Robert Smith Surtees

Born on May 17, 1805, in Northumberland, Robert Smith Surtees became an English editor, novelist, and sporting writer whose work was closely tied to the culture of riding and fox hunting. He was educated for the law and published an early practical work, The Horseman's Manual, before turning more fully to journalism and fiction.

Surtees made his name through the comic character Mr. Jorrocks, first introduced in pieces for the New Sporting Magazine. Those stories were later gathered as Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities, and the character became his best-known creation. He went on to write popular novels including Handley Cross, Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour, and Ask Mamma, building a reputation for energetic scenes, humor, and memorable portraits of country life.

He died on March 16, 1864, in Brighton. Although his books are deeply rooted in the sporting world of 19th-century England, they have lasted because of their pace, comic invention, and eye for character.