Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Sir Walter Besant Papers, 1888-1922, Accession #10996, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased from C.R. Johnson Rare Book Collections of London, England, on November 17, 1990.

Biographical/Historical Information

Walter Besant (1836-1901) was an instructor in mathematics and a senior professor at the Royal College, Mauritius, before he began his literary career with the publication of Studies in Early French Poetry . He was also secretary of the Palestine Exploration Fund which resulted in his collaboration with Professor E.H. Palmer on Jerusalem: The City of Herod and Saladin . He began his work as a novelist with his collaboration with the editor of Once a Week , James Rice, and continued writing historical novels on his own when the illness of Rice ended the partnership.

Scope and Content Information

This literary collection consists of letters, notes, and a telegram, ca. 70 items, 1888-1932, and undated, of the English author, Walter Besant (1836-1901) and his literary agent A.P. Watt concerning publication arrangements for Besant's work.

Three letters from P.M. Besant to A.P. Watt illustrate his role as manager of Besant's books, such as the request of Macmillian to publish Life of Captain Cook in 1932, after his uncle's death.

LETTERS FROM WALTER BESANT TO A.P. WATT

There are fourteen letters from Besant to his agent, A.P. Watt, 1888-1901, discussing various offers from publishers concerning his work. In two letters to Watt, January 12 & 14, 1888, Besant discusses his agreement to do an article about the writing of novels for Atalanta and insists that Watt get a written acknowledgement from the magazine that they had only purchased serial rights to the article for "I mistrust the publisher" (see letters from publishers, 1888 Jan 10, 16 & 20). In another letter, March 25, 1889, Besant furnishes a list of stories, calculations as to the number of words in each, with its date of publication, and a possible arrangement for publication, "The first volume will make as much as a very long two volume novel. The second one rather shorter but still a good length. One or two pictures might be chosen from Harper and The Illustrated London News for frontespieces, etc. I am quite in your hand regards price."

Besant also urges Watt, "Let us take Chatto's offer...[for Dorothy Foster] the best written of the whole set" (1889 Nov 30); sends Watt a permission request, "Here is a little document of no apparent importance - permission to make an opera out of The Inner House to a country musician - will you kindly place it with your papers?" (1892 Feb 15); sends an introduction for The Charm and Other Drawing-Room Plays and mentions his collaborator on the plays, W.H. Pollock, who authorized Besant to act on his behalf concerning the book (1895 Oct 17); agrees in his negotiations with the editor of Lady's Pictorial for a 120,000 word story in serial form set in the eighteenth century in which the editor may eliminate any "words he may think objectionable" since the story was for a woman's publication (1898 Feb 10; see also letters from publishers, 1898 Feb); Besant responds to an offer to take up writing for "The Century of Empire" formerly written by Sir Herbert Maxwell and the Marquis of Lorne, in which he proposes "to carry on the thing on much the same lines as the two previous writers with less politics and more sociology" (1900 May 6); and mentions his health, "I am not much better but am no worse. The nausea still continues" (1901 April 19).

LETTERS FROM PUBLISHERS TO A.P. WATT

All of this correspondence pertains to the purchase of publication rights for the stories and novels of Walter Besant, usually in a serial format, by various publishers and magazines including the Dicky Bird Society Weekly Chronicle , The Liverpool Daily Post , The Weekly Scotsman , Atalanta , The Illustrated London News , Yorkshire Post , The Graphic , Lady's Pictorial , Cassell's Magazine , The Ipswich Journal , Pall Mall Magazine , The Birmingham Daily Post , and The Courier .

In price negotiations with William H. Hatton of The Midland Press, Limited, Watt compared Hatton's offer for Besant's story with the price paid Wilkie Collins for a similiar work, to which the publisher replied, "There was a special reason for giving 35 pounds for Wilkie Collins - he is still a great favorite here. Amongst the mass of readers Mr. Besant is comparatively unknown and therefore we considered that our regular rate - 25 pounds - should not be overstepped" (1888 Oct 10, 12, & 15).

There are several letters concerning the offer of The Graphic for publishing rights to "a story of the ordinary three volume length" from Besant if Watt would try to sell for them the right to publish the story in provincial newspapers (1889 Mar 21 & 26; Apr 5; Jul 2 & 4; Aug 9, 17, & 23; Oct 31; and Nov 12).

Andrew Chatto writes to Watt concerning the publication of a new collection of Besant's unpublished short stories (1889 Mar 28); Chatto and Windus makes an offer for the stereos, illustrations, remaining stock and copyright of Jerusalem: The City of Herod and Saladin if Besant would supply an appendix or introduction for a new edition of the work discussing the results of the most recent investigations and explorations of the Palestine Exploration Committee (1899 Feb 1); and Chatto and Windus seek the serial rights to The Lady of Lynn and The Way Out (1901 Jul 30).

Other topics include: the competition between Besant and Sir Henry Rider Haggard for publication in serial form (1889 Aug 23 & Nov 12); the serial rights to Armorel of Lyonesse in The Penny Illustrated Paper (1890 Feb 21 & 26); disagreement between the representative of the John Jacob Astor Estate and Watt over securing American copyright for Besant's work (1896 Jan 4); Richard Bentley discussing the transfer of publication rights for The French Humorists and The History of Jerusalem to Macmillan & Co. (1898 Sep 28 & Nov 18); arrangements by Cassall's Magazine to secure Besant's "Christmas in Old Westminister" (1900 May 25 and 1901 Apr 2 & 13); discussion concerning corrections for The Charm and Other Drawing-Room Plays (1895 Oct 17); negotiations with Dodd, Mead over the publication of The Autobiography of Sir Walter Besant (1901 Jun 23 & 27, and Jul 27); correspondence with Macmillan concerning the copyright for Life of Captain Cook (1932 Jan 8 & 14); and several pages of notes concerning Survey of London (n.d.).