author
Old Humphrey
1787–1854
Best known for writing as “Old Humphrey,” this busy 19th-century author filled his books with moral tales, lively observations, and a warm conversational voice that appealed to both children and adults. He was especially associated with religious tracts and popular reading meant to instruct as well as entertain.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born on February 17, 1787, George Mogridge was an English writer, poet, and author of children’s books and religious works. He is chiefly remembered by his pen name, Old Humphrey, though he also published under several others, including Jeremy Jaunt, Ephraim Holding, Peter Parley, and Old Father Thames.
Mogridge was a remarkably prolific writer. Sources describe him as the author of children’s literature and religious tracts, and note that he published dozens of works as Old Humphrey alone. His books often aimed to be friendly, instructive, and accessible, which helped make them widely read in the 19th century.
He died on November 2, 1854. Though not as widely known today as some of his contemporaries, Old Humphrey remains a distinctive voice in Victorian popular writing, especially for readers interested in early children’s literature and moral storytelling.