Matthew J. Royal, also known as Matt Royal, (27 May 1863 – 14 November 1900) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, and teacher. Best known for his novel ''The Isle of the Virgins: A Romance'' (1899), Royal also wrote the books to the

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

''A Social Lion'' and '' Aunt Hannah''. The latter work was staged on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 1900, the year of his death at the age of 37. Under the name Matt Royal he wrote several

dime novels The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century American popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related form ...

which were published posthumously in

Street & Smith Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc., was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp magazine, pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting year ...

's ''Brave and Bold Weekly''.

Life and career

Matthew Joseph Royal was born in Adelaide, Ontario on 27 May 1863. He worked as a teacher in Canada while simultaneously pursuing a career as a writer. His novel ''The Isle of the Virgins: A Romance'' was published in 1899 by the Wenborne-Sumner Company. The novel was about a group of male sailors who discover an island inhabited by a

matriarchal society Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of Power (social and political), power and Social privilege, privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. Whil ...

in which men are enslaved to the women who hold power. In its review of the novel, ''

The Bookseller ''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddes ...

'' magazine compared Royal's writing style to that of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

but with a more adult audience oriented focus. The novel was later republished in 1905 by

under the name ''The Unknown Island; Or, The Isle of the Virgins''. In 1895 Daniel Sully's theatre company toured the United States in a production of a musical comedy with a book by Royal entitled ''A Social Lion''. It starred the comedian

Dan Mason Dan Mason (born Daniel Grassman; February 9, 1857 – July 6, 1929) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1913 to 1929. He is remembered as the "Skipper" in the "Toonerville Folks ''Toonerville Folks'' ( ''T ...

, the actress Kate Michelena, and operatic tenor John C. Haven. He also wrote the book to the musical '' Aunt Hannah'' which used music by

A. Baldwin Sloane Alfred Baldwin Sloane, often given as A. Baldwin Sloane, (28 August 1872, Baltimore – 21 February 1925, Red Bank, New Jersey) was the most prolific songwriter for Broadway musical comedies in the United States at the beginning of the 20th centur ...

and lyrics by Clay M. Greene. It was staged on

at the Bijou Theatre in 1900. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' critic felt that the plot of the farce crafted by Royal was somewhat derivative; likening it to Arthur Sturgess and Edgar Smith's ''Hotel Topsy Turvy''. Using the name Matt Royal, the author wrote several

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century American popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related form ...

s which were published posthumously in

's ''Brave and Bold Weekly''. These included ''Tom Hamlin, Mesmerist; or, The Boy With the Iron Will'' (1903), ''Saved from the Gallows; or, The Rescue of Charlie Armitage'' (1904), ''The Trevalyn Bank Puzzle; or, The Face in the Locket'' (1904), and ''In Russia’s Power; or, How Two Boys Outwitted the Czar''. Royal died in

Thorold, Ontario Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks. History The first surv ...

on 14 November 1900.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal, Matthew J. 1863 births 1900 deaths 19th-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights Canadian educators 19th-century Canadian novelists People from Middlesex County, Ontario Canadian male novelists Canadian male dramatists and playwrights Novelists from Ontario