Shirley Brooks
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2013) |
Charles William Shirley Brooks | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 29 April 1816
Died | 23 February 1874 London, England | (aged 57)
Occupation(s) | journalist, novelist; editor of Punch |
Charles William Shirley Brooks (29 April 1816 – 23 February 1874) was an English journalist and novelist. Born in London, he began his career in a solicitor's office. Shortly afterwards he took to writing, and contributed to various periodicals. In 1851 he joined the staff of
Life
Brooks was the son of William Brooks, architect, who died on 11 Dec. 1867, aged 80, by his wife Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of William Sabine of Islington. He was born at 52 Doughty Street, London, 29 April 1816. After his earlier education he was articled, on 24 April 1832, to his uncle, Mr. Charles Sabine of Oswestry, for the term of five years, and passed the Incorporated Law Society's examination in November 1838, but there is no record of his ever having become a solicitor.
During five sessions he occupied a seat in the reporters' gallery of the
As of 1842, he signed his articles which were appearing in Ainsworth's Magazine as Charles W. Brooks. His second literary signature was C. Shirley Brooks, and finally he became Shirley Brooks. His full Christian names were Charles William Shirley, the last being an old name in the family. His first magazine papers, among which were A Lounge in the Œil de Bœuf, An Excursion of some English Actors to China, Cousin Emily, and The Shrift on the Rail, brought him into communication with
In association with John Oxenford, he supplied to the Olympic, 26 Dec. 1861, an extravaganza entitled Timour the Tartar, or the Iron Master of Samarkand, the explanatory letterpress stating that a trifling lapse between the year 1361 and the year 1861 occasionally occurs. Amongst his other dramatic pieces are Guardian Angel, a farce, Lowther Arcade, Honours and Tricks, and Our New Governess.
Brooks was in his earlier days a contributor to many of the best periodicals. He was a leader writer on the
Brooks's important connection with Punch began in 1851. He made use of the name Epicurus Rotundus as the signature to his articles. For the rest of his life he was a contributor to the columns of the periodical, and in 1870 he succeeded Mark Lemon as editor. One of his best known series of articles was The Essence of Parliament, a style of writing for which he was peculiarly fitted by his previous training in connection with the Morning Chronicle.
On 14 March 1872 Brooks was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
In January, 1874 he was a founder member of the Cremation Society of Great Britain, set up to campaign for the legalisation of cremation, but within a few weeks he had died.[1]
Death found him in the midst of his books and papers working cheerfully amongst his family. Two articles, Election Epigrams and The Situation, were written on his death-bed, and before they were published he was dead. He died at 6 Kent Terrace, Regent's Park, London, on 23 February 1874, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery on the 28th.
He married Emily Margaret, daughter of Dr. William Walkinshaw of Naparima, Trinidad. She was granted a civil list pension of £100 on 19 June 1876, and died on 14 May 1880. Their son, Reginald Shirley Brooks, was also a journalist.
Works
The works by Brooks not already mentioned are:
- The Wigwam: a burletta, in one act (1847)[2]
- Amusing Poetry (1857)
- The Silver Cord: a story (1861), 3 vols
- Follies of the Year (1866), by J. Leech, with notes by S. Brooks
- Sooner or Later (1866–8) with illustrations by George Du Maurier, 3 vols
- The Naggletons; and, Miss Violet and her Offers (1875)
- Wit and Humour, Poems from "Punch" (1875), edited by his son, Reginald Shirley Brooks
References
- ^ Mike Selvey (11 June 2009). "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Shirley can't further the cause his son must". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ See "Cora, the Indian Maiden's Song"
General references
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Cousin, John William (1910), "Brooks, Charles William Shirley", A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via Wikisource
- Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
External links
- Anonymous (1873). Cartoon portraits and biographical sketches of men of the day. Illustrated by Frederick Waddy. London: Tinsley Brothers. pp. 128–33. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. .
- Archival material at Leeds University Library
- Works by Shirley Brooks at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)