Home

The Boys' Friend

Hamilton was asked to create a new school for the flagging Boys' Friend and April 1915 (issue 715) Rookwood was born. This was followed in August 1917 (issue 845) by yet another school for the Boys' Friend, Cedar Creek.

Rookwood and Cedar Creek in the Boys' Friend.

Rookwood first appeared on 17th April 1915 (issue 715) and appeared every week for the next 11 years.

53 of the 411 issues of the Schoolboys' Own Library were Rookwood tales, mostly from the Boys' Friend. For the 1953 CD Annual Gerry Allison wrote an article "Restoring Order at Rookwood" containing a list of all the SOL Rookwood tales and their origin. He even produces a list of recommended reading order. You can read the article here. 

Issue 715 was the first issue with Hamilton content and introduced both Jimmy Silver and Rookwood to the readers. This issue was later reprinted in both the Schoolboys' Own Library and the Penny Popular but was heavily abridged in both publications. In 1970 the story was reprinted in full in a menu for the London OBBC you can read it here.

Issue 839 containing the Rookwood story 'The Shadow of Shame' is available here.

Issue 844 containing the Rookwood story 'The Missing Heir' is available here.

Issue 845 containing the Rookwood story 'Brought to Heel' and the first ever Cedar Creek story 'Frank Richards Schooldays' is available here.

Issue 846 containing the Rookwood story 'Game to the Last' and Cedar Creek story 'Westward Ho' is available here.

Issue 847 containing the Rookwood story 'A Terrible Temptation' and Cedar Creek story 'The School in the Backwoods' is available here.

Issue 848 containing the Rookwood story 'Mornington's Vengeance' and Cedar Creek story 'For Life Or Death!' is available here.

Issue 849 containing the Rookwood story ' The Downward Path' and Cedar Creek story 'The Remittance Man!' is available here.

Issue 951, containing the Rookwood story  'The Giddy Goats' and the Cedar Creek story 'Away Westward' is available here.

Issue 965 containing the Rookwood story 'Teddy's Last Chance' and Cedar Creek story 'On the Warpath' is available here.

Issue 1013 containing the Rookwood story 'The Phantom of the past' and the Cedar Creek story 'Roping in the Rustlers' is available here.

Issue 1020 containing the Rookwood story 'The Phantom Abbot of Rookwood', a Christmas tale from 25th December 1920.  is available here.

Almost 20 years later a number of the Cedar Creek tales were reprinted in the Gem.

Thanks to Gary a comprehensive list of the Hamilton content follows-.