significant Mayfair, its membership, past and present, include many prominent names. Changing premises Initially calling itself t ...

, he was invited by fellow editor

Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1855 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...

to meet with members of '' The Saturday Review'' such as Mrs. Roy Devereux,

Harold Frederic Harold Frederic (August 19, 1856 – October 19, 1898) was an American journalist and novelist. His works include '' In the Valley'' (1890), ''The Damnation of Theron Ware'' (1896), and '' The Market Place'' (1899). Life and career Harold Henry ...

and

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

when they had their weekly lunch meetings at the famed

Cafe Royal A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

e. The publication was one of the first to review his first novel, ''Marahuna'' (1888), which helped to encourage his career as a professional writer. He also co-wrote a stage production of '' Richard Savage'' with

which premiered at London's

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

in 1891.Taylor, James W. ''The 2nd Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War''. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2005. (pg. 279) In 1894, the English poet Rosamund Tomson left her husband, artist Arthur Graham Tomson, and eloped with Marriott Watson; their first and only son Richard was born on 6 October 1895. This resulted in a scandal, one which included the sudden changing of her established pen name from Graham R. Tomson to Rosamund Marriott Watson to honor her third husband, and cancelling a then forthcoming volume of poems. Her career subsequently suffered as many publishers avoided working with her in future. Rosamund and Arthur Tomson officially divorced two years later and for the rest of her life she remained with Marriott Watson as his common law wife. Marriott Watson continued writing novels throughout the 1890s. Many of these were

, historical and

, however he also tried his hand at writing supernatural and

stories during this period. They were published in the form of short stories and published in ''Diogenes of London'' (1893) and ''The Heart of Miranda'' (1898), however one of his most memorable was the vampire story ''The Stone Chamber'' published only a year after Bram Stoker's '' Dracula''. After the death of writer

in 1900, his companion Cora asked that Marriott Watson complete his unfinished novel ''The O'Ruddy'', but he declined the offer. He had been a longtime friend and collaborator with Crane, having been the first to review his novel ''

The Red Badge of Courage ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Ove ...

'' five years before with what was considered to have been one of the earliest and most influential of its English reviews. Marriott Watson had also made a cryptographic contribution to Crane's story ''The Ghost'' (1899), and the character of Miranda was partially influenced by Marriott Watson's own ''Heart of Miranda''. When Rosamund died in 1911, Marriott Watson tried to keep her work alive in the literary world; his novel ''Rosalind in Arden'' (1913) contained many references to her poetry. He also published an account of alleged contact with her, via a seance with a

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane *Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

, and later converted to

spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and Mind-body dualism, dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (w ...

. Their only son Richard, an officer serving with the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, was killed on 24 March 1918, during the retreat from St. Quentin. He reportedly never recovered from the loss, becoming a heavy drinker in his final years, an
died
from

cirrhosis of the liver Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

at the age of 57.

Bibliography

*''Marahuna'' (1888) *''Lady Faintheart'' (1890) *''The Web of the Spider'' (1891) *''Diogenes of London'' (1893) *''At the First Corner'' (1895) *''Galloping Dick'' (1896) *''The Heart of Miranda'' (1897) *''The Princess Xenia'' (1899) *''The Rebel'' (1900) *''Chloris of the Island'' (1900) *''The House Divided'' (1901) *''Godfrey Merivale'' (1902) *''Alarums and Excursions'' (1903) *''Captain Fortune'' (1904) *''Hurricane Island'' (1904) *''The Skirts of Happy Chance'' (1905) *''Twisted Eglantine'' (1905) *''A Midsummer Day's Dream'' (1906) *''The Privateers'' (1907) *''A Poppy Show'' (1908) *''Lives of the Highwaymen'' (1908) *''The Golden Precipice'' (1908) *''The High Toby'' (1910) *''Smugglarbandet'' (1910) *''The King's Highway'' (1910) *''At a Venture'' (1911) *''Godfrey Merivale'' (1912) *''The Big Fish'' (1912) *''Couch Fires and Primrose Ways'' (1912) *''The Tomboy and Others'' (1912) *''Ifs and Ans'' (1913) *''Across the Barrier'' (1913) *''Rosalind in Arden'' (1913) *''Once Upon a Time'' (1914) *''Chapman's Wares'' (1915) *''The Privateers'' (1915) *''As It Chanced'' (1916) *''Mulberry Wharf'' (1917) *''The Affair on the Island'' (1918) *''The Web of the Spider'' (1918) *''Aftermath'' (1919) *''The Excelsior'' (1919)

Articles

"Fiction in 1902,"
''The Pall Mall Magazine,'' Vol. XXIX, January/April 1903. * "Robert Louis Stevenson: An Appreciation," ''The Fortnightly Review,'' September 1903.
“The Deleterious Effect of Americanization Upon Woman,”
''The Nineteenth Century and After,'' Vol. LIV, July/December, 1903. * "Old Magazines," ''T. P. Weekly,'' Vol. III, April 1904.
"The American Woman – An Analyses,”
''The Nineteenth Century and After,'' Vol. LVI, July/December, 1904.

Short stories

"The House of Shame,"
''The Yellow Book,'' Vol. IV, January 1895.
"The Dead Wall,"
''The Yellow Book,'' Vol. VI, July 1895.
"An Honorable Precedent,"
''Short Stories: A Magazine of Select Fiction,'' Vol. XX, September/December 1895.
"A Resurrection,"
''The Yellow Book,'' Vol. VIII, January 1896.
"Point Despair: A Memory of the Great Massacre."
In ''Creek and Gully,'' T. Fisher Unwin, 1899.
"The Alarm Bell,"
''Outing,'' Vol. XXXIX, October 1901/March 1902.
"The Attack on the Chaise,"
''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine,'' Vol. LXX, July/December 1902.
"The Knight Errant,"
''

The Windsor Magazine ''The Windsor Magazine'' was a monthly illustrated publication produced by Ward Lock & Co from January 1895 to September 1939 (537 issues). The title page described it as "An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women". It was bound as six-monthly ...

,'' Vol. XXI, December 1904/May 1905.
"The Skirt of Chance."
In ''Classic Tales by Famous Authors,'' The Bodleian Society, 1905.
"Gallows Gate,"
''Tom Watson's Magazine,'' Vol. I, March 1905.
"The Lady with the Key,"
''The Windsor Magazine,'' Vol. XXXII, June/November 1910.
"Full Moon,"
''The Windsor Magazine,'' Vol. XXXII, June/November 1910.
"The Captain in Khaki,"
''The Windsor Magazine,'' Vol. L, June/November 1919.

References

External links

* *
Works by Henry Brereton Marriott Watson
at

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