Page last modified: May 19, 2023

A Brief collectors history of
R. E. King / Richard Edward King, Publisher
As related to Jules Verne Books

By Andrew Nash and Philip Hollaway

ALL the research here, was done by Andrew Nash and Philip Hollaway.

Richard Edward King was a prolific Publisher and Printer, originally based in Lymington (UK)

There is a book, which I expect would show the history, but it has not been seen!
(Kings of Lymington - ISBN-10 : 1897887191 / ISBN-13 : 978-1897887196
(A paper presented by Edward King, son of Charles T King, to the Lymington Historical Record Society in 1960, is found here and provides some early history of the King family - found after the writing of this page!)

All the information here, I have gathered from the internet, and from Digital archives of Newspapers. There is a lot of information missing, so I need to fill in the blanks in some places.

R E King published NUMEROUS books that were out of copyright,

Here is a catalogue, circa 1896, from the Boots edition below. Look at the length and the breadth of that catalogue. It appears the numerous books were part of "The Home Instructor Library"!

The Jules Verne title Tour of the World in Eighty Days, is about 2/3 the way down column 3! & near top of column 4, on the 2nd.

Richard Edward King, or R. E. King, only published 1 title by Jules Verne.

The initial publication was titled Tour of the World in Eight Days, and was later changed to Around the World in Eighty Days, and then back to Tour of the World in Eighty Days.

R. E. King probably used the same "plates" to print the contents of ALL the editions shown below, and that is why, even if the cover says "Around the World in Eighty Days", the title page always reads The Tour of the World in Eighty Days.

These are the 18 known R E King "published" editions of Tour of / Around the World in Eighty Days.

All copies of Tour of the World in Eighty Days, and Around the World in Eighty Days published by R E King, have 184 pages, again pointing to R E King always using the same printing plates.

Not only did R. E. King publish "Tour of the World..." under the Publishing firm name "Richard Edward King" and "R E King", they also PRINTED various editions of "Tour of the World..." for other publishers. 3 have been found so far, but I'm sure there are numerous R E King PRINTED editions out there. (possibly even the title page was printed, and the Publisher added later?)

Ed: Contents of ALL the books listed here have not been seen!


One of the MAIN "tells" of an R E King "Tour of the World..." printing is that the title page says:

It is the mentioning of "The Texar Vengeance" which is UNIQUE to the R E King printed editions.
It is surmised that R E King got that reference from the George Munro Seaside publication No. 1011, of "Texar's Vengeance"

The R.E.King editions are characterized by:
  • ALWAYS 184 pages in the story.
  • The title page always shows The Tour of the World in Eighty Days, even if the cover is Around the World in Eighty Days
  • Minimal or NO ilustrations (NO illustrations OR 1 Fronticepiece OR 1 Fronticepiece with 2 illustrations) ALL SHOWN BELOW
  • The title page ALWAYS says "Author of ...The Texar Vengeance"
  • The title "The Mysterious Island" is always broken up after "The" in the "Author of" statement. i.e. The and Mysterious, on different lines

View the full listings on the Around the World in Eighty Days page here.

The following is a description of R. E. King and his books, by Janine Barchas, a Jane Austen authority
  • Decorated with splashy colors and bling to appeal to the magpie eyes of youth, such books were printed circa 1900 by Richard Edward King, a true bottom dweller of London’s publishing industry—about whom history therefore remembers practically nothing.  Printed on low-quality paper, using tired and worn-down stereotype plates that had already served many prior masters, these glitzy-but-cheap books (I now think of them as fodder for a possible Pimp My Book demo) were aimed at the school prize market in Britain.  For the working-class children who received them, these books were surely wondrous trophies.  But as they are neither authoritative nor well-made, these “editions” failed to gain regular access to libraries or the bibliographical record. (The Lost Copies of Northanger Abbey (jasna.org))

Below is a display of ALL the R E King Tour of the World in Eighty Days "Publications",
AND below that ALL the R E King "Printings" (seen so far = 18 editions plus 4 printings))

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London  
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London  
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London  

Thank you - Jeremy Gaunt

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London  
(leaving room for more!!!)
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd-Inscribed 1896
Richard Edward King
(88 Curtain Road, E.C., - not seen)
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd -inscr 1897
Richard Edward King
88, Curtain Road, E.C.,
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - inscr 1899
Richard Edward King
88 Curtain Road, E.C.,
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1895
Richard Edward King, Ltd.,
106, 108, 110, Tabernacle Street, London, E.C.
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - after 1895
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - after 1895
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd (Copy seen, presented 1912)
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd (assumed)
R E King & Co Ltd (assumed)
Around the World in Eighty Days
1900
R E King, Limited
Tabernacle Street, E.C.
London
Around the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1900 to 1910
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd - inscribed 1904
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Around the World in Eighty Days
nd - circa 1910
R E King & Co Ltd
106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, EC
London
Same as above, but "painted"!!!
.
.
BUT R E King's involvement with publishing The Tour of the Worled in Eighty Days, does not end there.

R E King, was also a printer for other publishers,
SO, other Tour of the World will be found with R E King connections:

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd
Divine, Hill & Co.,
Mossel Bay and Oudishoorn
(South Africa)

Base of spine - (R E) KING

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd
A H Bunney
Liverpool & LLandudno

Printed by R E King, London

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd
Boots Limited
Bookselling and Stationery Department,
Pelham Street
Nottingham

Printed by R. E. King, London

Tour of the World in Eighty Days
nd
Published by
J. Reed Thomas
168, 204 and 206, Trafalgar Road,
East Greenwich, S.E.

Printed by R. E. King, Curtain Road, London, E.C.

Do the R E King printing plates live on?

The following books have been found, that "seem" to use the plates from the R E King printings of Tour of the World.

The title page does NOT bear the familiar "The Texar Vengeance", but the text of the story, uses 184 pages and has identical chapters, and page breaks. Has R E King passed on the "plates" to be used by another publisher?


This book is:

Round the World
nd - presented 1906
Milner and Company, Limited
Paternoster Row,
London
and
Raglan Works, Halifax

Page 184 states:
Milner & Co., Limited, Printers, Raglan Street, Halifax

7 illustrations, 1 in colour

2 page catalogue in the back for the Camp Library with Round the World, and many other common titles (like R E King)

Milner was an established publisher, with titles published from the 1850's when they were Milner and Sowerby.

Illustrations in the R E King editions

Tour of the World in Eighty Days (circa 1895) - 1 Illustration - Fronticepiece

The circa 1895 Tour of the World in Eighty Days, has 1 Illustration (The Fronticepiece)

No Artist signature is apparent.

Around the World in Eighty Days (1900 & 1900-1910) volumes - 3 Illustrations

The Illustrations in Around the World in Eighty Days (1900 & 1900-1910) volumes, are very stylish Pen and Ink drawings.

It looks quite possible that they are by Gordon Frederick Browne (1858 - 1932).

*** Proposed here, April 7, 2021 that the Around the World illustrations are by Gordon Frederick Browne. ***

There are 3 illustrations in the 1900 and circa 1900-1910 Around the World in Eighty Days by R E King

The illustrations are by Gordon Frederick Browne

Below:
The first, image, the 1900-1910 Frontice signature, clearly signed "G B" and 97
The second image, the 1900 Frontice signature, clearly signed "G B" but in this image, the 97 is not as clear (Ed: angle of photo I believe)
The third image, the 2nd illustration has a faint "GB" signature.

These look just like these 4 examples of known Gordon Browne signatures shown below:

- -- -- -

Below, are the 3 illustrations in the 1900

Fronticepiece, opposite Title

Illustration opposite page 6

Illustration opposite page 172

- -

Tour of the World in Eighty Days (circa 1895) - 1 Illustration - Fronticepiece

The circa 1910 Tour of the World in Eighty Days has 1 Illustration, the Fronticepiece that relates to page 8.

"You are 4 minutes too slow" - NO Artist signature is apparent.


Richard Edward King (and C. T. King) History

Here is a pieced together History of Richard Edward King, from Newspapers and other articles. This research conducted by Andrew Nash and Philip Hollaway, in early April 2021.

  • Richard Edward King, of Lymington, Born 1855 (he was 46 on October 31, 1900 and 54 on February 8, 1909) - calculated
  • He has a brother Chas (Charles) T. King
  • 1883 - December - submits examples of printed "regulations and charges for Water supply" to the Local Board of Lymington, in response to a tender of printing. "...The tender as produced to the board, was the same as received from Mr. King." - Dec 8, 1883, The Hampshire Advertiser, Southhampton, Hampshire, England - Page 7
  • 1885 - March 10 - Richard Edward King, of Lymington, married Rachel Woolf, daughter of Edward Woolf, of Marlborough-place, N.W., at West London Synagogue, Berkeley Street. Married by Rev Dr. Marks - March 14, 1885 - The Hampshire Advertiser, Southampton, Hampshire, England - Page 4 Ed: I believe this is accurate, given R E King is known to be from Lymington
  • 1886 - August - Richard Edward King and his brother C. T. King are booksellers and printers in Lymington. Arthur Edward Powell, working as a managing clerk at their firm, and responsible for paying the wages and the outgoings for the firm, is charged with Forgery, in altering the amounts on cheques. Mr. Powell was committed to the assizes for trial. - Aug 4, 1886 - The Hampshire Advertiser, Southampton, Hampshire, England - Page 4
  • 1889 - February - Mr. C. T. King of Lymington, is a bookseller, High-street, from whom The Hampshire Advertiser can be obtained - Feb 23, 1889 - The Hampshire Advertiser, Souothampton, Hampshire, England - Page 2
  • 1893 - September - Mr Councillor C. T. King offers prizes for the Lymington Rowing Club races - Sept 23, 1893 - The Hampshire Advertiser, Southampton, Hampshire, England - Page 7
  • 1898 - February - R. E. King publishers becomes R E King Co. Limited (See May 1900, below)
  • 1898 - August - R. E. King resigns the position of Managing Director at R. E. King Co. Limitied after committing a breach of contract.(See May 1900 below)
  • 1898 - November 7 - "Great Fire in London" - A destructive fire broke out at Messrs Zoers Brothers, walking stick manufacturer at 102 and 104 Tabernacle Street, Finsbury, EC. The police constables patrolling the district observed a strange glare in the upper windows of this buuilding, and almost immediately afterwards there was a crash of glass and a tremdous outbreak of flames. The fire spread from the warehouse of 5 - 6 floors, to the large building of 6 floors at 106, 108, 110 Tabernacle Street, occupied by Mesrs R E King (Limited), printers and publishers. 18 Steamers (fire engines) and 150 firemen attended the blaze. The flames were scorching half a dozen warehouses in Leonard Street, Finsbury, The warehouse occupied by Messrs King, had 2 upper floors and the contents burnt out, and the roof burned off, and the rest of the building serious fire, heat and water damage - Nov 8, 1898 - The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser, Bristol, Bristol, England - Page 8 AND The Standard, London, Greater London, England - Nov 8, 1898 - Page 6
  • 1900 - February 3 - Mr C. T. King vice-chairman of the Constitutional Club - Feb 3, 1900 - The Hampshire Advertiser, Southampton, Hampshire, England - Page 8
  • 1900 - May 26 - London Bankruptcy Court – Richard Edward King, stationer and book publisher, late of 106, 108, 110, Tabernacle street (late of 52 Campayne-gardens, West Hampstead, Middlesex, also of 93 Pinstone Street, Sheffield),trading as Baxter and Co. was filing for bankruptcy. At this point R. E. King was trading as Baxter and Company, and had opened Bookshops in Leicester, Sheffield, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Oldham, Preston, St Helens, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Southend and other places. 31 shops in all opened in 13 months. The leases of these shops, were taken in the name of R. E. King and books for these shops were purchased in large quantities from the firm R. E. King, Ltd. Before the bookselling business, he “carried on a considerable printing and publishing business in London”. He converted the printing/publishing business into a Limitied Company in February, 1898, where he acted as the managing director. In August 1898, he resigned that office, having committed a breach of contract. – May 26, 1900 – Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. ALSO - April 21, 1900 - Page 8 AND
  • 1900 - October 31 - Richard Edward King is arrested and charged with "embezzling divers moneys" - this was "bound over"
  • 1905 - R. E. King was sentenced to six months imprisonment for obtaining goods under false pretences. - July 24, 1909 - Supplement to The Publishers Circular and Booksellers Record
  • 1902 - 1909 - after an injunction to restrain R. E. King from carrying on business as a printer, publisher or stationer within 200 miles of The Royal Exchange, King then commenced business on his own account as wholesale bookseller under the name R. E. King & Co. The business was started at 37, Fleet Street. He subsequently moved to 80, Chancery Lane, then to Red Lion Square, 10 1, Hanover Buildings, Tooley Street, Duke Street, and Eagle Street. He carried on a genuine business at each address, and sold large editions of non-copyright books. He sold, in one year, 250,000 copies of a sixpenny edition of Mrs. Henry. Wood's novels, and covering other periods 250,000 copies of various other sixpenny books, 10,000 of a book by Wilkie Collins, 10,000 of a is. Cookery Book bound in cloth, 5,000 of a is. Book of Domestic , Reference, and 20,000 of a 6d. Children's Picture Book. In all, since 1905 he had
    Sold over 545,000 Books. At the time of his arrest he had large contracts pending with various firms for binding and delivering books. - July 24, 1909 - Supplement to The Publishers Circular and Booksellers Record
  • 1909 - February 8 - R. E. King, 54, back in court after being out on bail, on charges of "obtaining books and incurring debts by false pretences"... There were 11 charges against the defendant (R. E. King) who was accused of obtaining books on credit by false pretences and then selling them at prices considerably below the amounts he had agreed to buy them at.   The court produced a file of proceedings which showed that in 1900, the defendant was adjudicated a bankrupt.  In the witness box, the defendant stated that at one time he was a highly successful bookseller and publisher. He turned his business into a limited company, and afterwards he ceased to have anything to do with it. He began the business again, in a small way, ... His defense was that “he intended to pay for all the books he obtained, and he had no intention of defrauding any one.”
    The jury in the end found the defendant Guilty. The Common Serjeant (sic) said that "the defendant had been guilty of systematically obtaining books under the pretence that he was carrying on a genuine business. He sentenced him to 15 months hard labour.”   February 8, 1909 - The Times, London, Greater London, England - Page 4
  • 1909 - Re Sentence of Hard labour: "We have no desire to kick a man who is down, but trade in books or anything else would be impossible if Mr. King's methods were permitted to pass unpunished. In addition to those mentioned, many other booksellers were defrauded by him, including several in Germany — in fact, official warnings against " R. E. King & Co." were published in the German book trade papers, notices which were, of course, injurious to Messrs. R. E. King & Co., Ltd., of Tabernacle Street, E.C, who, as we have repeatedly stated are quite unconnected with R. E. King." - July 24, 1909 - Supplement to The Publishers Circular and Booksellers Record

Addresses of the firms: (Both R E King and C T King listed here. )

R. E. AND C. T. King: (Printed and Published by) (seen: Soups and Stews and Choice Ragouts undated)

  • Lymington, Hants.

Chas T. King: (printed by) (seen: Registers of the Parish of Wandsworth 1889)

  • Lymington

Richard Edward King: (seen: Tour of the World / Jane Eyre (presented April 2, 1894))

  • 88, Curtain Road, E.C. London

R. E. King: (seen: Last days of Pompeii)

  • 88, Curtain Road, E.C. London

Richard Edward King: (seen: Bleak House / Hard Times / Grimm's Fairy Tales)

  • 106, 108, 110 Tabernacle Street, EC London

Richard Edward King, Limited: (seen: Daviid Copperfield / Little Women and Good Wives (inscribed 1899) )

  • 106, 108, 110 Tabernacle Street EC London

Richard Edward King, Ltd.,: (seen: Tour of the World, nd)

  • 106, 108, 110 Tabernacle Street, London, E.C.

R. E. King

  • 106 to 110 Tabernacle Street, E.C., London

R E King & Co: (seen: David Copperfield)

  • 106 to 110 Tabernacle Street EC London

R E King & Co Ltd: (seen: Around the World)

  • 106 to 110 Tabernacle Street EC London

R. E. King and Co., Limited: (seen: Marguerite de Valdois)

  • 106 to 110, Tabernacle Street, E.C. London

R. E. King, Limited: (seen: The Boer War, 1899-1900)

  • 106, 108 & 110, Tabernacle Street, E. C. London

Richard E. King, Limited (seen on Old Mortality - Walter Scott)

  • 106, 108, 110, Tabernacle Street, E.C. London

R. E. King, Limited (seen: Tour of the World 1900/ Robinson Crusoe 1901 / The Talisman (Walter Scott))

  • Tabernacle Street, E.C. London

****Note: a NON Verne book has been seen, with an inscription of Feb 2, 1902 on Tabernacle Street!!
He Went For A Soldier, A Novel - by John Strange Winter (aka-Henrietta Eliza Vaughan Stannard) - Publisher's Office: 108, Tabernacle Street, London

Richard Edward King, as defendant in a Fraud trial, re non-payment for books

R. E. King & Co. Limited: (seen: Little Stories From Andersen - presented Xmaxs 1912 and Robinson Crusoe and His Man Friday)

  • 20 Cross Street, Islington London, N.

Simpkin, Marchall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. & Chas T. King: (Seen: Old Times Re-Visited: Lymington, Hants 1900.)

Chas. T. King, Machine Printer, Lymington: (1907)

Images and information provied by Philip Hollaway and Andrew Nash

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