A History of Ernest, Or The Little Midshipman
Manuscript
22/12/1849 (made)
22/12/1849 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This small manuscript book was written by Henry Croft in 1849 when he was seven years old. Telling the story of Ernest, the Little Midshipman, the book recounts a battle between an English and French ship, then a shipwreck and struggle for survival.
The name of the French ship 'La Buonaparte' reveals young Henry's interest in international affairs; the previous year Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte had swept to victory as the first French president.
Surviving manuscripts like this are very rare, and give precious opportunity to hear the voice of a Victorian child in imaginative mode.
The name of the French ship 'La Buonaparte' reveals young Henry's interest in international affairs; the previous year Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte had swept to victory as the first French president.
Surviving manuscripts like this are very rare, and give precious opportunity to hear the voice of a Victorian child in imaginative mode.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A History of Ernest, Or The Little Midshipman (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink, pencil and paint on paper |
| Brief description | 'A History of Ernest, Or The Little Midshipman', a manuscipt book written and illustrated by Henry Croft, England, 1849 |
| Physical description | Hand-written manuscript with painted illustrations, written on hand-lined folded paper, hand-bound inside a marbled paper cover. The title page includes the name of the author and date of writing. Throughout, the child's writing is careful and neat, with a few misspellings, crossings out and blots. The illustrations have captions which relate to the narrative of the story, which recounts a shipwreck and the survival of the crew. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Object history | Henry Herbert Stephen Croft (1842-1923) was born in Ipswich. He was 7 years old when he wrote and illustrated this little book. He went on to study at Eton and Cambridge University, being called to the Bar in 1871. He wrote books on legal history alongside his work as a lawyer. |
| Summary | This small manuscript book was written by Henry Croft in 1849 when he was seven years old. Telling the story of Ernest, the Little Midshipman, the book recounts a battle between an English and French ship, then a shipwreck and struggle for survival. The name of the French ship 'La Buonaparte' reveals young Henry's interest in international affairs; the previous year Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte had swept to victory as the first French president. Surviving manuscripts like this are very rare, and give precious opportunity to hear the voice of a Victorian child in imaginative mode. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.115-2014 |
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| Record created | July 22, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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