Henry Mayhew interviews a 'vagrant' of 18 years of age:
"Of a night ...we'd read stories about Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin, and all through that set. They were large thick books, borrowed from the library. They told how they used to break open the houses, and get out of Newgate, and how Dick got away to York. We used to think Jack and them very fine fellows. I wished I could be like Jack (I did then), about the blankets in his escape, and that old house in West-street -it is a ruin still."
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Henry Mayhew interviews a 'vagrant' of 18 years of age:
"Of a night ...we'd read stories about Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin, and all through that set. They were large thick books, borrowed from the library. They told how they used to break open the houses, and get out of Newgate, and how Dick got away to York. We used to think Jack and them very fine fellows. I wished I could be like Jack (I did then), about the blankets in his escape, and that old house in West-street -it is a ruin still."
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Henry Mayhew interviews a boy of 16, a vagrant and inmate of a casual ward of a London workhouse:
"My father had no books but religious books; they were all of a religious turn, and what people might think dull. But they never made me dull. I read Wesley's and Watt's hymns, and religious magazines of different connexions. I had a natural inclination for the sae, and would like to get to it now. I've read a good deal about it since -Clark's 'Lives of Pirates', 'Tales of Shipwrecks', and other things in penny numbers (Clark's I got out of the library though). I was what people called a deep boy for a book; and am still. Whenever I had a penny, after I got a bellyful of victuals, it went for a book, but I haven't bought many lately. I did buy one yesterday -the 'Family Herald' -one I often read when I can get it. There's good reading in it; it elevates your mind -anybody that has a mind for studying. It has good tales in it... I've read "Windsor Castle" and "The Tower", -they're by the same man. I Liked "Windsor Castle" and all about Henry VIII and Herne and Hunter. It's a book that's connected with history, and that's a good thing. I like adventurous tales."
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book, Serial / periodical, unsure if penny numbers or book
Henry Mayhew interviews a boy of 16, a vagrant and inmate of a casual ward of a London workhouse:
"My father had no books but religious books; they were all of a religious turn, and what people might think dull. But they never made me dull. I read Wesley's and Watt's hymns, and religious magazines of different connexions. I had a natural inclination for the sae, and would like to get to it now. I've read a good deal about it since -Clark's 'Lives of Pirates', 'Tales of Shipwrecks', and other things in penny numbers (Clark's I got out of the library though). I was what people called a deep boy for a book; and am still. Whenever I had a penny, after I got a bellyful of victuals, it went for a book, but I haven't bought many lately. I did buy one yesterday -the 'Family Herald' -one I often read when I can get it. There's good reading in it; it elevates your mind -anybody that has a mind for studying. It has good tales in it... I've read "Windsor Castle" and "The Tower", -they're by the same man. I Liked "Windsor Castle" and all about Henry VIII and Herne and Hunter. It's a book that's connected with history, and that's a good thing. I like adventurous tales."
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book, Serial / periodical, unsure if penny numbers or book
Henry Mayhew interviews a boy of 17, an inmate of a London workhouse:
"I've read 'Jack Sheppard' through, in three volumes; and I used to tell stories out of that sometimes."
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Henry Mayhew interviews a 'London sneak or common thief':
"On Sunday evenings the only books read were such as 'Jack Sheppard', 'Dick Turpin' and the 'Newgate Calendar', they got out of the neighbouring libraries by depositing 1s. These were read with much interest; the lodgers would sooner have these than any other books."
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Henry Mayhew interviews a 'London sneak or common thief':
"On Sunday evenings the only books read were such as 'Jack Sheppard', 'Dick Turpin' and the 'Newgate Calendar', they got out of the neighbouring libraries by depositing 1s. These were read with much interest; the lodgers would sooner have these than any other books."
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Henry Mayhew holds meeting with a group of the lowest class of male juvenile thieves and vagabonds; during the meeting they tell him what they have read/ read regularly and Mayhew records this:
"Respecting their education, according to the popular meaning of the term, 63 of the 150 were able to read and write, and they were principally thieves. Fifty of this number said they had read 'Jack Sheppard' and the lines of Dick Turpin, Claude du Val, and all the other popular thieves' novels, as well as the Newgate Calendar and Lives of Robbers and Pirates. Those who could not read themselves, said they'd had 'Jack Sheppard' read to them at the lodging houses. Numbers avowed that they had been induced to resort to an abandoned course of life from reading the lives of notorious thieves and novels about highway robbers."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book, Serial / periodical, either in penny numbers or as volume
Henry Mayhew holds meeting with a group of the lowest class of male juvenile thieves and vagabonds; during the meeting they tell him what they have read/ read regularly and Mayhew records this:
"Respecting their education, according to the popular meaning of the term, 63 of the 150 were able to read and write, and they were principally thieves. Fifty of this number said they had read 'Jack Sheppard' and the lines of Dick Turpin, Claude du Val, and all the other popular thieves' novels, as well as the Newgate Calendar and Lives of Robbers and Pirates. Those who could not read themselves, said they'd had 'Jack Sheppard' read to them at the lodging houses. Numbers avowed that they had been induced to resort to an abandoned course of life from reading the lives of notorious thieves and novels about highway robbers."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book, Serial / periodical, either in penny numbers or as volume
Henry Mayhew holds meeting with a group of the lowest class of male juvenile thieves and vagabonds; during the meeting they tell him what they have read/ read regularly and Mayhew records this:
"Respecting their education, according to the popular meaning of the term, 63 of the 150 were able to read and write, and they were principally thieves. Fifty of this number said they had read 'Jack Sheppard' and the lines of Dick Turpin, Claude du Val, and all the other popular thieves' novels, as well as the Newgate Calendar and Lives of Robbers and Pirates. Those who could not read themselves, said they'd had 'Jack Sheppard' read to them at the lodging houses. Numbers avowed that they had been induced to resort to an abandoned course of life from reading the lives of notorious thieves and novels about highway robbers."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: group of London thieves Print: Book, Serial / periodical, either as penny numbers or in volume
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I have been twice in prison. I was only in Liverpool two days. I came from Manchester to the races; I had no work. I have been at all the theatres... I have robbed my parents to satisfy my desire to go to the theatres; ...I have seen 'Jack Sheppard' performed; I think it will be the means of inducing boys to copy his tricks. I have read his life; many boys have it."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: H.T. Print: Book, Serial / periodical, read as numbers or volume?
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I have been five times in prison. I have been as the Sanspareil and at all the theatres... I am sure had I never known the theatres I should have been quite a different character at this day. I have heard 'Jack Sheppard' performed; I was very fond of it; I had his life, but some boy took it from me; most boys have his life."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: T.A Print: Book
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I came from Manchester to the races. I was taken into custody when I had only been in Liverpool two days. I was taken up for attempting to pick pockets... Theatres are very exciting. I never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed; I have read his history; I have seen many boys buy his history; I borrowed mine from another boy."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: G.G. Print: Book
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I have been three times in prison and once discharged. I have been at the Sanspareil and Amphitheatre; I have also been at the penny hop... I am sure the theatres would bring any youngster to ruin: they don't care where they get their money, so that they do but get it to join their companions. I was very fond of seeing 'Jack Sheppard' performed. I have read his life; I bought it."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: J.M. Print: Book
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I was never in prison before. I have been twice discharged, and am now waiting for trial... I have heard the 'Life of Jack Sheppard' read; it did not lead me to think of anything good, but I am sure it would lead young folks to do everything bad. The man I heard read it lived in a house in Gore-street, and sold penny-beer, asnd other things: it is a house where men and boys meet"
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book
Statement of a juvenile offender:
"I have been nine times in prison and once discharged, and am now waiting trial... I never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed. I have read his life and heard a great deal about him. I think that those who read his life are not likely to reap any good, or those that see the play performed, I am sure will get no good."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: T.E. Print: Book
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I have been six times in prison and four times discharged, and am now waiting trial... I have been to all the theatres... I never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed. I have often heard and read about him: they all seem to say he was a great man and a great prison breaker; and when he was at liberty like a gentleman."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: M.F. Print: Book
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I have been twice in prison and am now waiting trial... I have seen 'Jack Sheppard' performed; have read part of his life; I thought the play was very interesting; I am sure it did not create in me any bad thoughts, nor increase my desire to follow bad pratices..."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: A.L. Print: Book, Serial / periodical, not sure if penny parts or volume
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I have been six times in prison, and four times discharged... Never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed; have read his life and often heard speak of him; he was very clever."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: J.F. Print: Book, Serial / periodical, not sure if penny parts or volume
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I have been four times in prison and twice discharged... I never saw Jack Sheppard performed; I have heard boys talk of him, and have heard my father read his life"
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: anon Print: Book, Serial / periodical, not sure if penny parts or volume
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I never was in prison before. I have been at the Sanspareil, and at all the other theatres, except the Queen's. I never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed. I have heard the prisoners speak about it many times: some would speak well of the play, others would say it was most of it false. I have read his Life; I think myself it is mostly false; there may have been such a man, but I think he could not go through all the exploits that is spoken of."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: E.B. Print: Book, Serial / periodical, not sure if penny parts or volume
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I never was in prison before. I was taken into custody for attempting to rob my master... I never saw 'Jack Sheppard' performed; I have read part of his life; I think he was a clever man; I don't know that reading his life created any difference in my mind."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: J.H. Print: Book, Serial / periodical, not sure if penny parts or volume
Statement of juvenile offender:
"I thought this 'Jack Sheppard' was a clever fellow for making his escape and robbing his master. If I could get out of gaol I think I should be as clever as him; but after all his exploits he got done at last. I have had the book out of a library at Dale Field. I paid 2d a book for three volumes. I also got 'Richard Turpin' in two volumes and paid the same."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: J.L. Print: Book
Statement of juvenile offender:
"When I left school I went to Mr Banks, bookseller, two years. I had good opportunities of reading then, voyages and such; read the Life of Jack Sheppard. I borrowed it from another boy... I read 'Jack Sheppard' about five months before I began the robberies."
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: J.H. Print: Book
'During these early years [Daphne du Maurier] filled her head with tales of adventure, romances, histories and popular novels, including such books as Treasure Island, The Snow Queen, The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Old St Paul's, The Tower of London, Nicholas Nickleby, Mr Midshipman Easy, Bleak House, Robinson Crusoe, The Mill on the Floss, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. The seeds of her own novels were planted during these intensive, sometimes acted-out, reading sessions. The fascination with the sea, the importance of an historical sense of place, the theme of the dual personality, are all reflected in her reading during these formative years'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Daphne du Maurier Print: Book
'"In my childhood, I never met another who could not read", [H.M. Tomlinson] recalled. "Some of them could be so excited by the printed page that they passed on the fun they had found, and thus... I was introduced to Mayne Reid, and again to Harrison Ainsworth, with "The Headless Horseman" and "Rookwood"".'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: H.M. Tomlinson Print: Book
'I pursued a similar plan with others of the magazines whenever I got a chance, especially "Bentley's Miscellany", which contained in my young days "Jack Sheppard".'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: James Glass Bertram Print: Serial / periodical
'By the age of ten he had gone through E.W. Lane's three-volume translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night", Scott's Waverley novels, Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass", the adventure stories of Captain Marryat, everything of Harrison Ainsworth, and other, now forgotten, works'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: William Somerset Maugham Print: Book
'Laura, who by this time was reading "Old St Paul's" at home, simply romped through this Little-Go'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Laura Thompson Print: Book
'I should have written to you to-day to thank you for your flattering and kind-hearted mention of myself in the new Preface to Rookwood; if the weather had been finer I intended riding out to tell you how warmly I felt it, and how much sincere delight your friendship affords me.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charles Dickens Print: Book
'Three weeks of sickness, sleepness nights, and dismal days: and the "light" reading that I have been devouring I find to weigh very heavy. Yet the "Three Mousquetaires" of Dumas is certainly the best novel that creature has made. How is it that the paltriest feuilletoniste in Paris can always turn out something at least readable (readable, I mean, by a person of ordinary taste and knowledge) and that the popular providers of that sort of thing in London - save only Dickens - are also so very stupid, ignorant and vicious a herd? Not but the feuilleton-men are vicious enough; but then vice wrapped decently in plenty of British cant, and brutified by cockney ignorance, is triply vicious. Dumas's "Marquis de Letoriere", too, is a pleasant enough little novelette: but I have tried twice, and tried in vain, to get through a mass of letterpress called "Windsor Castle", by Ainsworth; and another by one Douglas Jerrold, entitled "St Giles and St James".'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Mitchel Print: Book
Mary Russell Mitford to Elizabeth Barrett, 30 January 1840:
'I have been reading "Jack Sheppard," and have been struck by the great danger, in these times, of representing authority so constantly and fearfully in the wrong, so tyrannous, so
devilish, as the author has been pleased to portray it in "Jack Sheppard" [...] Of course Mr
Ainsworth had no such design, but such is the effect; and as the millions who see it
represented at the minor theatres will not distinguish between now and a hundred years back,
all the Chartists in the land are less dangerous than this nightmare of a book, and I, Radical as
I am, lament any additional temptations to outbreak, with all its train of horrors.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Russell Mitford Print: Book
Books read by William Lygon, seventh Earl Beauchamp (politician, 1872-1938) to his daughters Lettice (1906-73) and Sibell (1907-2005) between June 1915 and December 1916 at Madresfield Court, Worcestershire:
The Tapestry Room (Mrs Molesworth)
The Pigeon Pie (Charlotte M. Yonge)
Lilian’s Golden Hours (Eliza Meteyard)
The Christmas Child (Hesba Stretton)
Wandering Willie (from Scott’s Redgauntlet?)
The Talisman (Walter Scott)
Ivanhoe (Walter Scott)
St Ives (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Theodora Phranza (J. M. Neale)
The House of Walderne (A. D. Crake)
The Black Arrow (Robert Louis Stevenson)
The Caged Lion (Charlotte M. Yonge)
The Little Duke (Charlotte M. Yonge)
The Jungle Books (Rudyard Kipling)
The Maltese Cat (Rudyard Kipling)
Boscobel (William Harrison Ainsworth)
Puck of Pook’s Hill (Rudyard Kipling)
Rewards and Fairies (Rudyard Kipling)
The Armourer’s Apprentice (Charlotte M. Yonge)
and some poetry.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: William Lygon, seventh Earl Beauchamp Print: Book