St. John Emile Clavering Hankin papers

Collection

Identifier: D.320

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

St. John Emile Clavering Hankin, an English playwright and journalist, was born in Southampton on September 25, 1869. After receiving a degree from Merton College, Oxford in 1890, he began writing for the Saturday Review. In 1894 he wrote for the India Daily News in Calcutta, but, having contracted malaria, he returned to England the following year. Beginning in 1895 Hankin worked for The Times and contributed to Punch, where he made his mark with a series of comic sequels of famous plays, including Robertson's "Caste" and Ibsen's "A Doll's House." These were published in book form as "Mr. Punch's Dramatic Sequels" (1901) and "Lost Masterpieces" (1904).

Hankin's first play, "The Two Mr. Wetherbys," was produced in 1903, and was followed by "The Return of the Prodigal" (1905), "The Charity that Began at Home" (1906), "The Cassilis Engagement" (1907) and "The Last of the De Mullins" (1908). "The Return of the Prodigal," "The Charity that Began at Home" and "The Cassilis Engagement," were published in 1907 under the ironic title of Three Plays with Happy Endings. Hankin also authored two one-act pieces, "The Burglar Who Failed," which had a successful run at the Criterion Theatre in November 1908, and "The Constant Lover," which was posthumously produced at the Royalty Theatre in February 1912.

In 1901 Hankin married Florence Routledge, the daughter of the publisher George Routledge. In a state of depression, Hankin drowned himself in the river Ithon on June 15, 1909.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of manuscript drafts, contracts, and other documents relating to the works of St. John Hankin. The correspondence to and from St. John Hankin and his wife Florence is with J. E. Verdrenne, Dion Boucicault, H. Granville Barker, Lena Ashwell, Martin Secker and others, mostly regarding contractual and financial matters.

Creator

Hankin, St. John, 1869-1909 (Person)
Hankin, Florence Routledge (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1904-1931

Language of Materials

English

Extent

1 box(es)

Access

The St. John Emile Clavering Hankin Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Restrictions on Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Purchased from David J. Holmes Autographs, July 1, 2005 on the Metzdorf Fund.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], St. John Emile Clavering Hankin Papers, D.320, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester