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The Boys' Friend
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The Boys Friend (second Series) ran from 15th June 1901 until 31st Dec 1927. In early 1915 the 'Green 'Un' passed under the Editorship of H. A. Hinton and the Boys' Friend joined the Magnet, Gem, Chuckles and the Penny Popular as one of the Companion Papers. Readers of the other Companion papers were were urged to buy the next issue to 'read the adventures of a fine new Schoolboy character, - Jimmy Silver of Rookwood'.
Rookwood was a success and on the 18th August 1917 (issue 845) yet another school for the Boys' Friend, Cedar Creek was born. The stories of Cedar Creek purported to be of Frank Richard's schooldays in Canada as told by his good friend Martin Clifford.
The Editorial of issue 928 is of some interest as it mentions the death of Lewis R. Higgins. According to the Lofts & Adley book 'The men behind Boys' fiction' Lewis R. Higgins is the editor who 'seemed to overflow his editorial chair' mentioned in Frank Richards autobiography as the inspiration behind Billy Bunter's girth.
Thanks to Gary a comprehensive list of the Hamilton content follows. If there is no hyperlink then the story is not yet available in electronic format.
Rookwood in the Boys' Friend.
Issue 715 was the first issue of the Boys' Friend Library 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.
A total of 53 out of 411 issues of the Schoolboys' Own Library were reprints of the Rookwood stories. For the 1953 Collectors' Digest Annual Gerry Allison wrote an article "Restoring Order at Rookwood" containing a list of all the SOL Rookwood tales and their origin. He even produced a list of the recommended reading order. You can read the article here.
Eric Fayne wrote an article called 'The Years of Conquest' for the 1953 Collectors' Digest Annual that provided some detail of Rookwood in the Boys' Friend. You can read the article here.
The Rookwood stories from the Boys' Friend were reprinted in the Schoolboys' Own Library and the Penny Popular. Original stories were later published in Tom Merry's Own and Billy Bunter's Own.
Cedar Creek in the Boys' Friend.
The stories of Cedar Creek purported to be of Frank Richard's schooldays in Canada as told by his good friend Martin Clifford. Frank's Father had lost all his money forcing Frank to go and live with his Uncle in Canada.
The 1953 Collectors' Digest Annual featured an article by Leonard Packman that introduced us to the characters of Cedar Creek, you can read the article here.
The Cedar Creek stories must rate as the most reprinted of all Hamilton stories. Of the 205 stories printed in the Boys' Friend 201 were reprinted in the Penny Popular and 64 in the Gem. Selections were reprinted in 9 copies of the Boys' Friend Library and in 3 numbers of the Schoolboys' Own Library. Also, reprinted stories appeared in The Holiday Annual for the years 1924, 1926, 1938 and 1941.
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Rookwood |
Cedar Creek |
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| Issue | Date | Boys' Friend | Description | SOL Reprints | Boys' Friend Title | Gem Reprints | BFL and SOL Reprints | |
| 715 | 20/02/1915 | The Rivals Of Rookwood | Intro. Jimmy Silver | SOL 118 | ||||
| 716 | 27/02/1915 | Jimmy Silver's Ruse | Intro. Jimmy Silver | SOL 118 | ||||
| 717 | 06/03/1915 | Healing The Breach | Intro. Jimmy Silver | SOL 118 | ||||
| 718 | 13/03/1915 | The Fistical Four | Intro. Jimmy Silver | SOL 118 | ||||
| 719 | 20/03/1915 | The Rebels Of Rookwood | The Rebellion At Rookwood | |||||
| 720 | 27/03/1915 | Barred Out | The Rebellion At Rookwood | |||||
| 721 | 03/04/1915 | No Surrender | The Rebellion At Rookwood | |||||
| 722 | 10/04/1915 | The Impostors | ||||||
| 723 | 17/04/1915 | The Slackers Of Rookwood | SOL 128 | |||||
| 724 | 24/04/1915 | The Prefect's Plot | SOL 128 | |||||
| 725 | 01/05/1915 | Backing Up Bulkeley | SOL 128 | |||||
| 726 | 08/05/1915 | Jimmy Silver's Fix | SOL 128 | |||||
| 727 | 15/05/1915 | The Fall Of The Mighty | ||||||
| 728 | 22/05/1915 | Smythe's Little Sweep | ||||||
| 729 | 29/05/1915 | The Modern's Mistake | ||||||
| 730 | 05/06/1915 | Rookwood's Revenge | ||||||
| 731 | 12/06/1915 | A Stern Chase | ||||||
| 732 | 19/06/1915 | The Bagshot "Bounders" | ||||||
| 733 | 26/06/1915 | His True Colours | ||||||
| 734 | 03/07/1915 | Parted Chums | ||||||
| 735 | 10/07/1915 | The Outcast Of The Fourth | ||||||
| 736 | 17/07/1915 | The Bogus Eleven | ||||||
| 737 | 24/07/1915 | Pankley's Picnic | ||||||
| 738 | 31/07/1915 | Turning The Tables | ||||||
| 739 | 07/08/1915 | Police Constable Jimmy Silver | ||||||
| 740 | 14/08/1915 | The Spy In The School | ||||||
| 741 | 21/08/1915 | Renounced By Rookwood | ||||||
| 742 | 28/08/1915 | Last Man In | ||||||
| 743 | 04/09/1915 | The Terror Of Rookwood | SOL 182 | |||||
| 744 | 11/09/1915 | Ructions At Rookwood | SOL 182 | |||||
| 745 | 18/09/1915 | The Rookwood Junior's Human Chain | SOL 182 | |||||
| 746 | 25/09/1915 | One Against The School | Gunter | SOL 182 | ||||
| 747 | 02/10/1915 | Gunter's Mistake | Gunter | SOL 182 | ||||
| 748 | 09/10/1915 | Getting Rid Of Gunter | Gunter | SOL 182 | ||||
| 749 | 16/10/1915 | Chummy With Smythe | ||||||
| 750 | 23/10/1915 | Who Shall Be Skipper | ||||||
| 751 | 30/10/1915 | The Fight For The Captaincy | ||||||
| 752 | 06/11/1915 | A Shattered Friendship | Jimmy's Uncle, John Silver | |||||
| 753 | 13/11/1915 | Put To The Test | Jimmy's Uncle, John Silver | |||||
| 754 | 20/11/1915 | Jimmy Silver's Downfall | Jimmy's Uncle, John Silver | |||||
| 755 | 27/11/1915 | Shoulder To Shoulder | Jimmy's Uncle, John Silver | |||||
| 756 | 04/12/1915 | His Last Chance | Jimmy's Uncle, John Silver | |||||
| 757 | 11/12/1915 | Jimmy Silver's Guest | ||||||
| 758 | 18/12/1915 | The Rookwood Raiders | ||||||
| 759 | 25/12/1915 | Dishing The Dandy | ||||||
| 760 | 01/01/1916 | The Rookwood Pantomime | ||||||
| 761 | 08/01/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Journal | ||||||
| 762 | 15/01/1916 | Just Like Jimmy | ||||||
| 763 | 22/01/1916 | The Hate Of The Hun | ||||||
| 764 | 29/01/1916 | The Scouts Of The School | ||||||
| 765 | 05/02/1916 | In Honour Bound | ||||||
| 766 | 12/02/1916 | The Duffer Of The Fourth | ||||||
| 767 | 19/02/1916 | Curing The Duffer | ||||||
| 768 | 26/02/1916 | Caught Napping | ||||||
| 769 | 04/03/1916 | Scorned By The Slackers | Tom Rawson | SOL 262 | ||||
| 770 | 11/03/1916 | Keeping His End Up | Tom Rawson | SOL 262 | ||||
| 771 | 18/03/1916 | The Scholarship Boy's Secret | Tom Rawson | SOL 262 | ||||
| 772 | 25/03/1916 | Rallying Round Rawson | Tom Rawson | SOL 262 | ||||
| 773 | 01/04/1916 | In Deep Disguise | ||||||
| 774 | 08/04/1916 | The Wrong Sort | Mornington | SOL 262 | ||||
| 775 | 15/04/1916 | A Disgrace To Rookwood | Mornington | SOL 262 | ||||
| 776 | 22/04/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Sacrifice | Mornington | SOL 262 | ||||
| 777 | 29/04/1916 | The Rival Recruits | ||||||
| 778 | 06/05/1916 | The Freak Match | ||||||
| 779 | 13/05/1916 | By Request Of The Head | ||||||
| 780 | 20/05/1916 | The Rascal Of Rookwood | ||||||
| 781 | 27/05/1916 | The Tyrant Of The School | Mr. Scroop - Headmaster | SOL 268 | ||||
| 782 | 03/06/1916 | The Revolt Against The Head | Mr. Scroop - Headmaster | SOL 268 | ||||
| 783 | 10/06/1916 | The Rookwood Barring-In | Mr. Scroop - Headmaster | SOL 268 | ||||
| 784 | 17/06/1916 | The Shadowed Schoolboys | ||||||
| 785 | 24/06/1916 | A Tough Handful | SOL 006 | |||||
| 786 | 01/07/1916 | Bluffing The Bully | SOL 272 | |||||
| 787 | 08/07/1916 | The Rookwood Redskins | SOL 278 | |||||
| 788 | 15/07/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Victory | SOL 006 | |||||
| 789 | 22/07/1916 | Foes Of The Fourth | SOL 006 | |||||
| 790 | 29/07/1916 | Turned Out Of The Team | SOL 006 | |||||
| 791 | 05/08/1916 | The Rascal's Repentance | SOL 006 | |||||
| 792 | 12/08/1916 | Fagging For Beaumont | ||||||
| 793 | 19/08/1916 | The Uninvited Guest | SOL 272 | |||||
| 794 | 26/08/1916 | The Rookwood Players | SOL 278 | |||||
| 795 | 02/09/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Weekend | SOL 278 | |||||
| 796 | 09/09/1916 | Cornering The Cad | SOL 278 | |||||
| 797 | 16/09/1916 | The Rookwood Co-Operators | ||||||
| 798 | 23/09/1916 | The Colonial Schoolboy | Van Ryn | SOL 272 | ||||
| 799 | 30/09/1916 | The Rookwood Ventriloquist | Van Ryn | SOL 272 | ||||
| 800 | 07/10/1916 | The Fistical Four's Revenge | ||||||
| 801 | 14/10/1916 | Barred From The Team | SOL 012 | |||||
| 802 | 21/10/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Guilt | Jimmy Silver vs Mornington | SOL 012 | ||||
| 803 | 28/10/1916 | Expelled From Rookwood | Jimmy Silver vs Mornington | SOL 012 | ||||
| 804 | 04/11/1916 | Rawson To The Rescue | Jimmy Silver vs Mornington | SOL 012 | ||||
| 805 | 11/11/1916 | The Hero Of Rookwood | Jimmy Silver vs Mornington | SOL 012 | ||||
| 806 | 18/11/1916 | The Rookwood Reformers | ||||||
| 807 | 25/11/1916 | Spoofing The School | ||||||
| 808 | 02/12/1916 | The Modern's Triumph | ||||||
| 809 | 09/12/1916 | Mornington Minor | SOL 284 | |||||
| 810 | 16/12/1916 | Jimmy Silver's Xmas Party | SOL 284 | |||||
| 811 | 23/12/1916 | The Waif Of Rookwood | Charles Pons | SOL 284 | ||||
| 812 | 30/12/1916 | The Boy From Canada | Charles Pons | SOL 048 | ||||
| 813 | 06/01/1917 | The Canadian Juniors Conquest | Charles Pons | SOL 048 | ||||
| 814 | 13/01/1917 | Held To His Word | SOL 048 | |||||
| 815 | 20/01/1917 | Mr. Mander's Tea Party | ||||||
| 816 | 27/01/1917 | Scorned By The Fags | SOL 284 | |||||
| 817 | 03/02/1917 | By Sheer Pluck | SOL 284 | |||||
| 818 | 10/02/1917 | Tubby Muffin, Millionaire | ||||||
| 819 | 17/02/1917 | Conroy The Cornstalk | Kit Conroy | SOL 048 | ||||
| 820 | 24/02/1917 | The Colonial Co. | Kit Conroy | SOL 048 | ||||
| 821 | 03/03/1917 | The Upper Hand | Kit Conroy | SOL 296 | ||||
| 822 | 10/03/1917 | A Traitor In The Camp | SOL 296 | |||||
| 823 | 17/03/1917 | Lovell's Luck (Sub R.T. Eves) | ||||||
| 824 | 24/03/1917 | The Rookwood Paper Chase | SOL 296 | |||||
| 825 | 31/03/1917 | Mornington's Chance | SOL 296 | |||||
| 826 | 07/04/1917 | Fooled On The First | ||||||
| 827 | 14/04/1917 | Van Ryn's Ruse | ||||||
| 828 | 21/04/1917 | The Eccentric Headmaster (Sub R.T, Eves) | ||||||
| 829 | 28/04/1917 | Greener Than Grass | ||||||
| 830 | 05/05/1917 | The Fall Of The Fifth | ||||||
| 831 | 12/05/1917 | The Son Of A Cracksman | SOL 220 | |||||
| 832 | 19/05/1917 | Rookwood On Rations | ||||||
| 833 | 26/05/1917 | Mornington's Master Stroke | Kit Erroll | SOL 220 | ||||
| 834 | 02/06/1917 | A Straight Game | Kit Erroll | SOL 220 | ||||
| 835 | 09/06/1917 | The Hidden Schoolboy | Kit Erroll | SOL 220 | ||||
| 836 | 16/06/1917 | From Foes To Friends | Kit Erroll | SOL 220 | ||||
| 837 | 23/06/1917 | Light At Last | SOL 220 | |||||
| 838 | 30/06/1917 | The Trick That Failed | ||||||
| 839 | 07/07/1917 | The Shadow Of Shame | ||||||
| 840 | 14/07/1917 | Saving A Scapegrace | ||||||
| 841 | 21/07/1917 | Smythe's Terrible Uncle | ||||||
| 842 | 28/07/1917 | Left In The Lurch | ||||||
| 843 | 04/08/1917 | Mornington's Foe | SOL 032 | |||||
| 844 | 11/08/1917 | The Missing Heir | 'Erbert | SOL 032 | ||||
| 845 | 18/08/1917 | Brought To Heel | 'Erbert | SOL 032 | Frank Richards’ Schooldays! | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | ||
| 846 | 25/08/1917 | Game To The Last | 'Erbert | SOL 032 | Westward Ho! | Gem 1588 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | |
| 847 | 01/09/1917 | A Terrible Temptation | 'Erbert | SOL 032 | The School In The Backwoods! | Gem 1589 |
BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays SOL 142 is reprint of issue 847 Et Seq |
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| 848 | 08/09/1917 | Mornington's Vengeance | 'Erbert | SOL 108 | For Life Or Death! | Gem 1590 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | |
| 849 | 15/09/1917 | The Downward Path | SOL 108 | The Remittance Man! | Gem 1591 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | ||
| 850 | 22/09/1917 | Raising The Wind | Loyal To His Enemy! | Gem 1592 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | |||
| 851 | 29/09/1917 | A Discredit To The School | Rounding Up The Rustler! | Gem 1593 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | |||
| 852 | 06/10/1917 | The Rookwood Refugee | The Rogue Of The School! | Gem 1594 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | |||
| 853 | 13/10/1917 | The Winning Goal | SOL 108 | Trouble For Three! | Gem 1595 | BFL 417- Frank Richard's Schooldays | ||
| 854 | 20/10/1917 | A Thief In The Night | SOL 108 | A Cockney In Canada! | Gem 1596 | |||
| 855 | 27/10/1917 | Mornington's Triumph | SOL 108 | For His Father’s Sake! | Gem 1597 | |||
| 856 | 03/11/1917 | In Another's Power (Sub R.T. Eves) | The Schoolboy Author! | Gem 1598 | ||||
| 857 | 10/11/1917 | Gentleman Jim's Secret | A Borrowed Identity! | Gem 1599 | BFL 465- The School in the Backwoods | |||
| 858 | 17/11/1917 | The Impostor's Downfall | Laid By The Heels! | Gem 1600 | BFL 465- The School in the Backwoods | |||
| 859 | 24/11/1917 | A Fool And His Money | Saved From A Crime! | Gem 1601 | ||||
| 860 | 01/12/1917 | Foiled At The Finish | "The 'Bad Man' From Boot Leg!" | Gem 1602 | BFL 465- The School in the Backwoods | |||
| 861 | 08/12/1917 | Brought To Terms | Done Brown! | |||||
| 862 | 15/12/1917 | Jimmy Silver's Guest | Frank Richard’s Christmas! | Gem 1609 | ||||
| 863 | 22/12/1917 | Mornington's Last Plunge | Gunter’s Little Game! | Gem 1603 | BFL 465- The School in the Backwoods | |||
| 864 | 29/12/1917 | Algy Of The Third | ||||||