Author: James Spilling
Author: James Spilling (1825–1897)
Alternate Name(s): Village Schoolmaster (pseudonym)
Biography: James Spilling was born on 29 November 1825 in Ipswich, the son of Nathaniel Spilling and his wife Mary Anne Chambers. He was apprenticed in the printing office of the Suffolk Chronicle and continued in that trade for much of his life. As a young man, he wrote a collection of poetry (1850), was an active member of the Chartist movement, and served as a lay preacher at a Swedenborgian chapel. In 1850, he married Mary Mahala Brook and the couple had six children. The family moved to Norwich in 1863 where he became the editor of the Eastern Daily Press and other newspapers. Spilling is best known for his dialect fiction beginning with Giles's Trip to London (1871) which had a wide circulation as newspaper serials and inexpensive books. In addition, he wrote works supporting his Swedenborgian beliefs. He died on 8 September 1897 in Norwich.
Author Tags:
References: British Census (1861); Robert Malster, The Wharncliffe Companion to Ipswich (2005); Probate
Fiction Titles:
- Giles's Trip to London: A Farm Laborer's First Peep at the World. 1 vol. London: Jarrold and Son, 1871.
- Amid the Corn. 1 vol. London: James Speirs, 1878.
- Jack Jawkins's First Vote, and How He Won Polly Pawkins. 1 vol. London: Jarrold and Son, 1880.
- Among the Flowers: A Summer at Sunberry. 1 vol. London: James Speirs, 1888.