William Stephens Hayward - London by Night

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

William Stephens Hayward (1835-1870) was a Victorian sensational novelist.
I'll start a thread on him soon. There is a suggestion he was as wicked as some of his characters.
See here:

john-adcock.blogspot.com/2009/04/william-stephens-hayward-1835-1870.html

www.splrarebooks.com/collection/view/london-by-night



The novel concerns a woman who moves into prostitution after the death of her lover. The interesting twist is it is high society prostitution, no Saucy Jack level grimy alley fumbling here. Obviously being in the Penny Dreadful mould it is tragic.

A copy is described on worth point:

Ultra rare survival of a mid-Victorian novel about "Soiled Doves", "the Frail Sisterhood", Ladies of the Town", i.e. prostitutes.Published, according to cover, by Evans and Co., 81 Fleet Street, with an illustrated title page giving the publisher as William Oliver, 3 Amen Corner, "London by Night - A Descriptive Novel" is described as by the author of "Skittles" and "Anonyma", i.e. William Stephens Haywood. Although not dated, publication appears to have been in 1869 or 1870. 176 pages; illustrated title page; eleven full page colour illustrations including one fold-out. List of other titles in the "Anonyma" series on back cover. Size 22 cm x 15 cm.

www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/william-stephens-hayward-london-night-516915378

Abe, and archive, lists 1865 as original publication date.

[helrunar]

Interesting find! Skittles, the life of a Fascinating Woman must make for compulsive reading. And that's a great blog.  Lots of unusual topics.

cheers, Hel.

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

I think we forget that the popular writers of the past were not just, or even, those that have come down to us, such as Dickens, or even Shakespeare. Most of the mosty popular have been forgotten. Just like most of the popular writers of today will be.

[Shrink Proof]

Mar 20, 2023 14:31:05 GMT 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr said:

I think we forget that the popular writers of the past were not just, or even, those that have come down to us, such as Dickens, or even Shakespeare. Most of the mosty popular have been forgotten. Just like most of the popular writers of today will be.

Yes, many of today's writers will be unjustly forgotten in years to come. Worse, some of today's writers will be unjustly remembered.

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

Mar 20, 2023 15:22:50 GMT Shrink Proof said:

Mar 20, 2023 14:31:05 GMT 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr said:

I think we forget that the popular writers of the past were not just, or even, those that have come down to us, such as Dickens, or even Shakespeare. Most of the mosty popular have been forgotten. Just like most of the popular writers of today will be.

Yes, many of today's writers will be unjustly forgotten in years to come. Worse, some of today's writers will be unjustly remembered.

(The following comes with a controversy alert)

This is true. Most people accept what they are told about the so-called classics. So Shakespeare writes in an elevated language unlike anyone else, we are told. Except most of his contempories wrote that way too; Marlowe is uneven, but his "mighty line" is astounding (up until Marlowe's death in a tavern brawl Shakespeare was constantly copying him [He references the killing in a line: "it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room]). Up until Romantic and Victorian times and bardolatry, Ben Jonson was often preferred as his work was considered more classical in style and more perfectly formed (they rewrote Shakespeare). How would we ever know how good his contemporaries actually are if we never put on their plays? Only a handful ever see the light of day, and they are the same ones mostly. While even the worst of Shakespeare is regularly given an outing. My point isn't that Shakespeare is unjustly remembered, it is that we obsess with a narrow canon and forget the rest.

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

Anyway in London by Night, as you see from that illustration, one of dem bones favourite notorious London places gets a mention.

Ratcliffe Highway.

"It was arranged that Sybil should quit the locality in which she was residing, and take up her abode in the house of a ' worthy friend' of Dyke Dayle's, Mrs. McMurray by name. This woman was a big raw-boned Scotch woman, and kept a house of ill fame in the vicinity of Ratcliffe Highway. Sybil was treated with every consideration, for Mrs. McMurray evidently had the greatest respect for Mr. Dyke Dayle, and knew that to show any indignity to a friend of his would rouse his indignation."

"These poor creatures were in the habit of going to the various song-rooms or dancing saloons in Ratcliffe Highway. Sybil accompanied them once or twice, and saw new phrases of life."

[samdawson]

I'm sure that DB already has this on his extensive list of those who have written about Ratcliffe Highway (Henry Mayhew, PD James et al), but the song The Deserter, the best known recording of which is by Fairport Convention, has the alternative title of Ratcliff(e) Highway.
Princess, if you're unfamiliar with Fairport and the late Sandy Denny, then you have an enormous treat ahead of you (they are one of many excellent British folk/folk rock bands of the 1960s and 70s (and beyond, especially as Fairport are still touring). Ref your separate question about whether any of us have written about an object bought in an antique shop, yes, once only, I think, in a story in the Charles Black's Seventh Black Book of Horror. The object, bought in a now long-gone junk shop for, I think £2 or £4, was a vintage wall-mounted  telephone that now resides in our dining room and on which I can, if required, amuse our now grown up children by imitating Mr Hudson receiving a telephone call in Upstairs Downstairs (the real one).