Antiquarian Ghost Stories of M.R. James

"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad"

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. 1904.

Hiatus explained.¹

Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was the originator of the "antiquarian ghost story."² He wrote under the name of M.R. James."³

James is renowned in the book world for his work as a medievalist scholar.⁴ His work includes: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Peterhouse. (Cambridge University Press, 1899); A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Fitzwilliam Museum. (Cambridge University Press, 1895); A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. (Cambridge University Press, 1912; A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Jesus College. (Clay and Sons, 1895); Apocrypha Anecdota. 1893–1897; Lists of manuscripts formerly in Peterborough Abbey library: with preface and identifications.(Oxford University Press, 1926); and The Apocalypse in Art. 1927.

James was provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936).

Best known for Ghost Stories.

However, M.R. James is best remembered for his ghost stories⁵:

• Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904),

• More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911),

• A Thin Ghost and Others (1919),

• A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories (1925).

James’ work has been made into films, radio programs and television series. H.P. Lovecraft characterized James’ work as the peak of the ghost story. He has been a great influence on Stephen King.

His autobiography is Eton and King's.⁶

'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'" included in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904) is named after a 1793 poem by Robert Burns.

1. The Atlanta Braves (my team) have won the 2021 World Series and post-season baseball- NLDS, NLCS and World Series (October 8-November 2, 2021)— got in the way of this substack…I even missed this Halloween entry.

2. Murphy, Patrick J. (2017). Medieval Studies and the Ghost Stories of M. R. James. University Park, Penn.: Pennsylvania State University Press.

3. Briggs, Julia (1986). "James, M(ontague) R(hodes)". In The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural. New York: Viking Press.

4. “After W.R. James." (1970) The Book Collector 19 no 1 spring: 7-20

5. Bloom, Clive. "M. R. James and His Fiction." Creepers: British Horror and Fantasy in the Twentieth Century. London and Boulder CO: Pluto Press, 1993.

6. James, M. R. (1925). Eton and King's. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.