Fred Whishaw facts for kids

Frederick James Whishaw (born March 14, 1854 – died July 8, 1934) was a British writer, historian, poet, and musician. He was born in Russia. He became a very popular author of children's books around the year 1900. He wrote over 40 books between 1884 and 1914.

Whishaw wrote many historical novels. A lot of his stories were set in old Russia. He also wrote "schoolboy" and adventure stories. These stories appeared in many magazines for boys at the time. Some of these stories were later published as full books. Examples include Gubbins Minor and Some Other Fellows (1897) and The Boys of Brierley Grange (1906). Other books, like The White Witch of the Matabele (1897), were about colonial Africa.

Whishaw was also one of the first people to translate books by the famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky into English. He helped publish several of Dostoevsky's novels between 1886 and 1888.

About Frederick Whishaw's Life

Frederick James Whishaw was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 14, 1854. His parents, Bernard Whishaw and Isabel Maria Cattley, were both English. He was one of eight children. His family had lived in Russia since the 1700s.

Just eight weeks after he was born, his parents moved the family back to Great Britain. They settled in Paignton, Devon, where Fred spent most of his childhood. He went to school at Leamington College and then Uppingham. At school, he was a talented sportsman and a good singer (a tenor). His classmates liked him because he often received food packages from Russia.

Early Career and Music

When he was 16, Whishaw left school. He went back to St. Petersburg to work for a business. In his free time, he enjoyed running and rowing. In 1878, he published a collection of poems called Loves of the Flowers.

Whishaw was not happy with his job. He eventually moved to England after marrying Ethel Charlotte Moberly on March 30, 1880. Their only child, Gwendolen, was born on January 13, 1884. He returned to Paignton, where he grew up. There, he started a career as a musician and became a well-known and successful tenor.

Translating and Writing Adventures

During this time, Whishaw also began translating the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky. These translations were published between 1886 and 1888. Thanks to his efforts, many of Dostoevsky's novels became available to English readers for the first time in Victorian Britain.

Whishaw soon felt inspired to try writing his own stories. In 1893, he published his first book, Out of Doors in Tsarland. This book was partly about his own life and travels in Russia. A year later, he wrote his first children's novel, Boris the Bear-Hunter. Between 1895 and 1898, he wrote ten more novels. This included his first collection of English "schoolboy" stories, Gubbins Minor and Some Other Fellows. These stories, and others, were very popular. They were published as serial stories in many boys' adventure magazines throughout his career.

Popular Stories and Later Life

His schoolboy stories often had gentle humor. They also covered more serious parts of school life, like sports matches and common behaviors of the time. However, Whishaw was best known for his Russian-themed children's adventure stories and historical novels. Some of his stories took place in other parts of the world, like colonial Africa. An example is The White Witch of the Matabele (1897). He also wrote about current events, such as The Three Scouts: A Story of the Boer War (1900).

Whishaw also wrote several books about Russian history. His book Moscow: A Story of the French Invasion of 1812 (1905) was especially well-received. He wrote his last novel, A Bespoken Bride, in 1914. Many of his earlier stories continued to be reprinted for years after that. Fred Whishaw passed away at his home in Slapton, Devon, on July 8, 1934.

Books by Frederick Whishaw

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons. Wikisource

• Whishaw, James and Maxwell Studdy Leigh. A History of the Whishaw Family. London and Oxon: Lindsay Ross International, 1992.