George Payne Rainsford James
George Payne Rainsford James (9 Aug 1799 – 9 June 1860), was an English novelist and historical writer, the son of a physician in London. He was for many years British Consul at various places in the United States and on the Continent. He held the
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George Payne Rainsford James (9 Aug 1799 – 9 June 1860), was an English novelist and historical writer, the son of a physician in London. He was for many years British Consul at various places in the United States and on the Continent. He held the honorary office of British Historiographer Royal during the last years of William IV's reign. George attended the school of the Reverend William Carmalt in Putney. He developed a love of languages, including Greek, Latin, Persian and Arabic. He also studied medicine as a young man, but his inclinations led him in a different direction.
He wanted to go into the navy, but his father was against it, due to his own naval experiences, finally allowing him to join the army. George served for a short time in the army as a lieutenant during the Hundred Days and was wounded in a small action following The Battle of Waterloo. He traveled extensively, visiting France and Spain soon after the abdication of Napoleon. These early travels gave him the idea for his novel Morley Ernstein.
At an early age he began to write romances and continued his production with such industry that his works reach 100 volumes. For 30 years hardly a year went by that he failed to turn out at least one novel, and usually two or more, most of them "three-deckers" (three-volume). Describing himself as a follower of Sir Walter Scott, he may have produced more sheer verbiage than his mentor, chiefly historical fiction (61 titles in 158 volumes). This excessive production was fatal to his permanent reputation, but his books had considerable immediate popularity.
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