Robert Hope Moncrieff facts for kids

Robert Hope Moncrieff (1846 – 1927) was a Scottish author who wrote many books, especially for children. He was also known for creating popular travel guides called Black's Guides. He often used the pen name Ascott R. Hope for his stories.

Growing Up: Robert Hope Moncrieff's Early Life

Robert Hope Moncrieff was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on February 26, 1846. His mother, Angela, passed away when he was very young, under three years old. His father, George Moncrieff, married two more times. Robert grew up with several siblings and step-siblings.

By the time he was 15, Robert and his brother John were attending the Circus Place School in Edinburgh. This was a respected school that helped students prepare for the Edinburgh Academy. Robert went on to study at the Edinburgh Academy and then the University of Edinburgh. His father died when Robert was 19, making him independent at a young age. Robert Hope Moncrieff never married.

Becoming an Author: Robert Hope Moncrieff's Writing Journey

Robert Hope Moncrieff started writing and earning money from books even before he was 20. While at the University of Edinburgh, he wrote A book about Dominies (1867). A "Dominie" was a term for a schoolmaster in Scotland. This book was published without his name on it, but it was well-received.

Soon after, he published A Book About Boys (1868), and this was the first time he used his famous pen name, Ascott R. Hope. He later tried to remove some of his very early books from circulation because he wasn't proud of them.

Moncrieff also briefly worked as a teacher. He did this mostly to study schoolboys and their habits, which helped him gather ideas for his stories. He believed in trying different things to get ideas for his writing.

Traveling the World for Stories

Robert Hope Moncrieff loved to travel. He explored many parts of Great Britain and even went to other countries. He once said that he had been "a good deal about the world from an early age." His travels included a trip to Paris, a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, and a visit to Italy. He even tried farming in Canada for a short time!

All his adventures helped him gather ideas for his books, especially those about geography and history. He also enjoyed walking and riding, which allowed him to observe places closely. These observations were very useful when he wrote about different locations.

One of his biggest projects was The world of to-day (1905), a six-volume study of the world's lands and people. It took him five years to write almost every word of it! He updated this huge work every couple of years.

Moncrieff was known for being kind and helpful to others, often in a quiet way. He mostly kept to himself and didn't spend much time with other authors or in "smart society." He felt that his writing was his main accomplishment in life.

Robert Hope Moncrieff's Death

Robert Hope Moncrieff passed away in Eltham, London, England, on August 10, 1927. He was 81 years old. At the time of his death, he was living in Kensington, London. He left behind a good amount of money, showing his success as an author.

Robert Hope Moncrieff's Published Works

Moncrieff wrote many different kinds of books and stories. He was a very busy author! His works included:

• Stories for boys, often set in schools.
• Short stories published in popular magazines for boys, like The Boy's Own Paper and Union Jack.
• Translations of books from other languages. He learned languages during his travels.
• Books about history and geography.
• Entertaining essays about topics like being a teacher or about school life.
• Travel guides, especially the famous Black's Guides.

Stories in Magazines

Robert Hope Moncrieff contributed many stories to popular magazines for boys. Some of his stories, like Dick's Dog, later became parts of his books. Here are a few examples of his early stories:

• The Bogle (1879) in The Boy’s Own Paper
• The Black Book (1879) in The Boy’s Own Paper
• The Magician’s Apprentice (1880) in The Union Jack
• Boots!; Or, The True Hero (1880) in The Union Jack
• Dick’s Dog (1886) in The Boy’s Own Paper

Books (Not Guides)

Moncrieff wrote a wide variety of books. He once described himself as an "author of all work." Here are some examples of his many books:

• Oudendale: a story of schoolboy life (1865)
• The martyr shepherd : a story of the Scottish Covenanters (1866)
• A book about Dominies (1867)
• My schoolboy friends : a story of Whitminster Grammar School (1870)
• The Pampas' : a story of adventure in the Argentine Republic (1876)
• The Young Rebels: a story of the Battle of Lexington (1878)
• Wonders of Electricity (1881)
• Stories of old renown : tales of knights and heroes (1883)
• The Wigwam and the War-Path: or, tales of the Red Indians (1884)
• Young days of authors (1885)
• The seven wise scholars (1887)
• An emigrant boy's story (1889)
• Redskin and Paleface. Romance and adventure of the Plains (1891)
• Nutcracker and mouse king (1892) - a translation of E. T. A. Hoffman's work
• Royal youths : a book of princehoods (1892)
• The story of the Indian Mutiny (1896)
• Tales for Toby (1900)
• The world of to-day : a survey of the lands and peoples of the globe as seen in travel and commerce (1905)
• Heroes of European history (1906)
• Adventurers in America (1909)
• Romance and legend of chivalry (1912)
• A book about authors : reflections and recollections of a book (1914)
• The School of Arms: stories of boy soldiers and sailors (1915)
• Schoolboys of other lands (1919)
• The New World of To-Day (1920)
• Chieftain and chum : the story of a Highland holiday (1920)
• A book about schools, schoolboys, schoolmasters and schoolbooks (1925)

Black's Guides: Travel Books

Robert Hope Moncrieff was also very involved with Black's Guides, a famous series of travel books published by Adam and Charles Black. He often "edited" these guides, which really meant he wrote or completely rewrote many of them. He said he worked on "dozens of guide-books."

These guides were updated regularly because things like railways, towns, and attractions changed often. The guides came in two main types:

• Illustrated Books: These had many colorful pictures, often from paintings, with notes that explained the history and literature of the places. An example is Bonnie Scotland (1904).
• Tour Guides: These were practical guides with maps, details about interesting places, and directions for walking, train, or road trips.

He worked on guides for many places, including:

• Where shall we go? A guide to the watering-places and health resorts of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. (1892)
• Black's Guide to the Isle of Wight (1895)
• Black's guide to Devonshire (1895)
• Black's guide to Edinburgh (1896)
• Black's guide to Sussex and its watering-places (1896)
• Black's guide to Bournemouth and the New Forest (1896)
• The Highlands and Islands of Scotland (1906)
• Middlesex (1907)
• Kew Gardens (1908)
• Essex (1909)