author
William Bentinck Forfar
1810–1895
A Cornish solicitor-turned-writer, he brought local dialect, folklore, and coastal life into fiction and verse. His books are closely tied to Cornwall, especially Helston and the Land’s End district.
1 Audiobook
The Wizard of West Penwith: A Tale of the Land's-End
by William Bentinck Forfar
About the author
Born in 1810 and dying in 1895, William Bentinck Forfar is described in reliable reference sources as a Cornish author and solicitor. His surviving bibliography shows a strong attachment to Cornwall, with works including Pentowan, Kynance Cove, The Wizard of West Penwith, Cornish Poems and Selections from Pentowan, and The Helston Furry Day.
The record of his work suggests a writer deeply interested in regional character. Modern catalog and reference pages consistently connect him with Cornish stories, verse, and dialect writing, and his fiction often draws on the landscape, customs, and legends of western Cornwall.
Some biographical details online are limited, but sources agree on the broad outline: he was born in Breage, had ties to Helston, worked as a solicitor, and became known for writing that preserved a vivid sense of Cornish place and speech.