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William Arthur Dunkerley | |
|---|---|
 Dunkerley, c. 1910 | |
| Born | (1852-11-12)12 November 1852 Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK |
| Died | 23 January 1941(1941-01-23) (aged 88) Worthing, Sussex, England |
| Pen name | John Oxenham, Julian Ross |
| Occupation | Journalist, novelist, poet, publisher |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1892 to 1931 |
William Arthur Dunkerley (12 November 1852 – 23 January 1941) was anEnglishjournalist,novelist andpoet. He was born inManchester, spent a short time after his marriage in the US before moving toEaling, West London, where he served as deacon and teacher at the Ealing Congregational Church from the 1880s. In 1922 he moved toWorthing inSussex, where he became the town'smayor.[1]
Dunkerley wrote under his own name, and also asJohn Oxenham for his poetry, hymn-writing, and novels. His poetry includesBees in Amber: A Little Book of Thoughtful Verse (1913), which became a bestseller. He also wrote the poem "Greatheart". In 1918, wrote the foreword and assessed the poetry of the administrator of theScottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service,Mary H. J. HendersonIn War and Peace: Songs of a Scotswoman.[2]
Perhaps one of his best-known works in the 21st century is his hymn "In Christ there is no east or west," composed in 1908 and currently found in 336 hymnals of multiple Christian denominations, including Anglican and Catholic.[3]
He used thepseudonymJulian Ross for journalism.
His novelA Mystery of the Underground (1897) is notable both as an early murder story about a serial killer and a very early crime story set on theLondon Underground (District Line).[4] TheDistrict Railway complained that it was "too realistic", and it is said to have led to a reduction of passengers on Tuesdays (the murderer always strikes on a Tuesday) while it was being serialised.[5][6]
In February 1892Robert Barr and Dunkerley foundedThe Idler, a monthly "general interest magazine, one of the first to appear following the enthusiastic reception ofThe Strand, but not a slavish imitation". Barr and Dunkerley/Oxenham both contributed as writers. The editors were Barr andJerome K. Jerome initially.[7]
Dunkerley had two sons and four daughters, of whom the eldest, and eldest child,Elsie Jeanette, became well known as a children's writer, particularly through herAbbey Series of girls' school stories. Another daughter, Erica, also used the Oxenham pen-name. His son, Roderic, was an English Congregational minister and Christian writer.
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