Angus Reach
Encyclopedia
Angus Bethune Reach was a 19th century British writer, noted for both his journalism and fiction. He was an acquaintance of such contemporary novelists as William Makepeace Thackeray
and Edmund Yates
, and counted the journalist and novelist Shirley Brooks
as his greatest friend.
, Scotland, to solicitor Roderick Reach and his wife Ann. He attended school at Inverness Academy, beginning early in life to contribute a series of articles to the local Inverness Courier. Following a short period of study at Edinburgh University he moved in 1841 to London, where he gained a job as a court reporter
for the Morning Chronicle
newspaper. Reach's early duties included coverage of events at the Old Bailey
and later the House of Commons, before he gained greater recognition contributing to an investigative journalism
series on the conditions of the urban poor in the manufacturing districts of England. He subsequently became the Chronicles arts critic, a post he held for over ten years.
In addition to his work for the Chronicle, Reach wrote the gossip column Town and Table Talk for the Illustrated London News
and corresponded from London for the Inverness Courier. He later joined the staff of the celebrated satirical journal Punch
, having contributed previously to two of its rivals, The Man In The Moon and The Puppet Show. He developed a reputation as a humourist, including for his satires The Comic Bradshaw and The Natural History of Humbugs.
, including Claret and Olives, an account of a tour of France originally serialised in the Chronicle.
Reach figured in the anecdotes of a number of his literary friends. One concerned his profound colourblindness, a condition of which Reach was apparently unaware until adulthood. Purportedly, while dining with a friend – the ophthalmologist Jabez Hogg – Reach asked a waiter to bring him ink to complete a letter to the Chronicle. The ink was brought in a wineglass and a distracted Reach, unable to distinguish it by colour from his glass of claret
, had to be stopped by his friend from drinking the ink. Another tale, told by Thackeray, concerned the pronunciation of his name. On their first meeting, Thackeray reportedly pronounced Reach's name to rhyme with "beach", and the latter informed him that the correct rendering was disyllabic: "REE-ack". Thackeray apologised for his mistake but later, when offering Reach dessert from a bowl of peaches, asked him "Mr Re-ak, will you take a pe-ak?"
, organised a benefit performance at the Olympia Theatre in London to raise funds to support Reach's family during his incapacitation. The performance included many of the works Reach himself had written or translated: all the seats in the house sold out, and such figures as Charles Dickens
numbered among the audience. A repeat performance, at the Drury Lane Theatre
, was attended by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
. For another year Shirley Brooks fulfilled Reach's obligations to the Chronicle, writing his columns and paying the proceeds to Reach's wife, but Reach was never to recover and died in November 1856.
Contemporary commentators attributed Reach's illness to overwork, including as a result of the frequent changes of ownership experienced by the Chronicle. Later biographers have suggested that alcohol consumption is likely to have contributed to his declining health.
Reach was buried in Norwood (modern Southall
). Following his death his friend Thackeray contributed to the erection of a monument in his memory.
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
and Edmund Yates
Edmund Yates
Edmund Hodgson Yates was a British novelist and dramatist. He was born in Edinburgh to the actor and theatre manager Frederick Henry Yates and held an appointment for a period of time in the General Post Office as an adult...
, and counted the journalist and novelist Shirley Brooks
Shirley Brooks
Charles William Shirley Brooks , journalist and novelist, born in London, began life in a solicitor's office. He early, however, took to literature, and contributed to various periodicals. In 1851 he joined the staff of Punch, to which he contributed "Essence of Parliament," and on the death of...
as his greatest friend.
Journalistic career
Reach was born in InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, Scotland, to solicitor Roderick Reach and his wife Ann. He attended school at Inverness Academy, beginning early in life to contribute a series of articles to the local Inverness Courier. Following a short period of study at Edinburgh University he moved in 1841 to London, where he gained a job as a court reporter
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
for the Morning Chronicle
Morning Chronicle
The Morning Chronicle was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London, England, and published under various owners until 1862. It was most notable for having been the first employer of Charles Dickens, and for publishing the articles by Henry Mayhew which were collected and published in book format in...
newspaper. Reach's early duties included coverage of events at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
and later the House of Commons, before he gained greater recognition contributing to an investigative journalism
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
series on the conditions of the urban poor in the manufacturing districts of England. He subsequently became the Chronicles arts critic, a post he held for over ten years.
In addition to his work for the Chronicle, Reach wrote the gossip column Town and Table Talk for the Illustrated London News
Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
and corresponded from London for the Inverness Courier. He later joined the staff of the celebrated satirical journal Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, having contributed previously to two of its rivals, The Man In The Moon and The Puppet Show. He developed a reputation as a humourist, including for his satires The Comic Bradshaw and The Natural History of Humbugs.
Other works
Reach's novel, originally serialised as Clement Lorimer, or, The Book with the Iron Clasps, ran in monthly instalments through 1848–9, before being collected in a single volume and later republished in two parts as Leonard Lindsay, or, The Story of a Buccaneer. The work, a crime thriller set in the world of horseracing, has been described as a "template for the pulp tradition." He also published works of travel writingTravel writing
Travel writing is a genre that has, as its focus, accounts of real or imaginary places. The genre encompasses a number of styles that may range from the documentary to the evocative, from literary to journalistic, and from the humorous to the serious....
, including Claret and Olives, an account of a tour of France originally serialised in the Chronicle.
Personal life
Reach was married and was survived by his wife.Reach figured in the anecdotes of a number of his literary friends. One concerned his profound colourblindness, a condition of which Reach was apparently unaware until adulthood. Purportedly, while dining with a friend – the ophthalmologist Jabez Hogg – Reach asked a waiter to bring him ink to complete a letter to the Chronicle. The ink was brought in a wineglass and a distracted Reach, unable to distinguish it by colour from his glass of claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
, had to be stopped by his friend from drinking the ink. Another tale, told by Thackeray, concerned the pronunciation of his name. On their first meeting, Thackeray reportedly pronounced Reach's name to rhyme with "beach", and the latter informed him that the correct rendering was disyllabic: "REE-ack". Thackeray apologised for his mistake but later, when offering Reach dessert from a bowl of peaches, asked him "Mr Re-ak, will you take a pe-ak?"
Illness and death
In 1854 Reach suffered an attack described variously in contemporary accounts as a "paralytic" illness and a "softening of the brain", and identified by modern biographers as a probable cerebral haemorrhage. The attack left Reach unable to work and to provide for his wife: his friends, led by the author Albert Richard SmithAlbert Richard Smith
Albert Richard Smith , was an English author, entertainer, and mountaineer.-Biography:Smith was born at Chertsey, Surrey. The son of a surgeon, he studied medicine in London and in Paris, and his first literary effort was an account of his life there, which appeared in the Mirror. He gradually...
, organised a benefit performance at the Olympia Theatre in London to raise funds to support Reach's family during his incapacitation. The performance included many of the works Reach himself had written or translated: all the seats in the house sold out, and such figures as Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
numbered among the audience. A repeat performance, at the Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, was attended by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Prince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
. For another year Shirley Brooks fulfilled Reach's obligations to the Chronicle, writing his columns and paying the proceeds to Reach's wife, but Reach was never to recover and died in November 1856.
Contemporary commentators attributed Reach's illness to overwork, including as a result of the frequent changes of ownership experienced by the Chronicle. Later biographers have suggested that alcohol consumption is likely to have contributed to his declining health.
Reach was buried in Norwood (modern Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
). Following his death his friend Thackeray contributed to the erection of a monument in his memory.
External links
- Angus Reach at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography