As another example, I have traced the following works to the same
author, without, however, ascertaining the author’s name.
Spain yesterday and to-day, by a lady, London, Harvey and Darton
[1829?], sm. 8o.—Portugal, or the young travellers, ... 1830.—The new
estate, or the young travellers in Wales and Ireland, by the author of
Portugal, ... 1831.—The East Indians at Selwood, or the orphans’ home,
by the author of Portugal; the new estate, &c., &c., Lond. Darton and
Harvey, 1834, small 12o.—Gleanings from many fields, by the author of
Portugal, the new estate, &c., &c., Lond., Darton and Harvey, 1834, 12o.
Sometimes it is possible to make a tolerably certain guess at the
author, from the similarity in style, or some trick of the author, as in
the punctuation, or the use of italics, as by Archbishop Whately, or the
constant use of the dash, as in the works of James Flamank.
But in all cases corroborative evidence is necessary. For how wrong a
guess of this kind may be has been amply illustrated in Notes and
Queries.
Every celebrated man has had numerous publications attributed to him by
people who professed themselves quite certain of the authorship, from
the style and subject matter.
There is at present no book which will give any help in an investigation
like the present. In the “Handbook of Fictitious Names,” at pages 7 and
8, only seven real names of ladies are revealed, with a note to the
effect that there were upwards of fifty works unknown.
The very useful series of catalogues published by Messrs. Bent, Hodgson,
and Sampson Low, the English Catalogue of the latter being the best of
the kind, afford great assistance.
The London catalogue of books, 1814-1851, has a classified index, and in
this anonymous works are frequently attributed to their real authors,
though without any indication of their anonymity.
The British catalogue also has a subject index.
The following include the majority of publications from 1800 to the
present time, except pamphlets and privately printed works.
The London catalogue of books ... since the year 1800 to March 1827,
Lond. pub. for the executor of the late W. Bent by Longman &c. 1827, 8o.
The London catalogue ... 1814 to 1846.
The London catalogue ... 1816 to 1851, Lond., Thomas Hodgson 13
Paternoster row and sold by Longman &c., 1851, 8o.
The classified index to the London catalogue ... 1816 to 1851, London T.
Hodgson 1853, 8o.
The British catalogue of books published from oct. 1837, to dec. 1852
... by Sampson Low, vol. 1. general alphabet, Lond. S. Low & son, 1853.
In this the dates of publication were added for the first time. The
author published an Index to the above in 1858, in which he acknowledges
the assistance of Dr. Crestadoro.
The English catalogue of books, published from january, 1835, to
january, 1863, comprising the contents of the “London” and the “British”
catalogues, and the principal works published in the United States of
America and Continental Europe ... compiled by Sampson Low [and
assistants], London, S. Low Son & Marston, 1864, r. 8o. And
continuations to the present time. So that we thus have names of authors
and index of subjects from 1814 to the present time. For the years from
1800 to 1814, Watt’s Bibliotheca Britannica can be referred to.