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M.R. James may hold the title for being the most influential ghost story writer of the 20th century, but Edward Frederic Benson must surely be the most prolific. He wrote more than 50 ‘spook stories’, and authored over 100 books during his lifetime. He is perhaps best known today for the comedic social climbing rivalry of Mapp and Lucia, but during his lifetime it was absolutely for his ghost stories that he was most well known.
There was a pedigree of intellectualism and literary excellence within the Benson household. Edward’s father became the archbishop of Canterbury and devised the Nine Lessons and Carols service, which is still observed to this day on Christmas Eve. His older brother Arthur Christopher Benson wrote the lyrics to Land of Hope and Glory; his younger brother Robert Hugh Benson wrote one the earliest dystopian novels, Lord of the World. Both were also prolific authors of ghost stories. Their sister Margaret became one of Britain’s leading Egyptologists, no small feat for a woman in academia at the turn of the 20th century.
They were an eccentric family; many of them suffered from mental illness. Their father experienced long depressive periods and violent mood swings, which took a heavy toll on their mother. Arthur would also suffer similar symptoms. Margaret suffered several physical illnesses and suffered a breakdown in 1907. She never entirely recovered. She experienced hallucinations and self-harmed. According to Edward, Margaret became obsessed with Lucy Tait, who had become their mother’s companion (and likely lover) after their father’s death, and implied she once tried to kill her.
None of the Benson children married. Most of them, Edward included, appear to have been homosexual, which must have left them highly conflicted, not just in terms of Victorian/Edwardian values, but also because of their close ties to the religious establishment.
Edward was a contemporary of M.R. James and was present at the Chit-Chat Club on that legendary evening when James debuted his first ghostly tales, Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook and Lost Hearts. Like James, his stories generally feature bachelors with the time to explore their own interests. But unlike James, E.F. Benson’s stories aren’t restricted to rural locales. His tales can take place in the city, within more sociable society. There’s also a touch more tongue-in-cheek to his stories. Even violent acts, can take place with a little sense of relish.
While women are largely absent from James’s work, they do appear in Benson’s. However, they are often figures of suspicion. As with Mrs Amworth, they may appear genial and friendly, but there is something more sinister and cruel lurking beneath the surface.
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Mrs Amworth by E.F. Benson | New Ghost Stories Podcast Bonus