Catherine Crowe (1790-1872) was a best-selling, bold, beloved and, at times, besmirched Victorian author. There’s been a revitalization of interest in her work recently, and here, I plan to recover and record Crowe’s short fiction. I’ll provide summaries along with links to online copies and to my own commentaries.
Entries marked ✒️ discuss additional facets of Crowe’s publishing career, such as the debuts of novels and other books or her appearances in articles about respected authors.
As I spot what Crowe termed “Tales of Continental Jurisprudence,” I will move them to the addendum at the bottom. Crowe penned these true-crime chronicles while also producing fiction, and at first glance, her short works of history are tricky to distinguish from her short works of imagination.
1841
“A Traveller’s Tale.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 9.491 (June 26, 1841) pp. 178-179. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 138-166, where it is retitled “An Adventure at Terni.”
- Two travelers, one serving as narrator, chance upon the apparent murder of Countess Carlotta Z—. She dropped to her death in a waterfall, presumably Terni’s Cascata delle Marmore, and all indications suggest her newlywedded husband shoved her. The narrator then relates what he and his companion were able to discover about “the causes which had led to this melancholy catastrophe.” This backstory involves two brothers, an arranged marriage, and a web of unrequited love. Indeed, the husband is convicted and executed for the crime, making this tale less a whodunit and more a whydunit. My commentary is here.
“Expectancy.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 9.507 (Oct. 16, 1841) pp. 308-310. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection The Story of Arthur Hunter and His First Shilling: With Other Tales. (James Hogg and Sons, 1861) pp. 167-188, where it is retitled “Expectancy; Or, ‘Help Yourself’.”
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s novel Susan Hopley, Or, The Adventures of a Maid Servant (Saunders and Otley, 1841) Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3. This work features murder and crime-solving, and was published shortly before Edgar Allan Poe’s detective story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
1842
“The Two Miss Smiths.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 11.525 (Feb. 19, 1842) pp. 33-35. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 1, pp. 237-266.
- Miss Cecilia Smith and Miss Charlotte Smith both live in England’s West Country and are both about the same age. These and other similarities have led them to treat each other “with a restless and implacable enmity.” When a grand ball is held in their small town—and Charlotte’s new turban is mistakenly sent to Cecilia—Fate teaches the latter Miss Smith a stinging lesson in good behavior. This is one of Crowe’s lighter tales, and the subtitle “A True Story” tacked onto its original publication is almost certainly a fib.
“The Fortunes of a German Boy.” The Eastern Rose-Bud 2.10 (March 5, 1842) pp. 153-160. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection The Story of Arthur Hunter and His First Shilling: With Other Tales. (James Hogg and Sons, 1861) pp. 153-166.
“The Young Prisoner of the Conciergerie.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 11.536 (May 7, 1842) pp. 123-125. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 249-276.
“Adventure of a Traveller.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 11.542 (June 18, 1842) pp. 171-173. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 205-230, where it is retitled “The Surgeon’s Adventure.”
1843
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s novel Men and Women; Or, Manorial Rights (Saunders and Otley, 1843) Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3.
1844
“The Two Beggar Boys: A Story for the Young.” Chambers’s Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Tracts 1 (William and Robert Chambers, 1844) Tract 10, pp. 1-9.
1845
“The Sailor’s Wife; Or, The Triumph of Honesty.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 1.1 (March 1, 1845) pp. 9-15. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection The Story of Arthur Hunter and His First Shilling: With Other Tales. (James Hogg and Sons, 1861) pp. 103-152.
“The Story of Arthur Hunter, and His First Shilling.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 1.3 (March 15, 1845) pp. 42-47 and 1.4 (March 22, 1845) pp. 56-62. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection The Story of Arthur Hunter and His First Shilling: With Other Tales. (James Hogg and Sons, 1861) pp. 7-102.
“The Bride’s Journey.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 4.93 (Oct. 11, 1845) pp. 232-237. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 1, pp. 299-314, and Vol. 2, pp. 1-31.
“The Bear Steak.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 1.36 (Nov. 1, 1845) pp. 152-153.
- A traveler tells a hotel manager that he’s “as ravenous as a bear,” which leads to his being served a bear steak. He gobbles it down! He next hears the meal’s backstory: two local hunters competed for the bounty paid to kill a bear, but the bear had mauled and presumably partly devoured one hunter before the other slayed it. Upon learning he’s eaten a man-eater, the traveler leaves the table “with a sensation at my stomach that warned me of speedy exit.” The darkly humorous piece ends with the traveler’s advice that, when serving bear steak, it’s best not to “garnish it with his biography.” My commentary is here.
“The Story of Martha Guinnis and Her Son.” The Edinburgh Tales, edited by Mrs. [Christian Isobel] Johnstone (William Tait, 1845) Vol. 1, pp. 342-366.
✒️ This year also saw the debut of Crowe’s translation of The Seeress of Provorst, by Justinus Kerner (J.C. Moore, 1845). Her preface to the work appears on pages ix to xii. In addition, Crowe took a step in the direction of her non-fiction “Tales of Continental Jurisprudence” with a short historical biography “The Story of Madame Des Ursins,” published in Hogg’s Weekly Instructor (1.9 [April 26, 1845] pp. 136-140).
1846
“Gerald Gage; Or, The Secret.” London Illustrated News 8.193 (Jan. 10, 1846) pp. 29-30; 8.194 (Jan. 17, 1846) pp. 45-46; 8.195 (Jan. 24, 1846) pp. 61-62; 8.96 (Jan. 31, 1846) pp. 77-78; 8.197 (Feb. 7, 1846) pp. 101-102; 8.198 (Feb. 14, 1846) pp. 117-118; 8.199 (Feb. 21, 1846) pp. 133-132; 8.200 (Feb. 28, 1846) pp. 149-150; and 8.202 (March 14, 1846) pp. 181-182. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 2, pp. 33-203, where it is retitled “The Money-Seekers.”
“A Story of a Weir-Wolf.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 3.64 (May 16, 1846) pp. 184-189. William Forster dramatized Crowe’s story for The Weirwolf: A Tragedy (Williams and Norgate, 1876), acknowledging his source on the Cast of Characters page.
- In the late 1500s, amid a tangle of love and jealousy, Francoise Thilouze and her alchemist father are accused of witchcraft, specifically, werewolfery. This dense tale includes scenes of a repentant and capable woman, Manon Thierry, coming to the rescue by hauling a pig into the woods as bait to shoot an injured wolf. There’s also an underlying Faustian allegory, since the tragic elements stem from the father’s drive to regain his youth. My commentary is here.
1847
“A Story for a Winter Fireside.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 7.162 (Feb. 6, 1847) pp. 84-87. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 2, pp. 306-320, and Vol. 3, pp. 1-21, where it is retitled “The Monk’s Story.”
- At a Christmas gathering, Charles Lisle asks his host for a room with a working lock. The host replies that the odd request will only be granted if Charles explains the reason behind it once all the guests are “assembled round the fire in the evening.” There, he recounts his adventure with Brother Lazarus, a monk who—though sound asleep—sometimes threatened other clerics by reenacting the brutal murder of his mother. Despite having learned the troubled yet dangerous monk died, Charles personally becomes his potential victim at another convent afterward. The creepy tale told, Charles’s request for a secured room is readily granted. My commentary is here.
“The Lost Portrait.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 8.194 (Sept. 18, 1847) pp. 178-183. Reprinted in The Midnight Journey, and Other Tales (W. & R. Chambers, 1871) pp. 35-55.
- A young girl with a beautiful singing voice is kidnapped by callous patrons of the opera. Years later, the girl still missing, her grandfather embarks upon a desperate search for her. At one point, he’s accused of stealing a miniature portrait. Is he again a victim of someone else’s crime, or will this theft help end his quest? My commentary is here.
“Madame Louise.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal, (Nov. 6, 1847) pp. 289-293. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 277-312.
✒️ This year also saw the debut of Crowe’s novel The Story of Lilly Dawson (Henry Colburn, 1847) Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3.
1848
✒️ This year saw the debut of The Night Side of Nature; Or, Ghosts and Ghost Seers (T.C. Newby, 1848) Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. This very popular book organizes paranormal phenomena into chapters on topics such as prophetic dreams, doppelgängers, haunted houses, and poltergeists (a German word Crowe is credited for having introduced into English). In addition, Crowe’s juvenile novel Pippie’s Warning; Or, Mind Your Temper (Arthur Hall, 1848) was released.
1849
“The Blind Witness and His Dog.” Hogg’s Instructor 3 (1849) pp. 409-412. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 167-204, where it is retitled “The Burgomaster and the Beggar.”
✒️ This year saw the anonymous publication of Crowe’s essay “Lycanthropy” in Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 11.295 (Aug. 25, 1849) pp. 124-125. Authorship is confirmed by its appearance as “The Lycantropist” in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 231-247. This piece of non-fiction examines the history of alleged vampires, ghouls, and werewolves, citing the authentic cases of Arnold Paole (called “Paul”), Jean Grenier, and the much more contemporary François Bertrand. Given Crowe’s concluding refutation of those denying a common underlying condition “without due investigation of the subject,” this essay has a certain kinship to The Night-Side of Nature (1848).
1850
“Loaded Dice.” Household Words 1.4 (Apr. 20, 1850) pp. 77-82. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in Household Words: A Weekly Journal 1850-1859 Conducted by Charles Dickens, compiled by Anne Lohrli (U of Toronto Press, 1973) p. 59.
- Two travelers witness a mysterious figure at a funeral and then learn his backstory. Charles Lovell, the figure, succumbed to the temptation of cheating at gambling, and this led to a soldier’s suicide and his own sister’s brain fever. My commentary regarding the melodramatic piece, which Charles Dickens considered “horribly dismal,” is here.
“The Young Advocate.” Household Words 1.13 (June 22 1850) pp. 292-297. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 273-303, where it is retitled “Antoine de Chaulieu’s Wedding Day.” It appeared again in 1875, this time retitled “The Advocate’s Wedding Day.”
“Small Talk and Its Consequences.” Hogg’s Instructor 5 (1850) pp. 313-317.
✒️ This year saw the debut of what appears to be the first collection of Crowe’s short fiction, Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 1, Vol.2, and Vol. 3. In the preface, Crowe explains that “most of the tales which these volumes comprise have appeared in various periodicals….” The only piece I haven’t located in a previous publication is The Accusation, which at 200+ pages is long enough to be considered a novel. The original publications of the remaining works are shown above (often with different titles) and noted as reprinted in this collection.
1851
“Victor Mirotin and His Daughter.” The Ladies’ Companion 4.21 (Oct., 1851) pp. 113-121; 4.22 (Nov, 1851) pp. 169-177; and 4.23 (Dec., 1851) pp. 225-233.
1852
“Story of Gaspar Mendez.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 17.419 (Jan. 10, 1852) pp. 18-22.
“Esther Hammond’s Wedding Day.” Household Words 4.96 (Jan. 24, 1852) pp. 425-431. Though published anonymously here, the tale is attributed to Crowe in Household Words: A Weekly Journal 1850-1859 Conducted by Charles Dickens, compiled by Anne Lohrli (U of Toronto Press, 1973) p. 89.
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s novel The Adventures of a Beauty (Colburn and Co., 1852). An 1863 “New Edition” is here. In addition, Crowe was profiled in a magazine series titled Female Novelists, which included Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë. The piece is titled simply “No. VIII—Mrs. Crowe,” New Monthly 96.384 (Dec., 1852) pp. 436-445.
1853
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s revision of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852). It is titled The Juvenile Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Arranged for Young Readers (George Routledge, 1853), and in the preface, Crowe explains that her goal was to bring the famous novel “within the compass of children.” In addition, she was given an entry in Sarah Josepha Hales’ Women’s Record; Or, Sketches of All Distinguished Women, (Harper and Brothers, 1853) pp. 635-637.
1854
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s Linny Lockwood: A Novel (George Routledge, 1854) Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. In addition, she was given an entry in Cyclopædia of English Literature, edited by Robert Chambers (William and Robert Chambers, 1854) Vol. 2, pp. 663-666.
1856
✒️ This year, Crowe was profiled in the Women of the Time section of Men of the Time: Biographical Sketches of Eminent Living Characters (David Bogue, 1856) pp. 829-830.
1858
✒️ This year, Crowe was profiled in J. Cordy Jeaffreson’s Novels and Novelists, from Elizabeth to Victoria (Hurst and Blackett, 1858) Vol. 2, pp. 347-348.
1859
✒️ This year saw the debut of Crowe’s Ghosts and Family Legends: A Volume for Christmas (Thomas Cautley Newby, 1859). In her preface, the author frames the work as a record of oral tradition and, specifically, a transcription of ghostly hearthside stories told in the winter of 1857 by guests at an English country mansion. Although Crowe contends that she has “told the stories as nearly as possible in the words of the original narrators,” it’s easy to wonder if her fertile imagination didn’t, at the very least, tweak those stories. Indeed, one might suspect that some or all of the stories are very much the author’s invention, given her creative talents. Should we consider this a part of Crowe’s short fiction? For the present, I’m going to trust what she says and treat it as something else.
1860
“The Herberts of Elfdale.” Once a Week 3.69 (Oct. 20, 1860) pp. 449-456; 3.70 (Oct. 27, 1860) pp. 477-483; and 3.71 (Nov. 3, 1860) pp. 505-512.
1861
✒️ This year saw the debut of what appears to be the second collection of Crowe’s short fiction: The Story of Arthur Hunter and His First Shilling: With Other Tales (James Hogg and Sons, 1861). It was part of the publisher’s “Juvenile Books” series. All original publications are shown above and noted as reprinted in this collection. Elsewhere, thanks to The Night Side of Nature, Crowe’s recognizability was revealed in “Very Distressing,” a humorous poem in H. Cholmondeley Pennell’s collection Puck on Pegasus (John Camden Hotten, 1861) pp. 85-86.
1872
⚰️ Crowe died this year. The years of her birth and death sometimes appear incorrectly, but I discuss my reasons for choosing 1790 and 1872 here.
Addendum:
Tales of Continental Jurisprudence
While the following works are short in the sense of being easily read in one sitting, they are not fiction. Rather, they fit better under the heading of true crime.
“The Tile-Burner and His Family.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 5.111 (Feb. 14, 1846) pp. 99-103. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 1, pp. 267-298.
- A complex case involving the title family being framed for murder by a corrupt Attorney-General. After lies, twists, and turns, readers arrive at something of a happy ending. My commentary is here.
“Louis Mandrin.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 6.134 (July 25, 1846) pp. 51-54.
“Antoine Mingrat.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 4.80 (Sept. 5, 1846) pp. 24-27. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness: Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 2 pp. 241-271, where it is retitled “The Priest of St. Quentin.
- A French priest named Antoine Mingrat (1794-1822) commits a terrible murder. To emphasize how such crime comes at a cost, Crowe uses a couple of creative narrative techniques to prompt readers to put themselves in the culprit’s shoes as he struggles to cover up his terrible deed. My commentary is here.
“A Tale of Modern Germany.” Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal 7.150 (Nov. 14, 1846) pp. 307-309. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 1, pp. 215-235, where it is retitled “A Morning Visitor.”
- A German priest named Johann Georg Tinius (1764-1846) commits a double murder. My commentary is here.
“Remarkable Female Criminals—The Poisoners of the Present Century.” The Dublin University Magazine 29.169 (Jan, 1847) pp. 51-63 and 29.170 (Feb., 1847) pp. 213-223. Though published anonymously here, the piece is attributed to Crowe in her collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 3, pp. 23-137, where it is retitled “The Poisoners.”
“Cagliostro.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 6.135 (Sept. 25, 1847) pp. 65-68.
“The Story of Lesurques.” Hogg’s Weekly Instructor 1 (1848) pp. 152-156. Reprinted in Crowe’s collection Light and Darkness; Or, The Mysteries of Life (Henry Colburn, 1850) Vol. 2 pp. 205-240.
BROM BONES BOOKS 