Stories of Romance

Allan Cunningham

1784–1842

A Scottish poet and storyteller who rose from a stonemason’s apprenticeship to become a familiar literary voice in early 19th-century London. His work drew on Scottish song, legend, and history, giving it warmth, movement, and a strong sense of place.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

1809–1894

Remembered as both a celebrated man of letters and a working doctor, this Boston writer brought wit, warmth, and sharp observation to poetry and essays that were widely loved in 19th-century America. He is especially known for “Old Ironsides” and the lively “Breakfast-Table” books.

Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford

1835–1921

A master of Gothic romance and suspense, this prolific 19th-century American writer helped bring a darker, richer mood to magazines and books on both sides of the Civil War. Her fiction is known for vivid description, psychological tension, and women characters who often pushed against the usual limits of their era.

John Wilson

1785–1854

Best known by the pen name Christopher North, this lively Scottish writer helped give Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine its bold, combative voice. He also spent decades as professor of moral philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, bringing the same energy to the classroom that he brought to essays and criticism.