Hal, the barge boy

London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1883. FIRST EDITION. Steel-engraved frontispiece and several illustrations. Original fine-grained decorative cloth; minor browning. Presentation inscription on front endpaper, “Aldburgh Church Sunday School. Awarded to Winifred Creasy. A prize for regular attendance and good conduct. December/97.”. Seemingly the first edition of this uncommon didactic work in verse for young children, by the Victorian author Frances Maria Wilbraham. This moral tale includes many common Victorian themes including sick orphans, poverty, cruelty, and temperance. Various misfortunes befall young Hal, who is abused by some of the bargemen and so ends up recovering from a broken leg, fever, and malnourishment in Redford Hospital. His fortunes are improved through the charity and philanthropy of a visitor to the hospital. After a lengthy recovery, and the tender care of the nurses, he finds work on board a ship, and so escapes the dangers of his former canal life.

Wilbraham (1816–1905) wrote several historical novels beginning with For and Against: or, Queen Margaret's Badge (1858) set in her native Cheshire.

Though undated, the present work received a number of contemporary reviews in 1883, the presumed publication date. The inscription date on the present copy, together with a similarly dated presentation copy found in Florida, suggests that the work remained in circulation for some time.

OCLC locates 5 copies (only 1 in America at Florida and 4 in the UK).