Tom Bevan (1868 – 9 November 1937), who also wrote under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Walter Bamfylde, was a British writer of boys' adventure stories. Originally a schoolteacher, he also wrote non-fiction books for children.

Life

Born in

Risca Risca () is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. It is split into two Community (Wales), communities; Risca East an ...

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

, Bevan's family moved to Gloucester and he was educated at Sir Thomas Rich's School,

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, and St Paul's College,

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, a teacher training college that awarded

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

qualifications.Tom Bevan, ''Reading the Forest''
Retrieved 16 November 2022 Bevan began writing historical adventure stories while working as a schoolmaster. In the 1920s he was education editor for Sampson Low and Marston. He contributed to several boys' magazines, including ''Everybody's Story Magazine'' and ''

Boy's Own Paper ''The Boy's Own Paper'' was a British story paper aimed at young and teenage boys, published from 1879 to 1967. Publishing history The idea for the publication was first raised in 1878 by the Religious Tract Society, as a means to encourage you ...

''. Bevan also wrote non-fiction books for children. His ''Stories from British History: B. C. 54 – A. D. 1485'' discusses, for example, the degree to which

Shakespeare's History Plays In the First Folio (1623), the plays of William Shakespeare were in three categories: (i) comedies, (ii) histories, and (iii) tragedies. Besides the history plays of his Renaissance playwright contemporaries, the histories of Shakespeare def ...

present historical truth.Velma Bourgeois Richmond: ''Shakespeare as Children's Literature: Edwardian Retellings in Words and Pictures'' (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company Inc., 2008), p. 26
Retrieved 11 October 2017.
/ref> He died in Cheltenham on 9 November 1937.

Works

Books

*(With E. Harcourt Burrage and John A. Higginson) ''White Ivory and Black: a tale of the Zambesi Basin: and other stories'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1899 *''The Thane of the Dean: a tale of the time of the Conqueror'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1899. With four illustrations by

Lancelot Speed Lancelot Speed (13 June 1860 – 31 December 1931) was a coastal painter and a British illustrator of books in the Victorian era, usually of a fantastical or romantic nature. He is probably most well known for his illustrations for Andrew L ...

*''Dick Dale, the Colonial Scout: a tale of the Transvaal War of 1899–1900'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1900. with eight illustrations by Harold Piffard *''A Lion of Wessex, or, How Saxon fought Dane'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co.,

902 __NOTOC__ Year 902 (Roman numerals, CMII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Adalbert II, Margrave of Tuscany, Adalbert II, margrave of March of Tuscany, Tuscany, revol ...

With eight illustrations by Lancelot Speed *''Against the King'', London; Glasgow: W. Collins, Sons & Co.

903 __NOTOC__ Year 903 ( CMIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Berengar I of Italy proceeds to issue concessions and privileges to the Lombard nobility and monasteries. He gra ...

*''Red Dickon the Outlaw : A story of mediaeval England'', London: Nelson, 1904 *''The War-God and the Brown Maiden'', London: Collins

904 __NOTOC__ Year 904 ( CMIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * July 29 – Sack of Thessalonica: A Muslim fleet, led by the Greek renegade Leo of Tripoli, appears outside ...

With eight illustrations by Warwick Goble *''A Hero in Wolf-Skin : a story of pagan and Christian'', London:

Religious Tract Society The Religious Tract Society was a British evangelical Christian organization founded in 1799 and known for publishing a variety of popular religious and quasi-religious texts in the 19th century. The society engaged in charity as well as commerc ...

, 1904. With illustrations by J. Finnemore *''Beggars of the Sea. A story of the Dutch struggle with Spain'', London: Thomas Nelson and Sons 904?*''A Trooper of the Finns. A tale of the Thirty Years' War'', London: Religious Tract Society, 1905 *''The Fen Robbers'', London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1906 *''Held by Rebels'', London, 1906. Illustrated by Percy Tarrant *''Beggars of the Sea: A Story of the Dutch struggle with Spain'', London, 1906 *''Sea-Dogs All! A tale of forest and sea'', London, 1907 *''The Goldsmith of Chepe: A Tale of The Plague Year'', London: The Religious Tract Society, 1908. With illustrations by J. Jellicoe. (Serialised in the ''Boys Own Paper'', 1907) *''Runners of Contraband: a story of Russian Tyranny'', London, 1908. With illustrations by Wal Paget *''The "Grey Fox" of Holland: a tale of adventure during the insurrection against Philip II'', London/New York: T. Nelson & Sons, 1908 *''The Chancellor's Spy. A vivid picture of life in the reign of Henry the Eighth'', London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1909 *''The Insurgent Trail: A story of the Balkans'', London: Sir I. Pitman & Sons, 1910 *''The Secret Men'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1910. With six illustrations by

Ernest Prater Ernest Prater (1864–1950) was a noted English artist and book illustrator, notable also for his work as a war correspondent and reportage artist during the Anglo-Boer War. Life and works Prater was born in Islington in London, of Cornish des ...

. *''Stories from British history (B. C. 54 – A. D. 1485)'', 1910 *''The House Of Hanover, 1714 to 1901'', 1911 *''Rebels And Rogues'', 1911 *''Out With The Buccaneers; or, The Treasure of The Snake'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1911 *''Trapped In Tripoli; or, A Boy's Adventures in The Desert'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1912 *''One of the Awkward Squad'', London: James Nisbet & Co, 1912 *''The Baymouth Scouts: A Story of The Napoleon Scare'', London: The Religious Tract Society, 1913 *''With Bandit And Turk'', London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 1913 *''The Uplanders'', London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1914 (as Walter Bamfylde) *''Midsummer Magic'', 1915 (as Walter Bamfylde) *''With Haig At The Front: A Story Of The Great Fight'', London: Collins Clear-type Press, 1916 *''With Cossack And Car In Galicia'', London: Collins Clear-type Press, 1917 *''The Last Of The Giants: A Story Of Arctic Canada'', London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1920 *''Doing His Bit: A Story of the Great War'', London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1920 *''Bob Blair, Plainsman'', London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1924 *''The Heroic Impostor'', London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1925 *''The Secret of the Downs'', London: Collins Clear-Type Press, 1927

Stories

*"Young Asa - A Scouting Story", ''Oxford Annual For Scouts'', 920s?

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bevan, Tom 1868 births 1937 deaths People educated at Sir Thomas Rich's School British children's writers 20th-century British novelists British short story writers 20th-century British short story writers