Charles Robert Forrester
Encyclopedia
Charles Robert Forrester (1803, London
– 15 January 1850, London
) was an English
lawyer and writer, who sometimes wrote under the pseudonym
Hal Willis, frequently with illustrations provided by his brother Alfred Henry Forrester
(1804–1872) who shared the pseudonym Alfred Crowquill.
Charles Robert Forrester was a son of Robert Forrester of 5 North Gate, Royal Exchange, London, a public notary. He succeeded his father as a notary, having his place of business at 5 North Piazza, Royal Exchange; he later moved to 28 Royal Exchange, where he remained until his death.
Forrester also wrote for The Ladies' Museum
and Louisa Henrietta Sheridan's annual Comic Offering. Under the editorship of Theodore Hook he was on the staff of the New Monthly Magazine in 1837 and 1838, where he used the name Alfred Crowquill, and inserted his first contribution, "Achates Digby", in xlix. 93–8.
At the close of 1839 he became connected with Bentley's Miscellany
in which magazine his writings are sometimes (with illustrations by his brother) signed A. Crowquill and at other times Hal Willis. 'Mr. Crocodile,’ in viii. 49–53 (1840), was the first of his long series of papers. In 1843 a selection of his articles in those two magazines was brought out in two volumes under the title Phantasmagoria of Fun.
Forrester was also the author of Eccentric Tales, by W. F. von Kosewitz, 1827, The Battle of the Annuals, a Fragment, 1835, and The Lord Mayor's Fool, 1840, the last two of which were anonymous. He no doubt wrote other works, but his name did not appear in the ‘British Museum Catalogue’ nor in any of the ordinary nineteenth-century books on English bibliography. He was a good English classicist and well acquainted with the Latin, French, German, and Dutch languages. His writings, like his conversation, were noted for their spontaneous wit.
He died from heart disease at his house in Beaumont Square, Mile End
, London, leaving a widow and four children.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– 15 January 1850, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
lawyer and writer, who sometimes wrote under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Hal Willis, frequently with illustrations provided by his brother Alfred Henry Forrester
Alfred Henry Forrester
Alfred Henry Forrester was an author, illustrator and artist, who was also known under the pseudonym of Alfred Crowquill....
(1804–1872) who shared the pseudonym Alfred Crowquill.
Charles Robert Forrester was a son of Robert Forrester of 5 North Gate, Royal Exchange, London, a public notary. He succeeded his father as a notary, having his place of business at 5 North Piazza, Royal Exchange; he later moved to 28 Royal Exchange, where he remained until his death.
Writing career
His profession paid well, and he used his money and leisure to write. Under the pseudonym of 'Hal Willis, student at law', he brought out in 1824 Castle Baynard, or the Days of John, and in 1827 a second novel entitled Sir Roland, a Romance of the Twelfth Century in four volumes. In 1826–7 he contributed to The Stanley Tales, Original and Select, chiefly Collected by Ambrose Marten, five volumes. Absurdities in Prose and Verse, written and illustrated by Alfred Crowquill appeared in 1827, the illustrations being by Alfred Forrester: here, as later, the two brothers used the same name conjointly.Forrester also wrote for The Ladies' Museum
Lady's Monthly Museum
The Lady's Monthly Museum; Or, Polite Repository of Amusement and Instruction was an English monthly women's magazine published between 1798 and 1832....
and Louisa Henrietta Sheridan's annual Comic Offering. Under the editorship of Theodore Hook he was on the staff of the New Monthly Magazine in 1837 and 1838, where he used the name Alfred Crowquill, and inserted his first contribution, "Achates Digby", in xlix. 93–8.
At the close of 1839 he became connected with Bentley's Miscellany
Bentley's Miscellany
Bentley's Miscellany was an English literary magazine started by Richard Bentley. It was published between 1836 and 1868.-Contributors:Already a successful publisher of novels, Bentley began the journal in 1836 and invited Charles Dickens to be its first editor...
in which magazine his writings are sometimes (with illustrations by his brother) signed A. Crowquill and at other times Hal Willis. 'Mr. Crocodile,’ in viii. 49–53 (1840), was the first of his long series of papers. In 1843 a selection of his articles in those two magazines was brought out in two volumes under the title Phantasmagoria of Fun.
Forrester was also the author of Eccentric Tales, by W. F. von Kosewitz, 1827, The Battle of the Annuals, a Fragment, 1835, and The Lord Mayor's Fool, 1840, the last two of which were anonymous. He no doubt wrote other works, but his name did not appear in the ‘British Museum Catalogue’ nor in any of the ordinary nineteenth-century books on English bibliography. He was a good English classicist and well acquainted with the Latin, French, German, and Dutch languages. His writings, like his conversation, were noted for their spontaneous wit.
He died from heart disease at his house in Beaumont Square, Mile End
Mile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, London, leaving a widow and four children.
External links
- G. C. Boase, ‘Forrester, Charles Robert (1803–1850)’, rev. Rebecca Mills, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 15 Jan 2008
- Works by 'Charles Crowquill' in libraries (WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
catalog)