THE WELSH REVIEW.
If this magazine fails to command success it
has certainly endeavoured to deserve it, for its
vivacity and ability are unquestionable. The
contributions of the Duchess of Treorky, with
their graphic illustrations, are really delightful
reading, and we are glad that the Duchess does
not spare to use the rod . . . The present number contains ... a brief burlesque
novel, which is admirable fooling. Mr. Ernest
Bowen-Rowlands really deserves to succeed;
if he fails, it will be because his countrymen
lack a proper sense of humour.
As it turned out, Bowen-Rowland was bankrupt in less than
a week after this positive review appeared. The
Welsh Review limped on for two more months, ending
with Vol 01, no 10 (1892-aug).
In the bankruptcy proceedings, Bowen-Rowlands had claimed:
"Of [The Welsh Review] he was the
editor, sub-editor, in fact the whole staff, and it
had practically taken up the whole of his time. ...
[H]e was the main worker on it."
No mention was made of his "sterling sensational" novel
Father or son? which was running serially in more
than a dozen British newspapers at the time. He admitted
having received £50 for another novel The
white-eyed lunatic, but it seems never to have been
published.
At any rate, given his predominance in the production of
The Welsh Review, it seems reasonable to
credit Bowen-Rowlands as the author behind the mild, fictitious
scandals of the Duchess of Treorky, praised by
The Echo.
It should be equally safe to assume that he created the five parody
fictions which appeared in the dieing months of the
magazine.
Bowen-Rowlands gave his fictitious authors outrageous compound names
which we have not been able to parse completely. Any suggestions
from readers would be appreciated.
Five burlesque stories
attributed to Ernest Bowen-Rowlands (1866-1951),
these stories begin with a cheeky introduction
by the editor
who was also the author.
The Welsh Review ended its brief run on 1892-aug.
