BoAr:FNQ:HerewardStory
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQ610.htm Latest edit 2 Sep
2007.
Interactive version ©2006 R.J.PENHEY
The Bourne Archive
FNQ
Fenland Notes and Queries. Edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.
Part 31. October 1896.
This quarterly periodical took the form of a forum in
which people sent in questions about the history, ecology and so on of the
This thread began with article 591.
Hereward
610
– The Camp of Refuge (591). – The writer of query No. 591, requests me to give
some information about the authorship of the Camp of Refuge. I am not yet fully able to satisfy the question,
but will briefly say what I know.
I must state that when the annotated
edition of the work was in preparation enquiries were made, in order to decide
if possible if Charles Macfarlane were the author. Mr. John Leach, of Wisbech,
wrote to some members of the family of the late Mr. Charles Knight (publisher
of the original edition) to ask the question ; but no
satisfactory reply was then received : and therefore it was decided to leave
that as an open question.
I think it is regrettable that the matter
was ever allowed to be left a doubtful point.
Mcfarlane’s name
appears with that of his co-author on the title page of the Pictorial History of England (Knight).
In the
preparation of that work he would obtain ample materials for the novelets attributed
to him ; which were (in addition to the Camp), The Dutch in the Medway and The
Legend of Reading Abbey.
This last is now
being re-published by Messrs. Turner of
In the course of
correspondence with a member of that firm I learn that the question of the
authorship of the three novelets is being very fully investigated ; and the
following are, briefly, Mr. Philip H. Turner’s statements :- The Camp of Refuge was widely attributed
to Harriet Martineau : “I have however Dr. Martineau’s authority for denying
that ….. The three novelets are attributed to Macfarlane by the Biographical Dictionary. This appears to
be on the authority of the British Museum Catalogue” –but further enquiry is
being made. “Macfarlane was a Scotsman.”
From the apparent
minute acquaintance with the Fen country I am not surprised that the querist
asks, Was he a native of the Fenland?
Mr. Turner, my
correspondent, remarks :- “What strikes one with The Legend, is the precision of the
local history and topography and the skilful way in which it is blended with
national history and pure romance.” That indeed might lead to the question, Was
the author of The Legend of Reading Abbey
a native of Berks.?
As soon as I
receive further information on the question raised I shall communicate it to Fenland Notes and Queries. My sentiment
is “Honour to whom Honour.”
S. H. Miller.
I had intended,
on seeing the enquiry by H.R.S. in Art. 591, to forward a copy of a letter I
received from Mr. Charles MacFarlane fifty years ago, because this decisively
answers the question once for all. But I am sorry to say that after very
diligent search among my papers I have been unable to lay my hands upon the
original document. I think, however, that the following evidence will be deemed
conclusive.
In 1845 I wrote
to Mr. Charles Knight respecting the authorship of The Camp of Refuge. He referred me to Mr. Charles MacFarlane, of
Robert Mason
Mills
Bourne
The following
works appear under the name of Charles Macfarlane, in the “London Catalogue of
Books,” 1816 to 1851.
Armenians; a Tale of Constantinople, 3 v. post 8vo. 1 11 6 Saunders & O
Cabinet History of
Customs, Sports, &c. of
French Revolution, 4 v. 12mo. 1 4 0 C.
Knight
Glances at Revolutionized Italy, 2 v. post 8vo. 1
1 0 Smith
& E
Indian Empire, 2 v. 12mo. 0
10 0 Routledge
Lives and Exploits of Banditti and Robbers, 18mo. 0 3 6 Tegg
-------------------------------------------2 v.
12mo. 1 1 0 Bull
Old
Romance of History;
---------------------Travel ;
The East, 2 v. 18mo. 0 3 0 C. Cox
Seven Apocalyptic Churches, obl. 4to. 0
15 0 Bull
Travels in