Entries on Interesting Obscure and Lesser-Known Writers, Artists, Literary Folk, etc., I've Happened to Encounter
Hal Garrott (b. Chicago, Illinois, 21 June 1877; d. Los Altos, California, 21 October 1968)Hal Garrott was the working name of Henry Claggert Garrott, the son of Erasmus R. Garrott (1836-1897), a physician who became the chief medical officer of the Chicago Health Department, and his wife Florence Lee (1844-1930), who were married in Chicago on 20 December 1867. Hal was the second of four
M.A. Neff (b. Rome, Ohio, March 1858*; d. New York, New York, 6 October 1915) M.A. Neff, known familiarly as "Mell," was born Melvin Augustus Neff, the youngest of ten children of Abraham Neff (1806-1890) and his wife Tabitha Hall (1816-1876), who were married in 1831.Neff was married twice, the first was in 1883, but it did not last more than a few years. Around 1891 he
Sue Mallinson (b. Derby, Derbyshire, 16 February 1943)Sue Mallinson is the working name of Susan Elizabeth Mallinson, the second child of Richard Vincent Mallinson (1911-2005) and his wife Mary Ruth ("Molly") Hembry (1914-2006), who were married in Romford, Essex, in late 1935. Sue had an older sister, and two younger brothers, one of whom died in infancy. Sue Mallinson worked for BBC
Bernard C. Blake (b. reg. Gosport, Hampshire, July-September 1882; d. 9 April 1918, Cocques, France) Bernard Cecil Blake was the third son (of three children) of John William Blake (1846-1920), who owned a yacht-fitting shop in Gosport, and his wife Emma Julia Collins (1846-1934), who were married in 1867. His older brothers were Stanley James Blake (1870-1941), who worked alongside
Eric Ericson (b. Blaby, Leicestersire, 23 June 1925; d.reg. North Surrey, Oct-Dec 2006) In the short span of five years, between 1978 and 1983, Eric Ericson published four books, and then the name disappears from the public record. Three are occult novels, and the fourth is occult nonfiction. The only known facts about him, for many years, were that he was born in 1925 (sourced from the US
Barry Hughart (his surname is pronounced hew-gert) died in 2019 at the age of 85. His career as a writer of fantasy was short-lived, but his work was acclaimed. His first novel, Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was (1984), was the co-winner of the 1985 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (along with Mythago Wood, by Robert Holdstock), and it won the 1986
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C. Armitage Harper (b. Harrison, Arkansas, 24 June 1905; d. Little Rock, 30 June 1975) Clio Armitage Harper was the son of Clio Harper (1872-1932), at times a newspaper editor, and proprietor of a printing shop, and his wife, Zella Armitage (1876-1942), who were married in Harrison, Arkansas, on 26 September 1897. They had a daughter in 1899 who died in infancy; the son was their only other
Arthur A. Nelson (b. Pentwater, Michigan, 24 December 1875; d. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 28 May 1917) Arthur A. Nelson is known as the author of one single work, a four part serial "The Adventurers" which first appeared in the magazine Adventure from January through April 1915, and was collected in book form under the title Wings of Danger (New York: Robert M. McBride & Company, [September] 1915).
H.T.W. Bousfield (b. Sudbury, Derbyshire, 29 May 1891; d. reg. Kensington, London, Jan-March 1965)Henry Thomas Wishart Bousfield was the second child (and only son) of the Rev. Stephen Bousfield (1850-1903), and his wife, Edith Mary Wishart (1859-1926), who were married on 8 April 1888 in Sudbury. Stephen Bousfield had been educated at St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1872), and was ordained a
Alice Conger (b. Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, 19 May 1908; d. Sauk City, Wisconsin, 6 November 1983)A 1958 Bowling Team photoAlice Josephine Conger was a school classmate of August Derleth. Both graduated from the Prairie du Sac High School in June 1926. She went on to teach in nearby rural schools for about a decade. In 1936 she began doing research work for August Derleth, and this
Nicholas L. Brown (b. Bialystock, Russia [now Poland], 5 October 1885; d. Philadelphia, 17 November 1947) Nicholas Leon Brown was the second son of Leon Brown (1862-1922) and his wife Anna Helen Brown (1861-1939). He had one older brother, two younger brothers, and two younger sisters. He immigrated to the United States in October 1902, at the age of 17, and within a few years had set
Homeopathic News, May 1893 Charles Romeyn Dake (b. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 22 December 1849; d. Belleville, Illinois, 22 April 1899) There persists a question over Dake's middle name. Throughout his life, in his profession as a doctor, and as a journal editor and author, he by-lined himself as "Charles R. Dake" (or sometimes "C.R. Dake"). His only book was published four months
Arthur MacArthur (b. New Orleans, 19 May 1896; d. New Orleans, 24 October 1970)Arthur MacArthur (the surname in his family sometimes appears as McArthur) was the son of Arthur MacArthur (1866-1908)--himself the son of another Arthur MacArthur (1838-1916)--and Celena Delphina Kemp (1874-1951), who were married in New Orleans on 3 April 1895. After his father's death, his mother remarried in
Robert Husted Chambers in 1922Robert Husted Chambers (b. Broadalbin, New York, 3 October 1899; d. Washington, D.C., 1 January 1955)Robert Husted Chambers was the only child of the famous popular novelist, Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933), and his wife Elsa Vaughn Moller (1878?-1939), who were married in Washington, D.C., on 12 July 1898. There is some confusion in many sources about his name. Early
Boyne Grainger, circa 1938Boyne Grainger / Boine Grainger (b. Maine, 17 December 1877; d. New York City, 13 October 1962) Bonita Rosita Ginger was known familiarly as "Bonnie." She was the daughter of Lewis (sometimes "Louis") Ginger (1846-1933), reportedly a former colonel in the U.S. Army, and his English wife, Grace Elizabeth Clayton (1839-1909). Bonnie had one older brother,
Hannen Swaffer (b. Lindfield, Sussex, 1 November 1879; d. London, 16 January 1962) Charles Frederick Hannen Swaffer was the oldest of nine children (one died as an infant) of Henry Joseph Swaffer (1858-1932), a draper, and Eugenie Katherine Hannen (1858-1947), who were married in 1879. He was educated at Stroud Green grammar school in Kent. He quickly turned reporter and critic,
Ivo Pakenham (b. 4 December 1903; d. reg. Brighton, Sussex, July-September 1980) His name at birth was registered as "Robert Ivo Raymond Lygon Pakenham," but he evidently always went by Ivo, and usually gave his name as Ivo Robert Raymond Lygon Pakenham. He was the oldest child of an Irish-born military officer, Captain Robert Edward Michael Pakenham (1874-1915), who served in
Mrs. Richard S. Greenough (b. Boston, Massachusetts, 19 February 1827; d. Franzensbad, Austria [now Františkovy in the Czech Republic], 9 August 1885)Sarah Dana Loring was the first of several children of William Joseph Loring (1795-1841) and his wife, Anna Thorndike (1804-1872), who were married in Boston in 1825. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 26 September 1846, she married Richard
Bertha L. Gunterman in 1968Bertha L. Gunterman (b. Louisville, Kentucky, 8 May 1886; d. Louisville, Kentucky, 3 October 1975) Bertha Lisette Gunterman was the daughter of Peter Anton Gunterman (1842-1898) and his wife, Elizabeth Margaret Jansing (1853-1919), who were married in October 1874. Bertha grew up with one older sister, one older brother, and one younger brother. Bertha studied
William L. Chester (b. New York City, 7 January 1907; d. Briarcliff Manor, NY, 9 October 1971)William Lester Chester was the son of William Chester and Christina Jensen, who were married in Dupage, Illinois, on 6 October 1903. Little is known about his early life. By the 1930 US Census, he was a clerk at a bank, and his father's birthplace is given as Minnesota, and his mother's as Denmark.
The short version: Most blogs I'm involved with have a "Follow by email" option. The "Follow by email" function worked (fine) via Google's Feedburner since I started using it. Google is eliminating Feedburner in July, which means I have had to find an alternate source. I have transferred this following-by-email function to follow.it. I already have seen anomalies, and hope they
Theodore Frederick Poulson (b. Bronx, New York, 2 January 1911; d. Newington, Connecticut, 16 July 1987) Theodore Frederick Poulson was the second child of three of Frederick John Poulson (1879-1964), a dentist's office worker (according to the 1910 US Census) and later a shipping clerk at a tobacco company (according to the 1920 US census), and his first wife, Rosabel Barbara Demmerie (
John Angus**updated 6 October 2025** I have completely redone this entry, because it originally began with a conflation, sourced at the National Library of Scotland, of John Angus with other persons. That error has been corrected, and I have now updated this entry with information provided by the author's daughter.*John Angus John Angus (b. Montrose, Scotland, 5 December 1906; d
My Lesser-Known Writers entry (from 2013) on the artist Sidney Stanley (1890-1956), linked here, has attracted a good amount of attention over the years. Recently I got a query from a person who owns four original watercolour works by Sidney Stanley. The four pictures are related, and may perhaps have been done as illustrations to a book, or to some story in some periodical. But we don't