The Fifth Form at Saint Dominics

About this item

Talbot Baines Reed (1852-1893) was an English writer who specialised in boys school stories, the most famous of which were The Fifth Form at St. Dominics and The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch (1880/1883). Born in Hackney, London, Reed was the third son of Sir Charles Reed, who served as Member of Parliament. Reeds family was also closely involved with the Religious Tract Society, which founded the Boys Own Paper, a periodical which published all of his stories. Reed more than any other late 19th century writer was responsible for the ensuing popularity of school stories in British childrens fiction. Although all of Reeds school stories were first serialised in the Boys Own Paper, some of them were published in book form. These works include: My Friend Smith (1882); The Willoughby Captains (1883); Reginald Cruden (1885); Follow My Leader (1885); A Dog with a Bad Name (1886); The Master of the Shell (1887); Sir Ludar (1889); Roger Ingleton, Minor (1889); The Cock-House at Fellsgarth (1891); Tom, Dick and Harry (1892); Kilgorman (1894); Parkhurst Boys (1905) and Boycotted (1917).