author
William Farquhar Payson
1876–1939
An American author and editor with a lively range, he wrote novels, historical fiction, and books connected to publishing and design. His career stretched from the late 1890s into the 1930s, leaving behind work that still turns up in major digital libraries.
1 Audiobook
John Vytal: A Tale of the Lost Colony
by William Farquhar Payson
About the author
William Farquhar Payson was an American author and editor, born in New York City on February 18, 1876, and dead on April 15, 1939. Reliable catalog and reference sources connect him with a long list of books published over several decades, showing a writer who moved easily between fiction, historical subjects, and editorial work.
His early books included novels such as The Copy-Maker and The Title-Mongers, and he also wrote John Vytal: A Tale of the Lost Colony, a historical adventure that is still noted by reference works. Later, his name appeared not only as an author but also as an editor and publisher, including on books about decorative arts and architecture.
Payson is not a widely remembered household name today, but his bibliography suggests a versatile literary life: part novelist, part man of letters, and part publishing-world figure. Many of his books remain accessible through library catalogs and public-domain collections, which has helped preserve a clear outline of his career even when personal details are relatively sparse.