To build up the fiction Index sorted by Author, every work of fiction in the Girl's Own Annuals 1-62 was entered into the Hypercard programme, with Author, Title, Volume number, and page number or numbers. The Hypercard 'Sort' facility was used to get the material first into page order, then into volume order, and finally into alphabetical order by Author, surname first.
Proof-reading was a long job, and there were problems! First, authors may have several - sometimes very many - separate stories in the GOP. It seemed best to leave these arranged as they came, in volume order, and to retain the author's name before each reference. But the GOP was not entirely consistent in its spelling, or in the form used for the names of its authors. Is 'Haddock Sybil' the same person as 'Haddock Sibyl'? Is 'Vaizey Mrs de Horne' the same person as 'Vaizey Jessie de Horne', or indeed as 'Mansergh Jessie'? A number of authors were found who wrote for the GOP over periods of ten years or more; it is not surprising that they changed their names by marriage, or even by ennoblement, while still faithfully writing for the GOP ! Promotion is also a possibility; I was amused to see that plain 'Langbridge Frederick' writing in an Extra to Volume 17, becomes 'Langbridge Rev Frederick M.A.' in Volume 19 and 'Langbridge Canon' when writing for Volume 40, while still keeping his light and cheerful style. Well done, Canon Langbridge! After much thought, it was decided to leave each author's name exactly as given in that particular reference in the GOP.
It seems that in the early 1880's, authors - particularly lady authors - were often unwilling to give their names. Anonymous contributions are therefore common in Volumes 1 and 2; thereafter, the proportion falls sharply. It was also common for an author to hide behind her own previous publications; stories are said to be 'By the Author of Wrapped in the Robes of Mercy', or 'By the Author of Wild Kathleen'. No attempt has been made to identify these reluctant performers; the information is given as printed in the GOP, except that some of the longer lists of previous works have been necessarily curtailed.
The Author Index is a mine of information for completists. Some GOP authors are unknown outside its pages; others are famous. Noel Streatfeild wrote for the GOP; so did Rosa Nouchette Carey, Angela Brazil, L M Montgomery, Richmal Crompton, Baroness Orczy, and many others. It would be interesting to know the part played by the editorial policies of the GOP in the development of many of these famous writers.
The Fiction Index sorted by Title was produced by a further 'Sort' from the material entered for the Author Index. Serials, or series with a group title, are shown with all their page entries. Some of these series spread across two or more volumes, and in these cases the Title is entered separately for each reference; the same Title then appears several times in the Index.
As in the Fiction by Author Index, punctuation marks have been removed before sorting. The Fiction by Title Index is not as useful for research purposes as the Author Index, but it is hoped that it will prove a friendly companion to readers using their collection of GOPs as a limitless source of interest and enjoyment.
The full texts of these two Fiction Indexes are available in published form, and as hyperlinked webpages; see above.
The contents of the index to the Girl's Own Paper is © Honor Ward. Parts of the index may be used and distributed for any non-commercial activity as long as this notice remains with the index. Corrections and queries to the please.