Nelson Lee
First appearanceA Dead Man’s Secret (19 September 1894)
Created byDr. John William Staniforth (as Maxwell Scott)
In-universe information
GenderMale
OccupationDetective
NationalityBritish

Nelson Lee is a fictional detective who featured in the Amalgamated Press papers over a 40-year run.[1] [2] Created in 1894 by Maxwell Scott (the pseudonym of Dr. John Staniforth 1863-1927) he appeared in various publications including The Halfpenny Marvel, Pluck, The Boys' Friend, Boys' Realm, The Boys' Herald and the Union Jack[3] In 1915 he was given his own story-paper series, The Nelson Lee Library, which ran until 1933.

In all Lee appeared in over 2500 tales set in every corner of the globe, making him one of the most published fictional detectives of all time.[3][1]

Publication history

The 1890s: The solo years

Nelson Lee's Debut: A Dead Man’s Secret

Nelson Lee made his debut in A Dead Man’s Secret in The Halfpenny Marvel #46, on 19 September 1894.[2] The world would meet him at the open of Chapter 2:

Nelson Lee, the famous detective, sat in his room in Gray’s Inn Road, dealing with his morning’s correspondence. So great was the demand for his advice and help that nine-tenths of his replies were to the effect that “Mr. Lee regrets that, owing to the number of cases he already has on hand, he is unable to deal with Mr. So-and-so’s case.” He had already replied in this strain to an earl whose family jewels had been stolen, a banker whose clerk had absconded, and a well-known member of the Jockey Club whose favourite race-horse had been poisoned, when he was interrupted by the entrance of his landlady, who handed him a card...

The Jewel Thief

Lee was an immediate success and made his second appearance in Nelson Lee, Detective six issues later. He made his third appearance in The Adventures of Nelson Lee, in Union Jack Library #35, in December 1894 then made a final appearance in The Halfpenny Marvel in The Jewel Thief in issue #74. From May 1895 he began appearing in Pluck featuring in 18 tales over the next three years. That summer he also appeared in The Mystery of the Malton Moors published in the Comic Home Journal. In the 1895 Christmas issue of Pluck he starred alongside detectives Sexton Blake and Gideon Barr. The tale, Christmas Clues, established Lee and Blake as friends. The two would team up repeatedly over the next 40 years. During this period Lee worked alone for the most part, accepting cases from his office on Gray’s Inn Road.[4] Tales from this era include:[5]

Nelson Lee's Solo Adventures
TitleStory PaperDate
A Dead Man’s SecretThe Halfpenny Marvel #46September 19, 1894.
Nelson Lee DetectiveThe Halfpenny Marvel #52October 30, 1894
The Adventures of Nelson Lee
Includes 4 tales:
A Christmas Conspiracy
The Headless Robin
The Professor's Gold
the Hermit of the Rigi
The Union Jack #35Christmas Issue, December 20, 1894
The Jewel ThiefThe Halfpenny Marvel #74April 2, 1895
A False ScentPluck #24May 4, 1895
The Thief of the Black RubyPluck #52November 16, 1895
The Mystery of the Malton MoorsComic Home Journal1895
Christmas CluesPluck #56December 7, 1895
Nelson Lee DetectivePluck #71March 27, 1896
A Threefold MysteryPluck #108December 12, 1896
No CluePluck #110December 26, 1896
VengeancePluck #114January 22, 1897
Saved from SiberiaPluck # 118February 19, 1897
The Missing AdmiralPluck #137July 2, 1897
The Mystery of the old ChurchyardPluck #142August 6, 1897
A Christmas MysteryPluck #158November 26, 1897
The Black BrotherhoodPluck #160December 10, 1897
The Theft of the Aztec OpalPluck #161December 17, 1897
Sons of FirePluck #174March 18, 1898
One False StepPluck #178April 15, 1898
Captain TwilightPluck #186June 10, 1898
The Way of TransgressorsPluck #204October 14, 1898
A Triple TragedyPluck #204November 25, 1898
The Stolen DespatchesPluck #210December 9, 1898
A Christmas TragedyThe Boys’ Friend #308December 22, 1900
The Fatal FingerprintsThe Boys’ Friend #319February 1901

The 1900s: The Great Serials

The Silver Dwarf

Towards the end of the 19th century Staniforth had a falling out with his editor and switched to publishing in other story papers. The era of the great Nelson Lee serials began with Birds of Prey a 20-part serial that ran in The Boys' Friend from July 27 to December 7, 1901.[6] It was followed by The Silver Dwarf (Dec 7th 1901 to March 15, 1902) and The Missing Heir (March 29-August 9, 1902). Staniforth listed these as his favourite Nelson Lee tales.[7]

Some of the popular Nelson Lee serials from this era include:[8]

Nelson Lee Serials
TitleStory PaperDate
Birds of PreyBoys’ Friend #1-26, 19011901
The Silver DwarfBoys’ Friend #26-411901-1902
The Missing HeirBoys’ Friend #42-611902
Nelson Lee's RivalBoys' Realm #26-521902-1903
The Hidden WillBoys' Realm #64-841903-1904
Nelson Lee's PupilBoys' Herald #2-261903-1904
The Great UnknownBoys’ Friend #157-1891904-1905
Nipper's SchooldaysBoys' Herald #73-971904-1905
The Football DetectiveBoys' Herald #118-1381905-1906
The Black HouseBoys’ Friend #221-2361905
Detective-Warder Nelson LeeBoys’ Friend #237-2571905-1906
The Soldier DetectiveThe Jester and Wonder #233-2531906
The Captain of St. Ninian’sBoys' Friend #257-2761906
The Iron HandThe Boys’ Herald #207-2321907
The Fighting FifthBoys' Realm #253-1907
Britain Beyond the SeasBoys' Friend #353-3871908
Detective NipperBoys' Realm #488-5021910-11
The New BowlerBoys' Realm #360-3701909
Bowled OutBoys' Realm #371-3831909
The Winged TerrorThe Boys’ Herald #329-3491909-1910
The Golden QuestBoys' Friend #459-4751910
Long Live the KingBoys' Friend #479-5281911
Nipper at St. Ninian'sBoys' Friend #685-6981912
Nipper's First CaseBoys Herald 511
Cheer Boys Cheer 1
1912
The Film DetectiveBoys’ Friend #265-6981914
On His Majesty’s Service
or The Master Spy
Boys’ Friend #698-7121914-1915

The boy-detective: The creation of a new sub-genre

Nelson Lee's Pupil

In 1903 Nelson Lee's life changed forever. In Nelson Lee's Pupil he acquired an assistant: Richard Hamilton, better known as "Nipper". Nipper was a street urchin who made his first appearance in A Dead Man’s Secret ten years earlier.[6] This retelling of their encounter ran from issues #2-26 in Boys' Herald and was subsequently republished in The Boys' Friend Library in 1907. The two would be inseparable for the next 30 years.

Following in Lee's footsteps, Sexton Blake was given a boy assistant, Tinker, the following year, in Cunning against Skill, a tale penned by William Murray Graydon in 1904. Tinker and Nipper were influential in the subsequent creation of boy-detectives in the British story papers with subsequent authors following the pattern that they established: "uncultured but extraordinarily sharp street urchins, rescued from poverty and obscurity by a famous London private detective."[3]

A few of Nipper's more prominent cases include:[9]

Nipper's Cases
TitleStory PaperDate
Nelson Lee's PupilBoys' Herald #2-261903-1904
Nipper's SchooldaysBoys' Herald #73-971904-1905
The Captain of St. Ninian’sBoys' Friend #257-2761906
Detective NipperBoys' Realm #488-5021910-11
Nipper at St. Ninian'sBoys' Friend #685-6981912
Nipper's First CaseBoys Herald 511
Cheer Boys Cheer 1
1912

The Boys' Friend Library

Many of Scott's Nelson Lee serials were abridged and republished as complete tales in the Boys' Friend Friend Library.

Written by Maxwell Scott

Nelson Lee Adventures
TitleStory PaperDate
Birds of PreyThe Boys' Friend Library #4October, 1906
The Silver DwarfThe Boys' Friend Library #16April, 1907
The Missing HeirThe Boys' Friend Library #17May, 1907
Nelson Lee’s PupilThe Boys' Friend Library #19June, 1907
The Great UnknownThe Boys' Friend Library #24August, 1907
The Stolen SubmarineThe Boys' Friend Library #25September, 1907
Nelson Lee’s RivalThe Boys' Friend Library #34December, 1907
The Football DetectiveThe Boys' Friend Library #62September, 1908
A Slip of the PenThe Boys' Friend Library #107January, 1910
The Hidden WillThe Boys' Friend Library #138November, 1910
The Black HouseThe Boys' Friend Library #209November, 1912
Nelson Lee in the NavyThe Boys' Friend Library #282November, 1914
The Film DetectiveThe Boys' Friend Library #298May, 1915
On His Majesty’s ServiceThe Boys' Friend Library #301June, 1915
Out To WinThe Boys' Friend Library #437November, 1918
Detective-Warder Nelson LeeThe Boys' Friend Library #530November, 1920

Written by Edwy Searles Brooks

Nelson Lee Tales
TitleStory PaperDate
The Green TriangleThe Boys' Friend Library #649January, 1923
The Return of ZingraveThe Boys' Friend Library #656February, 1923
The Wonder CraftThe Boys' Friend Library #657March, 1923

The Nelson Lee Library: 1915–1933

Nelson Lee Library #1

Lee featured in his own long-running magazine, The Nelson Lee Library, from 1915 to 1933 which was published in four "series". The first issue of The Nelson Lee Library was published on 12 June 1915, entitled "The Mystery of Limehouse Reach" and written by Sexton Blake writer A. C. Murray. Many other popular Blake writers would pen Lee tales including William Murray Graydon, William J. Bayfield, George Hamilton Teed, Norman Goddard, and Edwy Searles Brooks.

Series 1 ran from 12 June 1915 until 24 April 1926, a total of 568 issues.

Series 2 ran from 1 May 1926 until 18 January 1930, a total of 194 issues.

Series 3 ran from 25 January 1930 until 18 February 1933, a total of 161 issues.

Series 4 ran from 25 February 1933 until 12 August 1933. The Nelson Lee Library then merged with the Gem.

A few issues of note: Maxwell Scott wrote just four adventures for the paper that bore his greatest creation's name, A Miscarriage of Justice (1915), The Convict's Dilemma (1915), In Borrowed Plumes (1915), and When Rogues Fall Out (1916). The Spendthrift was George Hamilton Teed's first Nelson Lee tale. It was followed by Twenty Fathoms Deep Edwy Searles Brooks debut Lee tale. Teed following on the wild success of his Sexton Blake creation Yvonne Cartier, gave Nelson Lee his first female foe: The Black Wolf, a cross-dressing martial arts aristocrat. She would match wits with Lee and Nipper in various locations around the world.[10] Not to be outdone, Brooks introduced Eileen Dare the female detective in Nelson Lee's Lady Assistant (1916).[11] She appeared with Lee in 14 adventures. Brooks was instrumental in launching the second phase of Lee's career. In "Nipper at St. Frank's," (Nelson Lee Library #112, 28 July 1917,) Lee and Nipper while fleeing from a Chinese Triad hide out at St. Frank's, a "venerable public school" in the Bellton area of Sussex. When the case at last was solved, Lee joined the faculty as headmaster and Nipper enrolled as a student. The two remained there for the next sixteen years solving mysteries and having adventures around the world, often with friends and Nipper's classmates.[3]

Series 1: The Pre-St. Frank's Cases

Each issue contained a complete detective story.

Nelson Lee Adventures
Nelson Lee IssueTitleAuthor
Nelson Lee Library #1The Mystery of Limehouse ReachA. C. Murray
Nelson Lee Library #2The Case of the Secret RoomMark Darren
Nelson Lee Library #3The Clue of the Straw Sailor's HatWilliam Murray Graydon
Nelson Lee Library #4The Case of the Interned DetectiveA.C. Murray
Nelson Lee Library #5The Great Submarine MysteryUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #6Stolen PropertyUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #7A Miscarriage of JusticeMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #8The Convict's DilemmaMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #9Nelson Lee - CracksmanWilliam Murray Graydon
Nelson Lee Library #10Shadowed by TwoMark Darren
Nelson Lee Library #11The War Factory MysteryUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #12British to the BackboneUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #13In Borrowed PlumesMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #14The King's Bad BargainUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #15The SpendthriftGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #16Twenty Fathoms DeepEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #17The Black WolfGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #18The Case of the Duplicate KeyGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #19The Secret of the SwampGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #20Not GuiltyA. C. Murray
Nelson Lee Library #21The Terror of Troone TowersEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #22Edges of SteelGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #23The League of the Green TriangleEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #24The Case of the Tube of RadiumGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #25The Specialist's Last CaseEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #26The Crystal UrnGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #27The Gold CavernEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #28The Forged FingerprintsEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #29The Three MillionairesEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #30A Mystery of VeniceGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #31The Frozen ManGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #32The Prison BreakersEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #33Amazement IslandEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #34Robbery WholesaleGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #35The Mummy MysteryEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #36The Mystery Man Of LhassaGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #37The House of FearEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #38The President's PerilEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #39The Lightning Clue (Jim the Penman)Edwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #40The Red MenaceGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #41The Buried InventionEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #42The Great Will ForgeryEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #43The Robbery at Ponder's BankGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #44The 'Doctored' RacehorseEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #45The Forged Marriage LinesEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #46The Last of the GenghisGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #47The Ship of DoomEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #48When Rogues Fall OutMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #49The Forged War OrdersEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #50The Great Club RaidEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #51The Mystery of the MoorEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #52At Half TideGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #53Zingrave's Last CardEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #54The Mystery of the Mail VanEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #55The Man with Four IdentitiesGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #56The Case of the Fatal FlightA. S. Hardy
Nelson Lee Library #57Nelson Lee's Lady AssistantEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #58The Crimson DiscGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #59The Ribbon of LightEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #60The Mystery of the TurretEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #61The Golden BoomerangGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #62The Amazing Case of the Lost ExplorerEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #63The Spectre of ScarcroftEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #64The Plague ShipEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #65Against The LawEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #66The Mystery of the 10.20 ExpressEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #67The CrookGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #68The Great Insurance SwindleEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #69The Mystery of Barron HallGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #70The House in the HollowEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #71The Clue of the RaincoatGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #72The Secret of the Martello TowerEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #73Blue DiamondsGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #74The Caves of SilenceEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #75The Night Before the TrialEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #76The Affair of the Nabob's JewelsEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #77The House of HazardEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #78A Christmas of PerilEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #79The Mystery of the Closed DoorGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #80A Mid-Atlantic MysteryEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #81The Plantation MysteryGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #82Harlo the HypnotistEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #83The Broken VaseGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #84Tracked to the TrenchesEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #85The Circle of TerrorEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #86The Great Air MysteryGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #87Millions at StakeEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #88The Yellow MaskEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #89A Stubborn CaseGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #90Monn the MiserEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #91The Mystery of the FootlightsEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #92The Man HuntersGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #93The Brass-Bound BoxEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #94The Monk of MontressorEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #95The Secret of Crooked ReefEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #96Nipper's Note BookEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #97The Manor House MysteryEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #98Fangs of SteelEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #99The Mystery of the Grey CarEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #100The Clue of the Twisted RingEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #101Behind the DoorEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #102The Secret of Melsey IslandEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #103The Sheriff of Blazing GulchEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #104The Hovering PerilEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #105The Ivory SeekersEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #106Cast on the ShoreEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #107LootGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #108The Kidnapped StockbrokerGeorge Hamilton Teed
Nelson Lee Library #109The Case of the Crimson FeathersUnknown
Nelson Lee Library #110The Affair of the Duplicate DoorEdwy Searles Brooks
Nelson Lee Library #111The Yellow ShadowEdwy Searles Brooks


Other Nelson Lee tales in the Nelson Lee Library

Nelson Lee Adventures
Nelson Lee IssueTitle
Nelson Lee Library #370The Ivory HandAnon
Nelson Lee Library #371On the Ninth GreenAnon
Nelson Lee Library #372The Tyneside MysteryAnon
Nelson Lee Library #373The 11:15 pm to South ShieldsAnon
Nelson Lee Library #374The Bank Car PuzzleAnon
Nelson Lee Library #375House of the Clanging Bells, or The Case of the White Lead SubstituteAnon
Nelson Lee Library #376Case of the Racing TipsterAnon
Nelson Lee Library #377The Hollow Club, or Clue of the Gloved HandAnon
Nelson Lee Library #378The Missing ValetAnon
Nelson Lee Library #379-80The Strange Case of the Thurlingham Hall RobberyAnthony Skene
Features Zenith the Albino
Nelson Lee Library #381The Case of the Wooden-Legged Sailorman
Nelson Lee Library #382The Stencil ClueAnon
Nelson Lee Library #383The Kidnapped GoalieAnon
Nelson Lee Library #384-5The Mayfair MysteryAnon
Nelson Lee Library #386-7The Strange Affair at Heather HallAnon
Nelson Lee Library #388The Case of the Cardiff ContractorAnon
Nelson Lee Library #389-90The Flaming GodAnon
Nelson Lee Library #391The Man with the Cut LipAnon
Nelson Lee Library #404-408The Black MaskAnon
Nelson Lee Library #410-19The League of the Iron HandMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #420/431The Silver DwarfMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #431-41The Missing HeirMaxwell Scott
Nelson Lee Library #442-45Night Owl and the Alliance of 13Anon
Nelson Lee Library #484-96Green Triangle and Jim the PenmanAnon
Nelson Lee Library #497-502The Hollowdene Manor MysteryEdwy Searles Brooks
Features Eileen Dare
Nelson Lee Library #503-12The Invisible GripEdwy Searles Brooks
Features Zingrave

The Union Jack: 1916-1920

In all these tales, Nelson Lee and Nipper team up with Sexton Blake and Tinker.[12]

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story Paper IssueTitleAuthorDate
The Union Jack #688In Double HarnessRobert Murray Graydon1916
The Union Jack #768The Mount-Stonham Murder MysteryEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #771The Mystic CypherEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #774The Dual DetectivesEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #777The Flashlight ClueEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #781The Case of the American SoldierEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #784The Crooks of Rapid HollowEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #786The Terror of Trevis WorldEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #788The Studded FootprintsEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #793The Case of the Hollow DaggerEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #794Waldo the Wonder-manEdwy Searles Brooks1918
The Union Jack #796Hoodwinked or the Diamonds of ZamkalaEdwy Searles Brooks1919
The Union Jack #796The Clue of the Frozen KnifeEdwy Searles Brooks1919
The Union Jack #801The Shanghaied DetectiveEdwy Searles Brooks1919
The Union Jack #805The Case of the Stacey RubiesEdwy Searles Brooks1919
The Union Jack #817The Great Spiritualism CaseEdwy Searles Brooks1919
The Union Jack #859The Mystery of the Gnarled OakEdwy Searles Brooks1920
The Union Jack #870The Mystery of the 9:12 ExpressEdwy Searles Brooks1920

The Sexton Blake Library: 1915-1921

A short story.

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story PaperTitleAuthorDate
The Sexton Blake Library #5The Case of the Shrivelled FingersUnknown1915

In these two tales, Nelson Lee and Nipper team up with Sexton Blake and Tinker.


Nelson Lee Adventures
Story PaperTitleAuthorDate
The Sexton Blake Library #80The Bathchair MysteryAndrew Murray1919
The Sexton Blake Library #190The Valley of FearFrancis Addington Symonds1921

The Pluck Library: 1916

The editor introduced the Neslon Lee tale with this announcement: "Following on numerous requests from readers of The Nelson Lee Library for stories of Nelson Lee in other publications, I have pleasure in presenting this week, in Pluck, No. 1 of what I hope will prove the finest series of detective storties ever published featuring Nelson Lee.

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story PaperTitleAuthorDate
The Pluck Library #586The Case of the German FinancierUnknownJanuary 22, 1916

The Detective Library: 1919-1921

The stories were predominantly written by Scott and Edwy Searles Brooks.[13]

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story paper IssueTitleNotes
The Detective LibraryThe Mystery of Torgreave Hall1919 (reprinting of The Jewel Thief)
The Detective LibraryThe Kidnapped Engineer1919
The Detective LibraryThe Vanishing Picture1919
The Detective LibraryThe Jaguar's Master1919
The Detective LibraryThe House with the Crooked Window
The Detective LibraryThe Case of the Horned Frog
The Detective LibrarySons of Fire
The Detective LibraryThe Babylonian Brick
The Detective LibraryThe Swinbury Poultry Killing Mystery
The Detective LibraryThe Missing Solicitor of Bedford Row
The Detective LibraryThe Bogus Butler of Harlech
The Detective LibraryThe Case of Dr. Mau-Ling-Su
The Detective LibraryJim the Penman series
The Detective LibraryBrotherhood of the Five Fingers1920
The Detective LibraryNipper at St. Ninian's1920

The Prairie Library: 1920

The stories were written by George Hamilton Teed.[14]

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story paper IssueTitleNotes
The Prairie LibraryThe Black PearlSerial. January 1920
The Prairie Library #36-40A Dangerous PartnershipSerial. 1919
The Prairie Library #51-55The Missing ProfessorSerial. 1920
The Prairie LibraryThe Inner SevenSerial. 1920

The Nuggett Library: 1921

These tales were predominantly written by Andrew Murray. Many of these feature Sexton Blake foes and may be rewrites of Blake tales.[15]

Nelson Lee Adventures
Story paper IssueTitleNotes
The Nugget Library #45White Man's Secret(featuring Kew & Carlac)
The Nugget Library #46Man in the Copper Casket(featuring John Lawless )
The Nugget Library #47The Bridge Builders(featuring Trouble Nantucket)
The Nugget Library #48The Sign of the Red Claw(featuring Chulda Ghan)
The Nugget Library #49The Amazing Schoolboy(featuring Timothy Tudmr)
The Nugget Library #50Case of The Two Impostors and Nipper's Wager(featuring Kew & Carlac)
The Nugget Library #51The Outsiders(featuring Langley Mostyn)
The Nugget Library #52Rogues of the River(featuring Thames Police)
The Nugget Library #53Expelled from St. Frank's(featuring Watson & Harrington)
The Nugget Library #54The Sign of the Shepherd's Crook
The Nugget Library #56Meshes of Mystery
The Nugget Library #58The Case of the Heavyweight Champion(featuring John Lawless)
The Nugget Library #62Lost - A Football Team(featuring Lawless)
The Nugget Library #66The Case of the Arab Footballer(featuring John Lawless).
The Nugget Library #68Nelson Lee in India, or The Rajah's Secret
The Nugget Library #70The Treasury Notes Mystery

Lee's associates

In the early years of his career Lee worked intermittently with the French detective Jean Moreau.[2] Later in the first years of the Nelson Lee Library he worked with 'girl detective' Eileen Dare. He had a bloodhound named Rajah, and later another named Wolf.[16]

Lord Dorrimore or Dorrie, a somewhat eccentric millionaire, was one of the most popular characters to appear in the Nelson Lee Library. He often travelled with Umlosi, a mighty African warrior. The two made their first appearance in The Ivory Seekers and reappeared throughout Lee's tenure at St. Franks.[17]

Lee collaborated with Sexton Blake on a number of occasions. The two worked together on The Winged Terror, penned by Maxwell Scott, a tale that ran in issues #329-336 of Boys' Herald in 1909. Later other authors paired the two in the pages of the Union Jack. In Double Harness, (Union Jack #683) written by Robert Murray Graydon saw the two working against each other to solve a case, while Waldo the Wonder Man, (Union Jack #794,) saw them team up to capture one of Blake's most beloved foes.

Lee's enemies

Nelson Lee had a fine rogues gallery of supervillains.[16] Some of the most famous included:

Jim the Penman (created by Edwy Searles Brooks), was the nickname of Douglas James Sutcliffe, a solicitor turned forger and a master of disguise. One never knew where he was going to turn up next and his skill with the pen was only equalled by his skill at disguise, his audacity and brilliant sang froid, his coolness in emergency and his never-ceasing efforts to pull off some spectacular coup.

Professor Cyrus Zingrave (created by Edwy Searles Brooks), the Monster of Moat Hollow, a Napoleon of Crime.

The Black Wolf (created by George Hamilton Teed) Lee's greatest female opponent.

Dr. Mortimer Crane (created by George Hamilton Teed) a brain and nerve specialist whose talents had been diverted to wrong doing. He was a master of disguise and one of Lee's most sinister and cunning opponents.

He fought criminal organisations like the League of the Green Triangle, the Circle of Terror and the Fu Chang Tong and also matched wits against legendary Sexton Blake foes Zenith the Albino (created by Anthony Skene), Dr. Huxton Rymer (created by George Hamilton Teed), and deadly duo Count Ivor Carlac and Professor Francis Kew created by Andrew Murray.[16]

Howard Baker collections

New collections

  • Sexton Blake: The Early Years (2020) features the first 5 Nelson Lee cases by Maxwell Scott, includes Christmas Clues the first Nelson Lee/Sexton Blake co-appearance.
  • Sexton Blake: Friends and Allies (2020) features In Double Harness by Robert Murray Graydon
  • Sexton Blake & Nelson Lee (2021) by Edwy Searles Brooks
  • Sexton Blake: The Claire Delisle Files (2022) features The Valley of Fear by Francis Addington Symonds
  • Nelson Lee: The Black Wolf Files (2020) by George Hamilton Teed
  • Nelson Lee: The Scott Files (2021) by Maxwell Scott. Includes Birds of Prey, The Silver Dwarf, and The Missing Heir.

References

  1. 1 2 Nevins, Jess (2005). Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana. UNKNO.
  2. 1 2 3 Turner, E.S. (1976). Boys Will Be Boys, Chapter 9. Penguin.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Andrew, Lucy (2017). The Boy Detective in Early British Children's Literature, Chapter 4. Springer.
  4. Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 42–43.
  5. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  6. 1 2 Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 34–35.
  7. Maidment, Stanley (March 1947). "Maxwell Scott: Originator of Nelson Lee Detective". Collectors Digest Vol1 #003. p. 61.
  8. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  9. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 42-44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  10. Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 39–40.
  11. Caldicott, Mark (February 1992). "Nelson Lee Column: Into His Stride". Collectors Digest Vol46 #542. p. 6.
  12. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 45 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  13. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  14. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  15. Wood, J. "A Dead Man's Secret or Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction" Collectors' Digest Christmas Annual 1954, p 44-45 http://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1954-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-08.pdf
  16. 1 2 3 Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 29–45.
  17. Wood, Jack (1954). "A Dead Man's Secret: Nelson Lee in Fact and Fiction". Collectors Digest Christmas Annual #008. pp. 41–42.

Further reading

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