| AdminHistory | William (Frederick) Stout was born in Poplar in 1870, son of an oil and colourman, William Stout (d. Poplar 1919, aged 79), and his wife Thirza Louisa Stout nee Cooper (d. Poplar 1893, aged 45). The family lived at 113 West Ferry Road, Milwall in the 1870s. William (Frederick) Stout's brother was A(mbrose) G(ilbert) Stout, who was also born in Poplar, on 29 June 1876; he died aged 50 in 1926. The two brothers were a musician and a carpenter, respectively.
The illustrated stories in these manuscript volumes have a distinct conservative tone, with anti-socialist and anti-trade union asides, including one aimed at the dockers' leader Ben Tillett. Ben Tillett, socialist, trade union leader and politician successfully led the dock strikes in 1889 and 1911.
In the second volume (P/STT/2), there are also overtones of the temperance movement, which promoted abstinence from the consumption of alcohol, and a pronounced negative view of Limehouse. |
| CustodialHistory | Formerly held in the Local History Library. Both volumes were gifted to the Library, but no other information on previous provenance has been located, although both volumes have William Stout's bookplate. |