Cyril F. (Cyril Frederic) Austin

Cyril Frederic Austin was born in 1884 and is listed in library and public-domain records as the author of Edward Buttoneye and His Adventures. The book was published with illustrations by Hilda Austin and has remained accessible through later archival editions, which is why his name still turns up in children's literature catalogs today.

Reliable biographical information about him is scarce, but historical memorial records identify him as Cyril Frederick Austin and note that he died in 1915 while serving as a second lieutenant in the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment during the First World War. Those same records describe him as the son of Louis Frederic Austin, an author and journalist, suggesting that writing was part of the family world he grew up in.

Because so little has been preserved about his life, Austin is best approached through the tone of his surviving work: light, imaginative, and clearly aimed at young readers. That mix of obscurity and charm gives his writing a special appeal for listeners interested in forgotten children's books from the Edwardian era.