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Sir Owen Seaman papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.95

Biographical/Historical note

Sir Owen Seaman was born on September 18, 1861 and died, unmarried, on February 2, 1936. He was the only son of William Mantle Seaman and Sarah Ann Balls. Throughout his life, he was known as a poet, satirist and parodist. Seaman had a distinguished academic career both at Shrewsbury and Clare College, Cambridge. Upon graduation, he became a schoolmaster at Rossall (1884), professor of literature at Durham College of Science, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1890-1903) and a barrister of the Inner Temple (1897). In 1897, Seaman was asked to join the staff of Punch because his work up to this point had shown such a remarkable gift for the composition of light verse. He climbed to the position of assistant editor in 1902 and editor from 1906 to 1932. One of his many attributes was his talent for writing parodies with a political tune. His aptitude for ridicule within the severest forms of rhymed parody was unfailing. He was knighted in 1914. This seemed to be more of an acknowledgement of his gift for satire than of a government commending him for his patriotism. Sir Owen Seaman was elected honorary fellow of his college (1909), received honorary degrees from Durham (1906), Edinburgh (1924), and Oxford (1933) Universities, and was an enthusiastic volunteer. He was created a baronet in 1933.

Scope and Contents

The Sir Owen Seaman Papers are comprised of one box containing correspondence concerning the editing of Punch. Many letters are between Sir Owen Seaman and Ralph Wotherspoon, a contributor to Punch. A large part of these letters are rejections of his written verse with explanation for their rejections. Other correspondents include Charles Kay Ogden, Oscar Lloyd, Ann Estella Sarah Penfold, Viscountess Cave, and Eric Oliver Dilworth Keown.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1897-1933

Language of Materials

English

Extent

1 box(es)

Access

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

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.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Sir Owen Seaman Papers, D.95, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Genre / Form

Geographic

Occupation

Uniform Title

Title
Sir Owen Seaman papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA