Episode 19 – John Humphreys

A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast

This episode Mike & Will examine John Humphreys. No, not the newsreader, the unfinished story draft by M.R. James!

The most complete version of the manuscript, as transcribed by Rosemary Pardoe, can be read online at the Ghosts & Scholars Website.

Big thanks for the readings goes to Kirsty W… no wait, Kirsty Taylor! Also thanks to Alisdair Wood to the excellent M.R. James image to the right. Don’t forget to check out his T-shirts at zazzle.com.

Show notes:

• The Vale Royal of England (Wikipedia)
  This story is set in ‘Perhaps the Vale Royal of England’, an area in north Cheshire. Also have a look at the area on our own Monty’s World.
• Stories I Have Tried to Write by M.R. James
  The plot of this story gets a mention by James in his essay ‘Stories I Have Tried to Write’ which we covered in a previous episode.
• Sinister Bible Quotes (Bible.cc)
  Like many James stories, John Humphreys quotes the bible in a number of places, notable the 23rd Psalm, Jeremiah xiii:16, Job x:21-22 and the Vulgate of St Jerome.
• Saint Cyprian and Saint Justina (Wikipedia)
  This story contains a reference to a ‘wizard’, apparently a reference to the story of St Cyprian and St Justina in the Golden Legend.
• … also mentioned in this episode were the Garbage Pail Kids and Bookshelf P*rn.

Also, we’d love to hear what you think about this story! Get in contact via Facebook, Twitter, Email or in the comments section below.