The Quiver
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 Quiver cover for a weekly edition, illustrated by C. Green RI | |
| Editor | John Cassell initially |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Weekly 1861–1878, Monthly (bound weekly editions) 1861–1865, Monthly 1865–1956 |
| Publisher | John Cassell |
| First issue | 7 September 1861 |
| Final issue | 1956 |
| Company | Cassell and Company. Ltd. |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
The Quiver (1861–1956)[note 1] was a weekly magazine published by Cassell's and was "designed for the defence and promotion of biblical truth and the advance of religion in the homes of the people."
John Cassell (1817–1865), the English publisher and temperance advocate, conceived the idea of a periodical which would supply Sunday reading for the family while touring America in 1859–1860.
The first number (in the First Series) appeared on 7 September 1861. It had 24 pages, was set in small type, had no illustrations, and cost one penny.[5]: 120 It was initially in broadsheet format,[6] but had changed to octavo format by 1864. In 1864, John Cassell published a Prospectus for a new series of the Quiver,[7]: 249-251 which announced a new illustrated series (the Second Series) of the magazine, again with a one-penny weekly edition and a sixpenny monthly edition, beginning on 21 September 1864. A Third Series, now with "toned paper", began in September 1865, and this series continued until closure. With series three (if not Series Two also), the cover of the weekly edition featured a three-quarter page illustration with the magazine title above and the start of an article below. The monthly magazine cover had an illustration.
Nowell-Smith said that Cassell's prescription for the magazine was to have one article each:
- To address the intellect
- Full of gushing feeling to address the heart
- Of a literary theme
- Of a juvenile tale.[7]: 127
Teignmouth Shore says that when he became editor of the magazine in 1863, "it was a penny weekly publication, and four or five of these weekly numbers were bound up into a monthly part and sold for sixpence." However, the circulation of the weekly editions was declining and the monthly edition increasing, which led Teignmouth to propose that they publish a monthly edition that was not merely bound up weekly editions. The publishers agreed, and in 1865, the monthly magazine became a separate entity rather than collating the weekly edition. It was priced at sixpence an issue. However, they continued to publish a penny weekly edition until September 1879.[8]
The magazine was still priced at sixpence in 1902, and must have had a large circulation as the advertising rate was £6 for one eighth of a page.[9]: 389 [note 2]
On occasion, The Quiver featured poetry. Both Janet Hamilton and Emily Chubbuck (under her pseudonym "Fanny Forester") published in the magazine.[10]
Notable contributors
The Quiver drew in several notable contributors, especially during its high period in the nineteenth century:
Editors
The magazine had relatively few editors over its history, with the last editor holding his post for nearly 50 years. The editors were:[note 3]
- John Cassell (23 January 1817 – 2 April 1865), the founder and initial editor. Forced to give up the editorship due to increasing ill-health.[6]
- Rev. Henry Wright [note 4]
- J. E. Gore[note 4]
- J. Willis Clark[note 4]
- Rev. Thomas Teignmouth Shore (28 December 1841 – 3 December 1911)[12] became editor of Quiver in 1863[8] and relinquished it when he became Chief Editor at Cassell's in 1865.[5]: 71 [7]: 88 [note 5]
- Hunt, Bonavia (30 July 1847 – 27 September 1917) editor from 1865 to 1905.
- David Williamson, editor from 1905 to 1909.
- Williams, Herbert Darkin 26 April 1882[13] – 4 August 1972[14]) editor from 1909.[note 6]
