English School Story Authors: Meredith Fletcher


Figure 1.--This illustration is from Meredith Fletcher's "Jefferson Junior". Jeeferson Junior is pictured here with a group of senior boys. The illustrator was J.R. Burgess, one of the classic illustrator of school stories. The caption read, "'Clear out!" he said in a low savage voice." Image courtesy of the MA collection.

Meredith Fletcher was a pen name for Mary Fletcher Kitchin. She wrote several school stories. The first book w know of Every Inch a Briton (1900/01) which was published by Blackie & Son. The book was illustrated by Sydney Cowell. It was reiisued in 1933. She also wrote Uncle Bob: A Tle of Hazelton School (1901). I'm not sure who the illustrator was. The publisher was. Another book was Jefferson Junior (1905), was illustrated by J.R. Burgess. It is about a younger brother at school. The publisher was Blackie & Son. It was reissued in 1938. We also note stories he published in The British Boy's Annual (1910). The last book we know of was Iredale Minor: A Story for Boys (1912). I'm not sure who illustrated it. The publisher was S.W. Partridge & Co. A HBC reader tells us, "I have been searching the internet for information on the above author. I have a book by her The Pretenders - A School Story published by Henry Frowde & Hodder & Stoughton in 1908. There are six wonderful colour illustrations in the book by Harold Earnshaw with the cover depicting two schoolboys in typical Etonian school wear and inside the book has the words "by Meredith Fletcher author of Every Inch a Briton and Jefferson Junior." [Jordan] Unfortunately, we have not been able to find any additional information on this author. Hopefully our British readers will be able to find some additional information.

Sources

Jordan, Eileen. E-mail message, November 29, 2004.






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Created: April 4, 2003
Last updated: 3:33 PM 11/29/2004