author

Harvey Newcomb

1803–1863

A 19th-century minister and remarkably prolific writer, he produced books for children, young readers, and religious audiences at an astonishing pace. His best-known works mix moral instruction with practical advice, offering a vivid glimpse of how faith and character were taught in his era.

3 Audiobooks

A practical directory for young Christian females : being a series of letters from a brother to a younger sister

A practical directory for young Christian females : being a series of letters from a brother to a younger sister

by Harvey Newcomb

How to be a man : a book for boys, containing useful hints on the formation of character

How to be a man : a book for boys, containing useful hints on the formation of character

by Harvey Newcomb

Anecdotes for boys

Anecdotes for boys

by Harvey Newcomb

About the author

Born in Thetford, Vermont, in 1803, Harvey Newcomb became an American clergyman, editor, and author. As a young man he taught school for several years, then moved into journalism and edited papers in western New York, including the Christian Herald.

For about a decade he worked on books for the American Sunday School Union, and writing remained the center of his career. Sources describe him as extraordinarily productive, with 178 volumes to his name, including church history, works for children, and practical guides such as Young Lady's Guide, How to Be a Man, How to Be a Lady, and Cyclopedia of Missions.

Later in life he was licensed to preach and served Congregational pastorates in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, while also contributing regularly to periodicals including the Boston Recorder and Youth's Companion. He died in Brooklyn in 1863.