The Children's Friend
first edition
1824 · Kirkby Lonsdale
by Wilson, Rev. W. Carus
Kirkby Lonsdale: Printed and Sold by A. Foster, 1824 Sixteen volumes (1824-1839). First edition. Very rare! 24mo (5x2¾ inches). Approximately 275pp. per volume. Each volume illustrated with wood engravings. Half green morocco, marbled sides. Some volumes with wear to spine ends. A very good set, complete. The Children's Friend was a British journal for children, in monthly parts, first published in 1824. It was founded by the Rev. William Carus Wilson (1791-1859). Wilson if perhaps best known for being portrayed negatively as Mr. Brocklehurst in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Offered here are the first sixteen volumes of this journal which promoted a "grim morality," and encouraging in its young audience the reading of the Bible, evangelism and charitable works. The Children's Friend was published in two series, from 1824 to 1860 and then in a larger format from 1861 to 1930. Each of the volumes is illustrated with woodcut head and tail pieces as well as full-page plates. The magazine was patronized by the Princess of Wales. Wilson founded the Clergy Daughters' school, which the Brontë sisters attended in 1824, at Cowan Bridge near Kirkby Lonsdale. Charlotte Bronte took literary revenge, perhaps unjustly, by putting him in Jane Eyre as Mr. Brocklehurst. This set is extremely scarce. Only a handful of the early volumes are listed with OCLC, Trinity College in Dublin having the most (eleven of the sixteen volumes). No one has all sixteen volumes. Also, there are absolutely no volumes having sold at auction and only one or two of the volumes are currently offered on line. [The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, 1566-1910: p.400 (incomplete run; not listed in Percy Muir's English Children's Book, 1600 to 1900)].. (Inventory #: 8290)