Wesley Guard Lyttle facts for kids
Wesley Guard Lyttle (born Wesley Greenhill Lyttle, also known as Robin) was an Irish writer, newspaper publisher, and editor. He was born on April 15, 1844, and passed away on October 30, 1896.
Wesley Lyttle's Life and Work
Wesley Lyttle was born in Newtownards, a town in County Down, Ireland. He had many jobs, including junior reporter, schoolteacher, and editor.
He was very famous as an entertainer. He often performed as his character "Robin." Robin was a cheerful farmer from the countryside. He would tell funny stories to his audience using the Ulster-Scots dialect. This is a special way of speaking found in parts of Ulster.
During the 1870s, Lyttle lived in Belfast. There, he started writing and performing his funny stories, called monologues. In 1880, he became the owner and editor of a newspaper called the North Down Herald.
In 1883, Lyttle moved the newspaper to Bangor. It was then renamed the North Down Herald and Bangor Gazette. This newspaper strongly supported Liberal ideas and Home Rule. Home Rule was a movement that wanted Ireland to have more control over its own government.
He published his humorous monologues in books called Robin’s Readings. He also kept performing them live for people.
His Famous Novel: Betsy Gray
Today, Wesley Lyttle is probably best known for his novel Betsy Gray, or, The Hearts of Down. This story first appeared in parts in his newspaper, starting in November 1885.
The book tells a semi-historical story about a young woman named Betsy Gray. She was a brave girl who became a leader during the Irish rebellion of 1798. This rebellion was a major event in Irish history. Lyttle's book gives a lively account of the rebellion in County Down. It also describes the events that led up to it. While the story is exciting, it might not be completely accurate historically.
You might see his name written as Wesley Guard Lyttle. This is because of a mistake in his obituary, which is a notice about someone's death. This mistake appeared in a newspaper on November 2, 1896.
Books by Wesley Lyttle
- Robin's Readings, published in eight volumes.
- Sons of the Sod: A Tale of County Down, 1886.
- Betsy Gray, 1888.
- The Smugglers of Strangford Lough.
- Daft Eddie, 1889.
- Two Irish Arthurian Romances, published in 1908.
