George Robert Sims (2 September 1847 - 1922) was an English journalist, poet, dramatic author, novelist and bon vivant, who attempted to draw attention to the bad condition of the poor in London slums. He also wrote about horse racing, showing dogs, boxing, and leisure.

Biography

Sims was educated at Hanwell Military College at the University of Bonn, and commenced journalism in 1874 as successor to Tom Hood on Fun. He then contributed to The Referee, writing a weekly column, "Mustard and Cress," under the pseudonym Dagonet, until his death. In 1881, he and Frederick Barnard wrote a series of illustrated articles entitled "How the Poor Live" for a new journal, The Pictorial World. He wrote many popular ballads attempting to draw attention to the bad condition of the poor in London slums, including "In the Workhouse: Christmas Day".

His first play, Crutch and Toothpick, was produced at the Royalty Theatre in April 1879, and was followed by a number of plays of which he was author or part-author. After long runs at West End theatres, many of these became stock pieces in suburban and provincial theatres.

His most famous melodramas were:

• Mother-in-Law (1881)
• The Lights of London (Princess Theatre, 1881), which ran for nearly a year
• The Romany Rye (1882)
• In the Ranks (Adelphi Theatre, 1883), written with Henry Pettitt, which ran for 457 nights
• Harbour Lights (1885), which ran for 513 nights
• The Golden Ladder
• The Gypsy Earl
• The Gay City
• Scarlet Sin
• Two Little Vagabonds (Princess Theatre, 1896-1897)

He was part-author with Henry Pettitt of the musical burlesques Faust up to date in 1888 and Carmen up to Data in 1890, both composed by Meyer Lutz, and with Cecil Raleigh of the burlesque opera, Little Christopher Columbus (1893), and among his musical plays were Blue-eyed Susan (Prince of Wales, 1892) and The Dandy Fifth (Birmingham, 1898).

His early volumes of light verse were very popular, notably The Dagonet Ballads (1882), reprinted from the Referee. How the Poor Live (1883) and his articles on the housing of the poor in the Daily News helped to arouse public opinion on the subject, which was dealt with in the act of 1885. As of 2005, he is best-remembered for his dramatic monologue that opens "It is Christmas Day in the workhouse".

He also published a number of books, including several novels:

• Rogues and Vagabonds
• Memoirs of Mary Jane
• Mary Jane Married
• Memoirs of a Landlady
• The Ten Commandments

His other books (often concerning poverty in London and based on his newspaper columns) include:

• The Theatre of Life (1881, Fuller)
• Horrible London (1889, Billing and Sons)
• The Coachman's Club, Or, Tales Told Out of School (1897, F. V. White and Co.)
• Among My Autographs (1904, Chatto & Windus)
• Autobiography: My Life: Sixty Years' Recollections of Bohemian London (1917)

A modern edition of his poetry, Prepare to Shed Them Now, was published in 1968.

Notes

References

The John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester holds Sims's papers (mostly scripts and scrapbooks).

External links

• Among My Autographs (1904)
• The Theatre of Life (1881)
• Horrible London (1889)
• The Coachman's Club (1889)