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| The Schoolgirl The Schoolgirl began as a weekly story paper in Aug 1929, as a Companion Paper for the Schoolgirls' Own and Schoolgirls' Weekly, also published by the Amalgamated Press. It succeeded the School Friend which from 1919 had been a vehicle for stories of Cliff House School for girls as written by Hilda Richards - originally created by "brother" Frank (Charles Hamilton) in Magnet no. 59 in 1909 - and the Schoolgirl initially contained Cliff House tales too. However, in 1930 Cliff House was dropped for 2 years in favour of other potboilers until taken up again by John Wheway, who really turned the saga into his own. Over the next 8 years he wrote the majority of the tales (although he gave the impression on meetings with Bill Lofts and Derek Adley that he had written every issue), complemented by the precise and elegant drawings by T.E. Laidler on the covers and interiors, and arguably creating the Golden Age of Cliff House. In the main he kept the roster of characters initially assembled by Hamilton and continued by Kirkham, Phillips, L. E. Ransome and others but slightly altered their personalities, their relationships and attributes - for instance Bessie Bunter had been fat but was now more usually plump, had been grotesquely drawn by G. Dodshon but was now an elegantly delineated duffer by Laidler. Barbara Redfern was a bit of a prig in the '20's but under Wheway's hand became more like a female Harry Wharton, ie with all faults and thus more interesting, while her best friend Mabs Lynn solidified into the role of Frank Nugent. Jemima Carstairs continued to act like Mauly whilst Augusta Anstruther-Browne tended to be a feminine Bounder. Marjorie Hazeldene continued as, well, Marjorie (without either Wharton or Cherry on her mind), but Clara Trevlyn lost some of her harshness and if the vivacious tomboy was played down a little she was never anything less than lively. Sadly all of their adventures came to an end in May 1940 when the Wartime paper shortage forced the AP to end publication. In 1936 the Schoolgirls' Own was incorporated into the Schoolgirl and Morcove moved to the Schoolgirl as the secondary school story for two years before being quietly dropped. All the Morcove stories were by Horace Phillips using the pen name of Marjorie Stanton. You can find more information on Morcove School here. In an article for the 1979 Collectors' Digest Annual Tommy Keen explains why Cliff House and Morcove were his favourite school stories. You can read the article here. Thanks to Gary for the introduction and the list of issues based on the works of Lofts and Adley. If you have any material you would like to share in the form of scans, photocopies or photographs then please contact me. |
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| Issue | Date | Cliff House Title | Series | As Hilda Richards | Morcove Title | SGOL Title | ||||
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Issue 001 03/08/1929 |
Their Feud At School | 1/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 2 | 10/08/1929 | Their Feud At School | 2/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 3 | 17/08/1929 | Their Feud At School | 3/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 4 | 24/08/1929 | Their Feud At School | 4/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 5 | 31/08/1929 | Their Feud At School | 5/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 6 | 07/09/1929 | Their Feud At School | 6/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 7 | 14/09/1929 | Their Feud At School | 7/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 8 | 21/09/1929 | Their Feud At School | 8/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 9 | 28/09/1929 | Their Feud At School | 9/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 10 | 05/10/1929 | Their Feud At School | 10/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Feud at School SGOL 298 | |||||
| 21 | 21/12/1929 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 1/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 22 | 28/12/1929 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 2/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 23 | 04/01/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 3/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 24 | 11/01/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 4/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 25 | 18/01/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 5/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 26 | 25/01/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 6/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 27 | 01/02/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 7/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 28 | 08/02/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 8/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 29 | 15/02/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 9/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
| 30 | 22/02/1930 | Their Secret Quarrel At School | 10/10 | L. E. Ransome | Their Secret Quarrel at School SGOL 315 | |||||
|
No CH stories appeared in issues
31-139. A selection of covers can be viewed here. |
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| 140 | 02/04/1932 | Bessie Bunter's Spectre! | N. Williams | |||||||
| 141 | 09/04/1932 | Babs' & Co.'s Island Adventure! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 142 | 16/04/1932 | Film Fame For The Fourth! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 143 | 23/04/1932 | Clara The Rebel! | Clara The Rebel | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 144 | 30/04/1932 | For The Rebel's Cause! | Clara The Rebel | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 145 | 07/05/1932 | Their Feud With The Friardale Boys! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 146 | 14/05/1932 | The Form Must Come First! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 147 | 21/05/1932 | Bessie Bunter's Peril! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 148 | 28/05/1932 | Why Rosa Wasn't Popular! | Rosa The Japer | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 149 | 04/06/1932 | The Fourth Form Tyrants! | Rosa The Japer | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 150 | 11/06/1932 | Babs' And Mabs' Japanese Jape! | Japanese Jape | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 151 | 18/06/1932 | If The Form Found Out! | Japanese Jape | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 152 | 25/06/1932 | Marjorie The Mysterious! | Will Gibbons | |||||||
| 153 | 02/07/1932 | Clara In Captivity! | Unknown | |||||||
| 154 | 09/07/1932 | When Marcelle Amazed Cliff House! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 155 | 16/07/1932 | Not Fair To The Form! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 156 | 23/07/1932 | The Cliff House Holiday Cruise! | Holiday Cruise | 1/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 157 | 30/07/1932 | In Spain With Babs & Co.! | Holiday Cruise | 2/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 158 | 06/08/1932 | Shunned On The Liner! | Holiday Cruise | 3/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 159 | 13/08/1932 | The Cliff House Girls In Venice! | Holiday Cruise | 4/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 160 | 20/08/1932 | The Tomboy's Holiday Trail! | Holiday Cruise | 5/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 161 | 27/08/1932 | Homeward Bound With Babs & Co.! | Holiday Cruise | 6/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 162 | 03/09/1932 | Babs' Fight For Stella! | Stella Stone Captain | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 163 | 10/09/1932 | Must Stella Lose The Captaincy? | Stella Stone Captain | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 164 | 17/09/1932 | Stella Shall Be Captain! | Stella Stone Captain | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 165 | 24/09/1932 | Babs & Co.'s Priory Puzzle! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 166 | 01/10/1932 | Cliff House Blamed Clara! | Clara's Pet | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 167 | 08/10/1932 | Clara's "No Surrender"! | Clara's Pet | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
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Issue 168 15/10/1932 |
That Rich Relation Of Bessie's! | Bessie's Titled Relative | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
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Issue 169 22/10/1932 |
Against The Head's Orders! | Bessie's Titled Relative | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 170 | 29/10/1932 | The Mystery Maid At Cliff House! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 171 | 05/11/1932 | Baffled By Bessie! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 172 | 12/11/1932 | The Feud Against Barbara! | John Wheway | |||||||
| 173 | 19/11/1932 | If Only The School Had Known! | Nora Crofton | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 174 | 26/11/1932 | Must Doris Be Expelled! | Nora Crofton | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 175 | 03/12/1932 | The Secret Of Study No. 4! | Nora Crofton | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 176 | 10/12/1932 | The Boy Clara Stood By! | Oswald Musgrave | 1/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 177 | 17/12/1932 | When Clara Meant To Triumph! | Oswald Musgrave | 2/2 | John Wheway | |||||
| 178 | 24/12/1932 | Babs & Co.'s Magic Christmas! | Christmas At Luxor Hall | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 179 | 31/12/1932 | What Happened On Christmas Day! | Christmas At Luxor Hall | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 180 | 07/01/1933 | Forced To Leave Luxor Hall! | Christmas At Luxor Hall | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 181 | 14/01/1933 | Babs & Co.'s Circus Task! | The Circus Task | 1/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 182 | 21/01/1933 | The Cliff House Circus Stars! | The Circus Task | 2/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 183 | 28/01/1933 | The Plot Against The Circus Waif! | The Circus Task | 3/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 184 | 04/02/1933 | Not The Mabs They Knew! | Mabel Lynn Runaway | 1/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 185 | 11/02/1933 | The Girl Who Ran Away! | Mabel Lynn Runaway | 2/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 186 | 18/02/1933 | The Hunted Schoolgirl! | Mabel Lynn Runaway | 3/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 187 | 25/02/1933 | In Bessie Bunter's Care! | Mary Treherne New Girl | 1/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 188 | 04/03/1933 | The Part The Tomboy Played! | Mary Treherne New Girl | 2/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 189 | 11/03/1933 | Mary Treherne's Mutiny! | Mary Treherne New Girl | 3/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 190 | 18/03/1933 | By Someone Unknown! | Evelyn Wayne | 1/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 191 | 25/03/1933 | Only Babs Suspected! | Evelyn Wayne | 2/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 192 | 01/04/1933 | That Fateful Founders Day! | Evelyn Wayne | 3/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 193 | 08/04/1933 | Mabs Was Not To Blame! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 194 | 15/04/1933 | Bessie Bunter's Guilty Secret! | Bessie Bunter Film Star | 1/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 195 | 22/04/1933 | Bessie Bunter's Sacrifice! | Bessie Bunter Film Star | 2/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 196 | 29/04/1933 | They Meant To Stand By Bessie! | Bessie Bunter Film Star | 3/3 | Unknown | |||||
| 197 | 06/05/1933 | The Girl Who Ruled The School! | The New Headmistress | 1/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 198 | 13/05/1933 | She Made The Fourth Rebel! | The New Headmistress | 2/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 199 | 20/05/1933 | The Fourth's Fight For Freedom! | The New Headmistress | 3/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 200 | 27/05/1933 | The Downfall Of The Tyrant! | The New Headmistress | 4/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 201 | 03/06/1933 | Baffled By Jemima! | Jemima's Yacht | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 202 | 10/06/1933 | The Secret Of The Seashore! | Jemima's Yacht | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 203 | 17/06/1933 | When Cliff House Lost Hope! | Jemima's Yacht | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 204 | 24/06/1933 | The Friendship Brenda Scorned! | Barring Out - Brenda Fallace | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 205 | 01/07/1933 | When Expulsion Threatened! | Barring Out - Brenda Fallace | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 206 | 08/07/1933 | When Brenda Barred Out! | Barring Out - Brenda Fallace | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 207 | 15/07/1933 | The Tomboy's Folly! | Oswald Musgrave | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 208 | 22/07/1933 | Clara Makes Her Choice! | Oswald Musgrave | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 209 | 29/07/1933 | The Girl Who Failed The Form! | Oswald Musgrave | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 210 | 05/08/1933 | Off To Hollywood! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 1/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 211 | 12/08/1933 | Hello, America! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 2/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 212 | 19/08/1933 | Cliff House Among The Film Stars! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 3/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 213 | 26/08/1933 | Kidnapped In Hollywood! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 4/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 214 | 02/09/1933 | Queen Of The Silver Hills! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 5/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 215 | 09/09/1933 | Bessie Bunter's Greatest Triumph! | Cliff House In Hollywood | 6/6 | John Wheway | |||||
| 216 | 16/09/1933 | Babs' New Term Task! | Miss Bullivant's Fugitive Brother | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 217 | 23/09/1933 | With Babs & Co. To Aid Her! | Miss Bullivant's Fugitive Brother | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 218 | 30/09/1933 | Babs Must Find A Way! | Miss Bullivant's Fugitive Brother | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 219 | 07/10/1933 | The Haunted Derelict! | Cliff House Castaways | 1/3 | S. E. Austin | |||||
| 220 | 14/10/1933 | The Cliff House Castaways! | Cliff House Castaways | 2/3 | S. E. Austin | |||||
| 221 | 21/10/1933 | The Secret Of The Creek! | Cliff House Castaways | 3/3 | S. E. Austin | |||||
| 222 | 28/10/1933 | Clara The Unconquerable! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 223 | 04/11/1933 | In Quest Of Saxon Gold! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 224 | 11/11/1933 | The Firebrand Of The Fourth! | Diana The Tomboy | 1/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 225 | 18/11/1933 | Their Captain No Longer! | Diana The Tomboy | 2/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 226 | 25/11/1933 | The Clash Of The Captains! | Diana The Tomboy | 3/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 227 | 02/12/1933 | The Tomboy In Disgrace! | Diana The Tomboy | 4/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 228 | 09/12/1933 | Diana Dared Too Much! | Diana The Tomboy | 5/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 229 | 16/12/1933 | Babs & Co.'s Old Fashioned Christmas! | Christmas Castle | 1/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 230 | 23/12/1933 | The Ghosts Of Christmas Castle! | Christmas Castle | 2/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 231 | 30/12/1933 | Christmas Day At Christmas Castle! | Christmas Castle | 3/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 232 | 06/01/1934 | Babs & Co.'s Cryptogram Clue! | Christmas Castle | 4/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 233 | 13/01/1934 | The Scots Girls Loyalty! | Jean Cartwright Scots Girl | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 234 | 20/01/1934 | The Cloud Over The Carnival! | Jean Cartwright Scots Girl | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 235 | 27/01/1934 | For Her Brother's Sake! | Jean Cartwright Scots Girl | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 236 | 03/02/1934 | Bessie The Rebel! | S. E. Austin | |||||||
| 237 | 10/02/1934 | Babs & Co.'s Circus Quest! | Fay Chandler Kidnapped | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 238 | 17/02/1934 | The Cliff House Circus Turn! | Fay Chandler Kidnapped | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 239 | 24/02/1934 | Babs' & Mabs' Masquerade! | Fay Chandler Kidnapped | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 240 | 03/03/1934 | Diana The Daring! | Secret Society | 1/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 241 | 10/03/1934 | Barbara's Secret Society! | Secret Society | 2/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 242 | 17/03/1934 | The Spy In The Secret Society! | Secret Society | 3/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 243 | 24/03/1934 | So Unlike The Tyrant! | Secret Society | 4/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 244 | 31/03/1934 | In Track Of The Treasure! | Secret Society | 5/5 | John Wheway | |||||
| 245 | 07/04/1934 | Mabs Must Never Know! | Barbara Redfern Scorned | 1/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 246 | 14/04/1934 | The Captain They Scorned! | Barbara Redfern Scorned | 2/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 247 | 21/04/1934 | The Verdict Of The Form! | Barbara Redfern Scorned | 3/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 248 | 28/04/1934 | All To Save Her Chum! | Barbara Redfern Scorned | 4/4 | John Wheway | |||||
| 249 | 05/05/1934 | The Girl On The Gloriana! | Haunted Yacht | 1/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 250 | 12/05/1934 | The Haunted Yacht! | Haunted Yacht | 2/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 251 | 19/05/1934 | The Madcap's Bodyguard! | Haunted Yacht | 3/3 | John Wheway | |||||
| 252 | 26/05/1934 | Bessie Bunter's Feud! |