Catalogue description Records of John Wall

Family and Personal

Political Associations

Trade Associations

Poems

Prose

Rough Workings

Scrapbooks etc.

Reference Notes

Printed

Wall, John W H, 1855-1915, poet of Bristol

Deposited by his daughter, Mrs. D.C. Young, of Bristol

• Wall, John W H, 1855-1915, poet of Bristol

There is an account of John Wall's life written by Sally Mullen in Bristol's Other History (Bristol Broadsides 1983) and a further consideration of his work and that of other local Socialist poets in Miss Mullen's unpublished study A Workman's Retort: Bristol's Socialist Poets 1870-1920 (BRO A32)

The records of John Wall, 1855-1915, one of Bristol's "Socialist Poets", preserved by his daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Young, reflect his many activities and interests. Under the pen-name "Mervyn Dauncey" John Wall wrote a large number of poems, essays and novels, many of which are of great interest for the industrial and social background which he described in detail and for the social and political theory contained in them. The collection of records includes in particular material relating to the boot and shoe industry, the co-operative movement (John Wall was a founder member of the Bristol and District Co-operative Society), the Socialist Society and adult education. There is also a number of political pamphlets and religious tracts.

As John Wall wrote on all available pieces of paper, the collection may also be of interest for its "scrap paper" content. He used the spare sheets in his children's school exercise books, leaving their mathematical exercises etc. intact, the backs of notices, and posters of various societies, programmes, trade catalogues, invoices etc.

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