Robert Barr (writer)
Encyclopedia
Robert Barr was a British
-Canadian
short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow
, Scotland
.
at age four and was educated in Toronto
at Toronto Normal School
. Barr became a teacher and eventual headmaster of the Central School of Windsor
, Ontario
. While he had that job he began to contribute short stories—often based on personal experiences—to the Detroit Free Press
. In 1876 Barr quit his teaching position to become a staff member of that publication, in which his contributions were published with the pseudonym "Luke Sharp." This nom de plume was derived from the time he attended school in Toronto. At that time he would pass on his daily commute a shop sign marked, "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker", a combination of words Barr considered amusing in their incongruity. Barr was promoted by the Detroit Free Press, eventually becoming its news editor.
, to establish there the weekly English edition of the Detroit Free Press. In 1892 he founded the magazine The Idler
, choosing Jerome K. Jerome
as his collaborator (wanting, as Jerome said, "a popular name"). He retired from its co-editorship in 1895. In London of the 1890s Barr became a more prolific author—publishing a book a year—and was familiar with many of the best-selling authors of his day, including Bret Harte
and Stephen Crane
. Most of his literary output was of the crime genre, then quite in vogue. When Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes
stories were becoming well-known Barr published in the Idler the first Holmes parody, "The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs" (1892), a spoof that was continued a decade later in another Barr story, "The Adventure of the Second Swag" (1904). Despite the jibe at the growing Holmes phenomenon Barr and Doyle remained on very good terms. Doyle describes him in his memoirs Memories and Adventures as, "a volcanic Anglo—or rather Scot-American, with a violent manner, a wealth of strong adjectives, and one of the kindest natures underneath it all."
In the Midst of Alarms is a story of the attempted Fenian invasion
of Canada in 1866. A Woman Intervenes is a story of love, finance, and American journalism.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Early Years in Canada
Robert Barr emigrated with his parents to Upper CanadaUpper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
at age four and was educated in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
at Toronto Normal School
Toronto Normal School
The Toronto Normal School was a teachers college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1847, the Normal School was located at Church and Gould streets in central Toronto, and was a predecessor to the current Ontario Institute for Studies in Education...
. Barr became a teacher and eventual headmaster of the Central School of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. While he had that job he began to contribute short stories—often based on personal experiences—to the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
. In 1876 Barr quit his teaching position to become a staff member of that publication, in which his contributions were published with the pseudonym "Luke Sharp." This nom de plume was derived from the time he attended school in Toronto. At that time he would pass on his daily commute a shop sign marked, "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker", a combination of words Barr considered amusing in their incongruity. Barr was promoted by the Detroit Free Press, eventually becoming its news editor.
London Years
In 1881 Barr decided to "vamoose the ranch", as he stated, and relocated to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to establish there the weekly English edition of the Detroit Free Press. In 1892 he founded the magazine The Idler
The Idler (1892-1911)
The Idler was an illustrated monthly magazine published in Great Britain from 1892 to 1911. It was founded by the author Robert Barr, who brought in the humorist Jerome K. Jerome as co-editor, and its contributors included many of the leading writers and illustrators of the time.-Content:The Idler...
, choosing Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat.Jerome was born in Caldmore, Walsall, England, and was brought up in poverty in London...
as his collaborator (wanting, as Jerome said, "a popular name"). He retired from its co-editorship in 1895. In London of the 1890s Barr became a more prolific author—publishing a book a year—and was familiar with many of the best-selling authors of his day, including Bret Harte
Bret Harte
Francis Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.- Life and career :...
and Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...
. Most of his literary output was of the crime genre, then quite in vogue. When Arthur Conan Doyle's
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories were becoming well-known Barr published in the Idler the first Holmes parody, "The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs" (1892), a spoof that was continued a decade later in another Barr story, "The Adventure of the Second Swag" (1904). Despite the jibe at the growing Holmes phenomenon Barr and Doyle remained on very good terms. Doyle describes him in his memoirs Memories and Adventures as, "a volcanic Anglo—or rather Scot-American, with a violent manner, a wealth of strong adjectives, and one of the kindest natures underneath it all."
Death
Robert Barr died from heart disease on October 21, 1912, at his home in Woldingham, a small village to the southeast of London.Works
- In a Steamer Chair and Other Stories (1892)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9309
- The Face and the Mask (1894)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8681
- In the Midst of Alarms (1894, 1900, 1912)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9263
- From Whose Bourne (1896)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9312
- One Day's Courtship (1896)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9305
- Revenge! http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8668
- The Strong Arm http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8716
- A Woman Intervenes (1896)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9379
- Tekla: A Romance of Love and War (1898)
- Jennie Baxter, Journalist (1899)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9300
- The Unchanging East (1900)
- The Victors (1901)
- A Prince of Good Fellows (1902)
- The O'Ruddy, A Romance, with Stephen CraneStephen CraneStephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...
(1903)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/29573 - The Tempestuous Petticoat (1905–12)
- A Rock in the Baltic (1906)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4982
- The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont (1906)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19369
- The Measure of the RuleThe Measure of the RuleThe Measure of the Rule is a 1907 coming-of-age tale of a country teacher who migrates to the city to study engineering, but is forced by dint of circumstance to go to a teacher’s training college, where he meets his wife-to-be...
(1907) - Stranleigh's Millions (1909)
- The Sword Maker (1910)http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14656
- The Palace of Logs (1912)
In the Midst of Alarms is a story of the attempted Fenian invasion
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
of Canada in 1866. A Woman Intervenes is a story of love, finance, and American journalism.