Harry Blyth
Henry Thomas Blyth was a British journalist, novelist, playwright, and editor, best remembered as the creator of the fictional detective Sexton Blake. A prolific contributor to newspapers, Victorian penny papers and Alfred Harmsworth's early boys' periodicals, Blyth's fast-paced, melodramatic tales were quite popular in late 19th-century Britain and were also republished in newspapers in Australia.
Early life and education
Harry Blyth was born aboard HMS Unite, a hulk ship off Woolwich, in January 1852. His father was a naval surgeon who died a few months after Harry's birth, leaving behind a widow and three children. His siblings were Ellen Julia Anne Blyth and Alexander Wynter Blyth, who became a medical officer of health for North Devon.Originally intended for the medical profession like his father and brother, Blyth showed an early aversion to medicine. In 1867, he was placed in a shipping agent's office in London, where he worked until 1869. Growing tired of desk work, he briefly joined George Ellerton's Dramatic Company at Maidstone, performing various characters for three months before abandoning the stage.
In 1870, Blyth passed the preliminary examination at Durham University required for medical school entry.
Writing career
While reading for his examination at Durham University, Blyth wrote his first published story, A London Engagement, a tale in imitation of Edgar Allan Poe. He contributed to a London periodical called The Million; and wrote regularly for the Irish comic paper, Blarney. He entered medical school in London in October 1871 and excelled in subjects such as chemistry and physiology, but his growing passion for writing soon eclipsed his medical ambitions. He began to skip lectures in favour of writing articles for various periodicals.His brother Alexander Wynter Blyth, the medical officer for North Devon, invited him to North Devon to assist in the writing of A Dictionary of Hygiene and Public Health, a respected reference work in which Blyth, though uncredited, authored most of the food-related articles. During this time, he also wrote the popular article series Freaks of the Palate, which was well received and widely circulated.
His success continued with Eat, Drink and be Merry, a collection of culinary essays that appeared in multiple newspapers. Eat, Drink and be Merry; or Dainty Bits from many Tables was published by J. A. Brook and Co in 1876, reportedly selling around 60,000 copies. Nearly 200 newspapers gave the work favourable reviews. Of it, the Bookseller wrote: "This is not a Cookery book, but a gossip about all sorts of Cookery, from real turtle to snails; all sorts of drinks, from Champagne to small beer eau-de-voie to nettle tea; with anecdotes culled from all sources, and presented with the sauce of a true literary caterer."
Blyth followed this with a series titled Crooked London, a portrait of town life, and eventually accepted a post as sub-editor, and occasionally editor, of The National Food and Fuel Reformer, further drawing him away from medical studies.
By 1877, Blyth had made a definitive break from medicine. That year, he wrote Snacks for the Hungry for The Tatler, edited by R.E. Francillon. The 24-article series on food and dining was a popular and critical success, convincing Blyth to abandon his medical studies once and for all and make his living as a writer.
After his articles in the Tatler, he began writing serials for the leading provincial papers, each production appearing simultaneously in a number of journals. Some of the serials from the late 1870s include: The Queen of the Air, a theatrical story: A Wily Woman, a tale that deals with spiritualism; Silverflake, a short story; and the Bloom of the Heather.
In 1879 he wrote another book on gastronomic lore Magic Morsels: Scraps from an Epicure's Table, Gathered, Garnished and Dished by Harry Blyth, published by T.H. Roberts and Co of London. That same year, Mr Blyth's life story was told in an early number of the Biograph, a monthly magazine devoted to contemporary biography.
Harry Blyth’s venture into periodical publishing began with The Archer, an illustrated weekly he launched in Edinburgh in 1880. It folded after the first issue. Of the experience he wrote: "I printed it on green paper partly because of the title, but mainly to give the eyes of my readers a rest. They rested so well that they never saw the type, and were too sleepy to want the second number. This, I believe, was the first attempt made in Great Britain to give newspaper readers absolute repose."
A more enduring success followed with The Chiel, co-founded in Glasgow alongside Robert Arthur, the builder of the Kennington Theatre. A Scottish Punch-style paper it ran for 363 issues from 17 February 1883, to 25 January 1890.
In 1884 he was editor of Cream o' the North, a paper published by the Savoy Publishing company.
In 1887 Blyth founded the North British Publishing Company and published The Secret of Sinclair's Farm a popular serial of his that had run in several newspapers and had been well-received.
The following year he published The Queen of the Air also to very positive reviews. A reviewer in Fun wrote "This is one of the thrilling romances by a deservedly popular author, now in course of publication, and is worthy of wide circulation."
In 1889 he became editor of Waverly, a literary, dramatic and fictional paper where he also wrote a column entitled "The New Mysteries of London, or The Old Bailey" where he 'cleared up many mysteries.' In 1890 he edited a new weekly paper called Romance He also had an interest in the theatre and wrote a very successful pantomime for the Theatre Royal, Glasgow.
In 1893, after writing a series of thirteen articles entitled Third Class Crimes for The Sunday People, he came to the attention of publisher Alfred Harmsworth who was looking for writers to contribute to his newly launched boys' periodicals. The story goes that when publisher and author met for the first time, Harmsworth greeted Blyth by saying: "So you are the crime merchant?", to which Blyth replied: "Just as you are the newspaper merchant." Harmsworth who was always impressed by people who stood up to him, commissioned him to write adventure and detective stories for The Halfpenny Marvel.
Blyth made his debut in The Halfpenny Marvel No. 2 with The Gold Fiend under the pen-name Hal Meredeth. It was followed by a tale under his own name, The Black Pirate, in issue No. 4, a swashbuckler that may have been the inspiration for the movie starring Douglas Fairbanks of the same name a few decades later.
He created Sexton Blake in The Missing Millionaire which ran in issue No. 6. The sequel A Christmas Crime ran in issue No. 7, both to popular success. Blyth published these tales under the name Hal Meredth, the surname being his mother's maiden name. He wrote prolifically for the Amalgamated Press papers over the next four years, under his pen-name and his own name, in Pluck, Popular, Chums and the Union Jack.
The libel case of 1888
Blyth was known for his humour and it got him into trouble once. As reported in the Glasgow Herald, 20 April 1888.Action for Alleged Libel
In the Court of Queen's Bench, London, yesterday, Mr Justice Hawkins and a special jury were engaged in hearing the case Marks v. Blyth. The plaintiff claimed damages for a libel published by the defendant, who pleaded that he had made an apology and paid £10 into Court to satisfy Mr. Marks's demand. Mr Kisch was the counsel representing the plaintiff, whilst Mr. Kergp, Q.C., Mr. Horace Browne, and Mr Lynn appeared for the defendant.
The plaintiff, it appears, is a journalist, and has done work for the Times, the Morning Post, and other journals both in this country and abroad. In October of last year a publication was about to appear called the Society Herald, which was to be devoted to financial, theatrical, literary, and other matters. Of that journal Mr. Marks was the editor-elect. The defendant, Mr. Harry Blyth, is the editor and proprietor of a weekly serio-comic paper called the Chiel, which circulates in and about Glasgow, and in this publication he published on 22 October the paragraph complained of. It ran thus:—"London is threatened with a new society journal, which is to be called the Society Herald. The editor is said to be used to cakumpicking, and the staff, I am told, consists of criminal lawyers and pugilists." The attention of the defendant was called to the statements contained in the libel, all of which Mr. Marks denied, and on 10 December—six weeks after the publication—an apology was inserted. The question was whether the £10 paid into Court, coupled with the apology, was sufficient compensation. Mr Blyth, the plaintiff, was called in support of his case. No other evidence was called.
Mr. Kemp addressed the jury for the defence, Mr. Blyth was, he said, absolutely unacquainted with the identity of the plaintiíf and his staff. The paragraph in question was a stupid joke, for which a humble apology had been offered. Taking the circumstances into consideration, he submitted that the £10 paid in was enough.
Mr. Kisch, replying, contended that the statements made constituted about as serious and scandalous and unjustifiable a libel as could be published. He asked for substantial damages.
Mr. Justice Hawkins having summed up, the jury retired to consider their verdict. They returned into Court after a short absence, when the foreman said that they found for the plaintiff for £10 paid into Court.
Mr. HORACE BROWNE—Upon that finding I ask your lordship to enter judgment for the defendant, and to certify for a special jury. The claim was for £1000.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—I will reserve my judgement. In the meantime, I will ask the jury some further questions. —Are you of opinion that the libel was inserted without malice or gross negligence?
The FOREMAN—Yes.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—Did the defendant insert the apology at the earliest opportunity?—No.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—Do you consider the apology a full one?—Yes.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—You find that the sum paid into Court is enough to satisfy the claim?—Yes.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—Don't let the ten pounds dwell in your minds at all. Just ask yourselves this question—Having regard to all the circumstances, if no money had been paid in, what would you say would be the right amount of damages to award the plaintiff ?—None at all.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—That puts a different complexion upon the matter.
Mr. KISCH—Is that the unanimous verdict of the jury?
A JUROR—No.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—What is your unanimous verdict?
A JUROR—How small a sum can we give?
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—Well, gentlemen, I can amend the record and make the claim for a million instead of a thousand, and then you can give any sum between a farthing and a million inclusive.
Eventually the jury assessed the damages at one farthing.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—You find that the plaintiff, if he cannot get the £10, is to have a farthing?
The FOREMAN—Yes.
Mr. KISCH—I apply for judgement.
Mr. Justice HAWKINS—I enter judgment for you for the damages which the jury have found namely, a farthing.
Mr. BROWNE asked his Lordship—Supposing the verdict for a farthing was an ultimate one to deprive the plaintiff of his costs?
Mr Kisch protested.
Mr Justice HAWKINS—You consider it a Scotch joke. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to any or what costs will be decided at the proper time.
Judgement entered for the plaintiff—damages a farthing.