Nelson Lee (detective)
| Nelson Lee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First appearance | A Dead Man’s Secret (19 September 1894) |
| Created by | Dr. John William Staniforth (as Maxwell Scott) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Detective |
| Nationality | British |
Nelson Lee is a fictional detective who featured in the Amalgamated Press papers over a 40-year run.[1] [2] Created in 1894 by Maxwell Scott (the pseudonym of Dr. John Staniforth 1863-1927) he appeared in various publications including The Halfpenny Marvel, Pluck, The Boys' Friend, Boys' Realm, The Boys' Herald and the Union Jack[3] In 1915 he was given his own story-paper series, The Nelson Lee Library, which ran until 1933.
In all Lee appeared in over 2500 tales set in every corner of the globe, making him one of the most published fictional detectives of all time.[3][1]
Publication history
[edit]The 1890s: The solo years
[edit]
Nelson Lee made his debut in A Dead Man’s Secret in The Halfpenny Marvel #46, on 19 September 1894.[2] The world would meet him at the open of Chapter 2:
Nelson Lee, the famous detective, sat in his room in Gray’s Inn Road, dealing with his morning’s correspondence. So great was the demand for his advice and help that nine-tenths of his replies were to the effect that “Mr. Lee regrets that, owing to the number of cases he already has on hand, he is unable to deal with Mr. So-and-so’s case.” He had already replied in this strain to an earl whose family jewels had been stolen, a banker whose clerk had absconded, and a well-known member of the Jockey Club whose favourite race-horse had been poisoned, when he was interrupted by the entrance of his landlady, who handed him a card...
Lee was an immediate success and made his second appearance in Nelson Lee, Detective six issues later. He made his third appearance in The Adventures of Nelson Lee, in Union Jack Library #35, in December 1894 then made a final appearance in The Halfpenny Marvel in The Jewel Thief in issue #74. From May 1895 he began appearing in Pluck featuring in 18 tales over the next three years. That summer he also appeared in The Mystery of the Malton Moors published in the Comic Home Journal. In the 1895 Christmas issue of Pluck he starred alongside detectives Sexton Blake and Gideon Barr. The tale, Christmas Clues, established Lee and Blake as friends. The two would team up repeatedly over the next 40 years. During this period Lee worked alone for the most part, accepting cases from his office on Gray’s Inn Road.[4] Tales from this era include:[5]
| Title | Story Paper | Date |
|---|---|---|
| A Dead Man’s Secret | The Halfpenny Marvel #46 | September 19, 1894. |
| Nelson Lee Detective | The Halfpenny Marvel #52 | October 30, 1894 |
| The Adventures of Nelson Lee Includes 4 tales: A Christmas Conspiracy The Headless Robin The Professor's Gold the Hermit of the Rigi |
The Union Jack #35 | Christmas Issue, December 20, 1894 |
| The Jewel Thief | The Halfpenny Marvel #74 | April 2, 1895 |
| A False Scent | Pluck #24 | May 4, 1895 |
| The Thief of the Black Ruby | Pluck #52 | November 16, 1895 |
| The Mystery of the Malton Moors | Comic Home Journal | 1895 |
| Christmas Clues | Pluck #56 | December 7, 1895 |
| Nelson Lee Detective | Pluck #71 | March 27, 1896 |
| A Threefold Mystery | Pluck #108 | December 12, 1896 |
| No Clue | Pluck #110 | December 26, 1896 |
| Vengeance | Pluck #114 | January 22, 1897 |
| Saved from Siberia | Pluck # 118 | February 19, 1897 |
| The Missing Admiral | Pluck #137 | July 2, 1897 |
| The Mystery of the old Churchyard | Pluck #142 | August 6, 1897 |
| A Christmas Mystery | Pluck #158 | November 26, 1897 |
| The Black Brotherhood | Pluck #160 | December 10, 1897 |
| The Theft of the Aztec Opal | Pluck #161 | December 17, 1897 |
| Sons of Fire | Pluck #174 | March 18, 1898 |
| One False Step | Pluck #178 | April 15, 1898 |
| Captain Twilight | Pluck #186 | June 10, 1898 |
| The Way of Transgressors | Pluck #204 | October 14, 1898 |
| A Triple Tragedy | Pluck #204 | November 25, 1898 |
| The Stolen Despatches | Pluck #210 | December 9, 1898 |
| A Christmas Tragedy | The Boys’ Friend #308 | December 22, 1900 |
| The Fatal Fingerprints | The Boys’ Friend #319 | February 1901 |
The 1900s: The Great Serials
[edit]
Towards the end of the 19th century Staniforth had a falling out with his editor and switched to publishing in other story papers. The era of the great Nelson Lee serials began with Birds of Prey a 20-part serial that ran in The Boys' Friend from July 27 to December 7, 1901.[6] It was followed by The Silver Dwarf (Dec 7th 1901 to March 15, 1902) and The Missing Heir (March 29-August 9, 1902). Staniforth listed these as his favourite Nelson Lee tales.[7]
Some of the popular Nelson Lee serials from this era include:[8]
| Title | Story Paper | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Birds of Prey | Boys’ Friend #1-26, 1901 | 1901 |
| The Silver Dwarf | Boys’ Friend #26-41 | 1901-1902 |
| The Missing Heir | Boys’ Friend #42-61 | 1902 |
| Nelson Lee's Rival | Boys' Realm #26-52 | 1902-1903 |
| The Hidden Will | Boys' Realm #64-84 | 1903-1904 |
| Nelson Lee's Pupil | Boys' Herald #2-26 | 1903-1904 |
| The Great Unknown | Boys’ Friend #157-189 | 1904-1905 |
| Nipper's Schooldays | Boys' Herald #73-97 | 1904-1905 |
| The Football Detective | Boys' Herald #118-138 | 1905-1906 |
| The Black House | Boys’ Friend #221-236 | 1905 |
| Detective-Warder Nelson Lee | Boys’ Friend #237-257 | 1905-1906 |
| The Soldier Detective | The Jester and Wonder #233-253 | 1906 |
| The Captain of St. Ninian’s | Boys' Friend #257-276 | 1906 |
| The Iron Hand | The Boys’ Herald #207-232 | 1907 |
| The Fighting Fifth | Boys' Realm #253- | 1907 |
| Britain Beyond the Seas | Boys' Friend #353-387 | 1908 |
| Detective Nipper | Boys' Realm #488-502 | 1910-11 |
| The New Bowler | Boys' Realm #360-370 | 1909 |
| Bowled Out | Boys' Realm #371-383 | 1909 |
| The Winged Terror | The Boys’ Herald #329-349 | 1909-1910 |
| The Golden Quest | Boys' Friend #459-475 | 1910 |
| Long Live the King | Boys' Friend #479-528 | 1911 |
| Nipper at St. Ninian's | Boys' Friend #685-698 | 1912 |
| Nipper's First Case | Boys Herald 511 Cheer Boys Cheer 1 |
1912 |
| The Film Detective | Boys’ Friend #265-698 | 1914 |
| On His Majesty’s Service or The Master Spy |
Boys’ Friend #698-712 | 1914-1915 |
The boy-detective: The creation of a new sub-genre
[edit]
In 1903 Nelson Lee's life changed forever. In Nelson Lee's Pupil he acquired an assistant: Richard Hamilton, better known as "Nipper". Nipper was a street urchin who made his first appearance in A Dead Man’s Secret ten years earlier.[6] This retelling of their encounter ran from issues #2-26 in Boys' Herald and was subsequently republished in The Boys' Friend Library in 1907. The two would be inseparable for the next 30 years.
Following in Lee's footsteps, Sexton Blake was given a boy assistant, Tinker, the following year, in Cunning against Skill, a tale penned by William Murray Graydon in 1904. Tinker and Nipper were influential in the subsequent creation of boy-detectives in the British story papers with subsequent authors following the pattern that they established: "uncultured but extraordinarily sharp street urchins, rescued from poverty and obscurity by a famous London private detective."[3]
A few of Nipper's more prominent cases include:[9]
| Title | Story Paper | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Lee's Pupil | Boys' Herald #2-26 | 1903-1904 |
| Nipper's Schooldays | Boys' Herald #73-97 | 1904-1905 |
| The Captain of St. Ninian’s | Boys' Friend #257-276 | 1906 |
| Detective Nipper | Boys' Realm #488-502 | 1910-11 |
| Nipper at St. Ninian's | Boys' Friend #685-698 | 1912 |
| Nipper's First Case | Boys Herald 511 Cheer Boys Cheer 1 |
1912 |
The Boys' Friend Library
[edit]Many of Scott's Nelson Lee serials were abridged and republished as complete tales in the Boys' Friend Friend Library.
Written by Maxwell Scott
| Title | Story Paper | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Birds of Prey | The Boys' Friend Library #4 | October, 1906 |
| The Silver Dwarf | The Boys' Friend Library #16 | April, 1907 |
| The Missing Heir | The Boys' Friend Library #17 | May, 1907 |
| Nelson Lee’s Pupil | The Boys' Friend Library #19 | June, 1907 |
| The Great Unknown | The Boys' Friend Library #24 | August, 1907 |
| The Stolen Submarine | The Boys' Friend Library #25 | September, 1907 |
| Nelson Lee’s Rival | The Boys' Friend Library #34 | December, 1907 |
| The Football Detective | The Boys' Friend Library #62 | September, 1908 |
| A Slip of the Pen | The Boys' Friend Library #107 | January, 1910 |
| The Hidden Will | The Boys' Friend Library #138 | November, 1910 |
| The Black House | The Boys' Friend Library #209 | November, 1912 |
| Nelson Lee in the Navy | The Boys' Friend Library #282 | November, 1914 |
| The Film Detective | The Boys' Friend Library #298 | May, 1915 |
| On His Majesty’s Service | The Boys' Friend Library #301 | June, 1915 |
| Out To Win | The Boys' Friend Library #437 | November, 1918 |
| Detective-Warder Nelson Lee | The Boys' Friend Library #530 | November, 1920 |
Written by Edwy Searles Brooks
| Title | Story Paper | Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Green Triangle | The Boys' Friend Library #649 | January, 1923 |
| The Return of Zingrave | The Boys' Friend Library #656 | February, 1923 |
| The Wonder Craft | The Boys' Friend Library #657 | March, 1923 |
The Nelson Lee Library: 1915–1933
[edit]
Lee featured in his own long-running magazine, The Nelson Lee Library, from 1915 to 1933 which was published in four "series". The first issue of The Nelson Lee Library was published on 12 June 1915, entitled "The Mystery of Limehouse Reach" and written by Sexton Blake writer A. C. Murray. Many other popular Blake writers would pen Lee tales including William Murray Graydon, William J. Bayfield, George Hamilton Teed, Norman Goddard, and Edwy Searles Brooks.
Series 1 ran from 12 June 1915 until 24 April 1926, a total of 568 issues.
Series 2 ran from 1 May 1926 until 18 January 1930, a total of 194 issues.
Series 3 ran from 25 January 1930 until 18 February 1933, a total of 161 issues.
Series 4 ran from 25 February 1933 until 12 August 1933. The Nelson Lee Library then merged with the Gem.
A few issues of note: Maxwell Scott wrote just four adventures for the paper that bore his greatest creation's name, A Miscarriage of Justice (1915), The Convict's Dilemma (1915), In Borrowed Plumes (1915), and When Rogues Fall Out (1916). The Spendthrift was George Hamilton Teed's first Nelson Lee tale. It was followed by Twenty Fathoms Deep Edwy Searles Brooks debut Lee tale. Teed following on the wild success of his Sexton Blake creation Yvonne Cartier, gave Nelson Lee his first female foe: The Black Wolf, a cross-dressing martial arts aristocrat. She would match wits with Lee and Nipper in various locations around the world.[10] Not to be outdone, Brooks introduced Eileen Dare the female detective in Nelson Lee's Lady Assistant (1916).[11] She appeared with Lee in 14 adventures. Brooks was instrumental in launching the second phase of Lee's career. In "Nipper at St. Frank's," (Nelson Lee Library #112, 28 July 1917,) Lee and Nipper while fleeing from a Chinese Triad hide out at St. Frank's, a "venerable public school" in the Bellton area of Sussex. When the case at last was solved, Lee joined the faculty as headmaster and Nipper enrolled as a student. The two remained there for the next sixteen years solving mysteries and having adventures around the world, often with friends and Nipper's classmates.[3]
Series 1: The Pre-St. Frank's Cases
Each issue contained a complete detective story.
| Nelson Lee Issue | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Lee Library #1 | The Mystery of Limehouse Reach | A. C. Murray |
| Nelson Lee Library #2 | The Case of the Secret Room | Mark Darren |
| Nelson Lee Library #3 | The Clue of the Straw Sailor's Hat | William Murray Graydon |
| Nelson Lee Library #4 | The Case of the Interned Detective | A.C. Murray |
| Nelson Lee Library #5 | The Great Submarine Mystery | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #6 | Stolen Property | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #7 | A Miscarriage of Justice | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #8 | The Convict's Dilemma | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #9 | Nelson Lee - Cracksman | William Murray Graydon |
| Nelson Lee Library #10 | Shadowed by Two | Mark Darren |
| Nelson Lee Library #11 | The War Factory Mystery | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #12 | British to the Backbone | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #13 | In Borrowed Plumes | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #14 | The King's Bad Bargain | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #15 | The Spendthrift | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #16 | Twenty Fathoms Deep | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #17 | The Black Wolf | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #18 | The Case of the Duplicate Key | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #19 | The Secret of the Swamp | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #20 | Not Guilty | A. C. Murray |
| Nelson Lee Library #21 | The Terror of Troone Towers | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #22 | Edges of Steel | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #23 | The League of the Green Triangle | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #24 | The Case of the Tube of Radium | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #25 | The Specialist's Last Case | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #26 | The Crystal Urn | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #27 | The Gold Cavern | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #28 | The Forged Fingerprints | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #29 | The Three Millionaires | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #30 | A Mystery of Venice | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #31 | The Frozen Man | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #32 | The Prison Breakers | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #33 | Amazement Island | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #34 | Robbery Wholesale | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #35 | The Mummy Mystery | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #36 | The Mystery Man Of Lhassa | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #37 | The House of Fear | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #38 | The President's Peril | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #39 | The Lightning Clue (Jim the Penman) | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #40 | The Red Menace | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #41 | The Buried Invention | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #42 | The Great Will Forgery | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #43 | The Robbery at Ponder's Bank | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #44 | The 'Doctored' Racehorse | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #45 | The Forged Marriage Lines | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #46 | The Last of the Genghis | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #47 | The Ship of Doom | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #48 | When Rogues Fall Out | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #49 | The Forged War Orders | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #50 | The Great Club Raid | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #51 | The Mystery of the Moor | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #52 | At Half Tide | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #53 | Zingrave's Last Card | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #54 | The Mystery of the Mail Van | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #55 | The Man with Four Identities | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #56 | The Case of the Fatal Flight | A. S. Hardy |
| Nelson Lee Library #57 | Nelson Lee's Lady Assistant | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #58 | The Crimson Disc | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #59 | The Ribbon of Light | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #60 | The Mystery of the Turret | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #61 | The Golden Boomerang | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #62 | The Amazing Case of the Lost Explorer | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #63 | The Spectre of Scarcroft | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #64 | The Plague Ship | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #65 | Against The Law | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #66 | The Mystery of the 10.20 Express | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #67 | The Crook | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #68 | The Great Insurance Swindle | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #69 | The Mystery of Barron Hall | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #70 | The House in the Hollow | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #71 | The Clue of the Raincoat | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #72 | The Secret of the Martello Tower | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #73 | Blue Diamonds | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #74 | The Caves of Silence | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #75 | The Night Before the Trial | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #76 | The Affair of the Nabob's Jewels | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #77 | The House of Hazard | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #78 | A Christmas of Peril | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #79 | The Mystery of the Closed Door | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #80 | A Mid-Atlantic Mystery | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #81 | The Plantation Mystery | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #82 | Harlo the Hypnotist | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #83 | The Broken Vase | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #84 | Tracked to the Trenches | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #85 | The Circle of Terror | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #86 | The Great Air Mystery | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #87 | Millions at Stake | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #88 | The Yellow Mask | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #89 | A Stubborn Case | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #90 | Monn the Miser | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #91 | The Mystery of the Footlights | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #92 | The Man Hunters | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #93 | The Brass-Bound Box | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #94 | The Monk of Montressor | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #95 | The Secret of Crooked Reef | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #96 | Nipper's Note Book | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #97 | The Manor House Mystery | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #98 | Fangs of Steel | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #99 | The Mystery of the Grey Car | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #100 | The Clue of the Twisted Ring | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #101 | Behind the Door | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #102 | The Secret of Melsey Island | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #103 | The Sheriff of Blazing Gulch | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #104 | The Hovering Peril | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #105 | The Ivory Seekers | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #106 | Cast on the Shore | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #107 | Loot | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #108 | The Kidnapped Stockbroker | George Hamilton Teed |
| Nelson Lee Library #109 | The Case of the Crimson Feathers | Unknown |
| Nelson Lee Library #110 | The Affair of the Duplicate Door | Edwy Searles Brooks |
| Nelson Lee Library #111 | The Yellow Shadow | Edwy Searles Brooks |
Other Nelson Lee tales in the Nelson Lee Library
| Nelson Lee Issue | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Lee Library #370 | The Ivory Hand | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #371 | On the Ninth Green | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #372 | The Tyneside Mystery | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #373 | The 11:15 pm to South Shields | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #374 | The Bank Car Puzzle | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #375 | House of the Clanging Bells, or The Case of the White Lead Substitute | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #376 | Case of the Racing Tipster | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #377 | The Hollow Club, or Clue of the Gloved Hand | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #378 | The Missing Valet | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #379-80 | The Strange Case of the Thurlingham Hall Robbery | Anthony Skene Features Zenith the Albino |
| Nelson Lee Library #381 | The Case of the Wooden-Legged Sailorman | |
| Nelson Lee Library #382 | The Stencil Clue | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #383 | The Kidnapped Goalie | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #384-5 | The Mayfair Mystery | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #386-7 | The Strange Affair at Heather Hall | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #388 | The Case of the Cardiff Contractor | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #389-90 | The Flaming God | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #391 | The Man with the Cut Lip | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #404-408 | The Black Mask | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #410-19 | The League of the Iron Hand | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #420/431 | The Silver Dwarf | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #431-41 | The Missing Heir | Maxwell Scott |
| Nelson Lee Library #442-45 | Night Owl and the Alliance of 13 | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #484-96 | Green Triangle and Jim the Penman | Anon |
| Nelson Lee Library #497-502 | The Hollowdene Manor Mystery | Edwy Searles Brooks Features Eileen Dare |
| Nelson Lee Library #503-12 | The Invisible Grip | Edwy Searles Brooks Features Zingrave |
The Union Jack: 1916-1920
[edit]In all these tales, Nelson Lee and Nipper team up with Sexton Blake and Tinker.[12]
| Story Paper Issue | Title | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Union Jack #688 | In Double Harness | Robert Murray Graydon | 1916 |
| The Union Jack #768 | The Mount-Stonham Murder Mystery | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #771 | The Mystic Cypher | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #774 | The Dual Detectives | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #777 | The Flashlight Clue | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #781 | The Case of the American Soldier | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #784 | The Crooks of Rapid Hollow | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #786 | The Terror of Trevis World | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #788 | The Studded Footprints | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #793 | The Case of the Hollow Dagger | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #794 | Waldo the Wonder-man | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1918 |
| The Union Jack #796 | Hoodwinked or the Diamonds of Zamkala | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1919 |
| The Union Jack #796 | The Clue of the Frozen Knife | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1919 |
| The Union Jack #801 | The Shanghaied Detective | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1919 |
| The Union Jack #805 | The Case of the Stacey Rubies | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1919 |
| The Union Jack #817 | The Great Spiritualism Case | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1919 |
| The Union Jack #859 | The Mystery of the Gnarled Oak | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1920 |
| The Union Jack #870 | The Mystery of the 9:12 Express | Edwy Searles Brooks | 1920 |
The Sexton Blake Library: 1915-1921
[edit]A short story.
| Story Paper | Title | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sexton Blake Library #5 | The Case of the Shrivelled Fingers | Unknown | 1915 |
In these two tales, Nelson Lee and Nipper team up with Sexton Blake and Tinker.
| Story Paper | Title | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sexton Blake Library #80 | The Bathchair Mystery | Andrew Murray | 1919 |
| The Sexton Blake Library #190 | The Valley of Fear | Francis Addington Symonds | 1921 |
The Pluck Library: 1916
[edit]The editor introduced the Nelson Lee tale with this announcement: "Following on numerous requests from readers of The Nelson Lee Library for stories of Nelson Lee in other publications, I have pleasure in presenting this week, in Pluck, No. 1 of what I hope will prove the finest series of detective storties ever published featuring Nelson Lee.
| Story Paper | Title | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pluck Library #586 | The Case of the German Financier | Unknown | January 22, 1916 |
The Detective Library: 1919-1921
[edit]The stories were predominantly written by Scott and Edwy Searles Brooks.[13]
| Story paper Issue | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Detective Library | The Mystery of Torgreave Hall | 1919 (reprinting of The Jewel Thief) |
| The Detective Library | The Kidnapped Engineer | 1919 |
| The Detective Library | The Vanishing Picture | 1919 |
| The Detective Library | The Jaguar's Master | 1919 |
| The Detective Library | The House with the Crooked Window | |
| The Detective Library | The Case of the Horned Frog | |
| The Detective Library | Sons of Fire | |
| The Detective Library | The Babylonian Brick | |
| The Detective Library | The Swinbury Poultry Killing Mystery | |
| The Detective Library | The Missing Solicitor of Bedford Row | |
| The Detective Library | The Bogus Butler of Harlech | |
| The Detective Library | The Case of Dr. Mau-Ling-Su | |
| The Detective Library | Jim the Penman series | |
| The Detective Library | Brotherhood of the Five Fingers | 1920 |
| The Detective Library | Nipper at St. Ninian's | 1920 |
The Prairie Library: 1920
[edit]The stories were written by George Hamilton Teed.[14]
| Story paper Issue | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Prairie Library | The Black Pearl | Serial. January 1920 |
| The Prairie Library #36-40 | A Dangerous Partnership | Serial. 1919 |
| The Prairie Library #51-55 | The Missing Professor | Serial. 1920 |
| The Prairie Library | The Inner Seven | Serial. 1920 |
The Nuggett Library: 1921
[edit]These tales were predominantly written by Andrew Murray. Many of these feature Sexton Blake foes and may be rewrites of Blake tales.[15]
| Story paper Issue | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Nugget Library #45 | White Man's Secret | (featuring Kew & Carlac) |
| The Nugget Library #46 | Man in the Copper Casket | (featuring John Lawless ) |
| The Nugget Library #47 | The Bridge Builders | (featuring Trouble Nantucket) |
| The Nugget Library #48 | The Sign of the Red Claw | (featuring Chulda Ghan) |
| The Nugget Library #49 | The Amazing Schoolboy | (featuring Timothy Tudmr) |
| The Nugget Library #50 | Case of The Two Impostors and Nipper's Wager | (featuring Kew & Carlac) |
| The Nugget Library #51 | The Outsiders | (featuring Langley Mostyn) |
| The Nugget Library #52 | Rogues of the River | (featuring Thames Police) |
| The Nugget Library #53 | Expelled from St. Frank's | (featuring Watson & Harrington) |
| The Nugget Library #54 | The Sign of the Shepherd's Crook | |
| The Nugget Library #56 | Meshes of Mystery | |
| The Nugget Library #58 | The Case of the Heavyweight Champion | (featuring John Lawless) |
| The Nugget Library #62 | Lost - A Football Team | (featuring Lawless) |
| The Nugget Library #66 | The Case of the Arab Footballer | (featuring John Lawless). |
| The Nugget Library #68 | Nelson Lee in India, or The Rajah's Secret | |
| The Nugget Library #70 | The Treasury Notes Mystery |
Lee's associates
[edit]In the early years of his career Lee worked intermittently with the French detective Jean Moreau.[2] Later in the first years of the Nelson Lee Library he worked with 'girl detective' Eileen Dare. He had a bloodhound named Rajah, and later another named Wolf.[16]
Lord Dorrimore or Dorrie, a somewhat eccentric millionaire, was one of the most popular characters to appear in the Nelson Lee Library. He often travelled with Umlosi, a mighty African warrior. The two made their first appearance in The Ivory Seekers and reappeared throughout Lee's tenure at St. Franks.[17]
Lee collaborated with Sexton Blake on a number of occasions. The two worked together on The Winged Terror, penned by Maxwell Scott, a tale that ran in issues #329-336 of Boys' Herald in 1909. Later other authors paired the two in the pages of the Union Jack. In Double Harness, (Union Jack #683) written by Robert Murray Graydon saw the two working against each other to solve a case, while Waldo the Wonder Man, (Union Jack #794,) saw them team up to capture one of Blake's most beloved foes.
Lee's enemies
[edit]Nelson Lee had a fine rogues gallery of supervillains.[16] Some of the most famous included:
Jim the Penman (created by Edwy Searles Brooks), was the nickname of Douglas James Sutcliffe, a solicitor turned forger and a master of disguise. One never knew where he was going to turn up next and his skill with the pen was only equalled by his skill at disguise, his audacity and brilliant sang froid, his coolness in emergency and his never-ceasing efforts to pull off some spectacular coup.
Professor Cyrus Zingrave (created by Edwy Searles Brooks), the Monster of Moat Hollow, a Napoleon of Crime.
The Black Wolf (created by George Hamilton Teed) Lee's greatest female opponent.
Dr. Mortimer Crane (created by George Hamilton Teed) a brain and nerve specialist whose talents had been diverted to wrong doing. He was a master of disguise and one of Lee's most sinister and cunning opponents.
He fought criminal organisations like the League of the Green Triangle, the Circle of Terror and the Fu Chang Tong and also matched wits against legendary Sexton Blake foes Zenith the Albino (created by Anthony Skene), Dr. Huxton Rymer (created by George Hamilton Teed), and deadly duo Count Ivor Carlac and Professor Francis Kew created by Andrew Murray.[16]
Howard Baker collections
[edit]- The Barring-Out at St. Frank's! by Edwy Searles Brooks
- Expelled Incorporating The Secret Societies of St. Frank's & The 'Death' of Walter Church by Edwy Searles Brooks
- The Haunted School Incorporating the entire Ezra Quirke series by Edwy Searles Brooks
New collections
[edit]- Sexton Blake: The Early Years (2020) features the first 5 Nelson Lee cases by Maxwell Scott, includes Christmas Clues the first Nelson Lee/Sexton Blake co-appearance.
- Sexton Blake: Friends and Allies (2020) features In Double Harness by Robert Murray Graydon
- Sexton Blake & Nelson Lee (2021) by Edwy Searles Brooks
- Sexton Blake: The Claire Delisle Files (2022) features The Valley of Fear by Francis Addington Symonds
- Nelson Lee: The Black Wolf Files (2020) by George Hamilton Teed
- Nelson Lee: The Scott Files (2021) by Maxwell Scott. Includes Birds of Prey, The Silver Dwarf, and The Missing Heir.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Nevins, Jess (2005). Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana. UNKNO.
- ^ a b c Turner, E.S. (1976). Boys Will Be Boys, Chapter 9. Penguin.
- ^ a b c d Andrew, Lucy (2017). The Boy Detective in Early British Children's Literature, Chapter 4. Springer.
- ^ Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 42–43.
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ a b Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 34–35.
- ^ Maidment, Stanley (March 1947). "Maxwell Scott: Originator of Nelson Lee Detective". Collectors Digest Vol1 #003. p. 61.
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 39–40.
- ^ Caldicott, Mark (February 1992). "Nelson Lee Column: Into His Stride". Collectors Digest Vol46 #542. p. 6.
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 45 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44-45 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
- ^ a b c Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 29–45.
- ^ Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 41–42.
Further reading
[edit]- Turner, ES (1948) Boys Will be Boys History of British boys' weeklies from Victorian times up to the 1950s.
- Andrew, Lucy (2017) The Boy Detective in Early British Children's Literature. Palgrave. page 96
- Watt & Green (2017) The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies and Copies