Sam Hield Hamer (27 July 1869 – 6 February 1941) was an English writer and editor, mostly for children, but was also well-regarded as a

travel writer The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. History Early examples of travel literature include the '' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (generally considered ...

. Born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, a son of John Hamer, a Justice of the Peace, and Sarah Sharp Hamer (née Heaton), a writer, the young Sam was educated at the

City of London School The City of London School, also known as CLS and City, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for Single-sex education, boys in the City of London, England, on the banks of the River Thames next to the Millennium Bridge, ...

. In 1886, at the time of the real general election in July, the school conducted a mock election, and the boys voted for a Liberal government to be led by Hamer. He left school that year to take up a position with the publishers Cassell and Company, where he rose to join the editorial staff and stayed with the firm until 1907, serving as editor of ''Little Folks'' from 1895 to 1907. He was a member of the National Liberal Club. He is credited with "discovering" Arthur Rackham as an illustrator. He also wrote under the name of Sam Browne. Between 1897 and 1906 Hamer had a productive collaboration with the illustrator

Harry B. Neilson Henry Bingham Neilson (1861 – 13 October 1941), who signed his work and was usually credited as Harry B. Neilson, less often as H. B. Neilson, was a British illustrator, mostly of children’s books. His first career was as an engineer and el ...

. Hamer's book ''The Dolomites'' (1910), also known as ''Wayfaring in the Dolomites'', is about the mountain-climbing adventures of a family called Innerkofler. Hamer was committed to saving British landscape and heritage sites, and was secretary of the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

for 23 years, from 1911 – 1934. He was responsible for raising the money needed (£35,000) for the Trust to buy the land surrounding

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric Megalith, megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, to ...

. It was reported that, during the time that he was secretary, the number of National Trust properties increased from 40 to 250. In 1913, a reviewer of his ''The Bran Pie'' commented that Hamer "probably understands the taste of children in literature as well as anyone now living."''The Bookman'', vol. 43 (1913), p. 201: "THE BRAN PIE, Edited by S. H. Hamer... Mr. S. H. Hamer probably understands the taste of children in literature as well as anyone now living." He corresponded with

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

in the 1920s. Hamer, then of 69 Dartmouth Park Hill,

Tufnell Park Tufnell Park is an area in north London, England, in the London boroughs of London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Camden, Camden. The neighbourhood is served by Tufnell Park tube station on the Northern Line. History ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, died at the neighbouring number 55 Dartmouth Park Hill on 6 February 1941, leaving effects valued at £109. Probate was to Frances Mary Hamer, spinster.

Selected publications

*S. H. Hamer, ''Micky Magee's Menagerie, or, Strange animals and their doings'', illustrated by

(Cassell & Company, London, Paris, New York & Melbourne, 1897) *S. H. Hamer, ''Whys and Other Whys, or, Curious Creatures and Their Tales'', illustrated by Harry B. Neilson (London: Cassell, 1898) *S. H. Hamer, Harry B. Neilson, ''Topsy-Turvy Tales, or The Exception Proves the Rule'' (London: Cassell, 1901) *S. H. Hamer, ''The Jungle School; or Dr. Jibber-Jabber Burchall's Academy, With Illustrations by H. B. Neilson'' (London: Cassell, 1900) *S. H. Hamer, ''Peter Piper's Feepshow'', with Illustrations by H. B. Neilson and Lewis Baumer (London: Cassell & Company, 1900) *S. H. Hamer, ''The Ten Travellers, and other tales in prose and verse'', illustrated by H. B. Neilson (Cassell & Company, London, Paris, New York & Melbourne, 1902) *S. H. Hamer,

Harry Rountree Harry Rountree (26 January 1878''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 26 September 1950) was a prolific illustrator working in England around the turn of the 20th century. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, he moved to London in 1901, when he was 2 ...

, ''Archibald's Amazing Adventure, Or, The Tip-top Tale'' (London: Cassell and Company, Limited, 1905) * . H. Hamer''Cassell's Fairy Tale Series'', 5 vols. (London: Cassell and Company,

905 __NOTOC__ Year 905 ( CMV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – King Berengar I of Italy arranges a truce with the Hungarians, on payment of a tribute. Grand Prince Árp ...

''Publisher's Circular'' (12 August 1905): 154b: "To their educational list has just been added a remarkably cheap series of 'Fairy Tale Readers' under the title of 'Cassell’s Fairy Tale Series,' in five books. Each book contains four striking coloured plates, with illustrations in the text. The works have been prepared for press by the popular author of 'Micky Magee's Menagerie' .e., S. H. Hamer… in consultation with a practical teacher of wide experience." *S. H. Hamer, ''Topsy Turvy Tales'', with Illustrations by Harry B. Neilson (1906) *S. H. Hamer, ''The Forst Foundling'' (London: Duckworth and Company, 1909) *Sam Hield Hamer, ''The Dolomites'' (London: Methuen, 1910) *S. H. Hamer, ''The Bran Pie'' (Duckworth, 1913) *S. H. Hamer, ''Escuela de Animales, illustrado por Harry B. Neilson'' (Barcelona: Ramon Sopena, 1942)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamer, Sam Hield 1869 births 1941 deaths 20th-century English non-fiction writers English children's writers People educated at the City of London School English travel writers