Isaacs George Samuel
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Also known as: | A. Pendragon |
| Date of birth | 5 Jan 1825 |
| Place of birth | London, UK. |
| Date of arrival | 15 Mar 1851 |
| Principal occupation | Author |
| Date of death | 14 Feb 1876 |
| Place of death | Adelaide; Buried West Terrace Cemetery. |
THE LATE MR. GEORGE ISAACS. —A man of ability, whose career, however, has been chequered and certainly not successful, has just passed away. Mr. George Isaacs, long known in the literary world of South Australia as the writer of sketches, poems, tales, and satirical pieces with the signature of "A. Pendragon," died at the Union Inn, Waymouth-street, at 6 o'clock on Monday evening, the 14th inst., after a short illness.
The deceased in 1858 published in parts, pamphlet form, his earliest work of any note, a colonial romance, styled "The Queen of the South," intended to picture Victorian life in the early days of the diggings.
This was issued at Gawler, and in that town the author was for some time a leading spirit, taking a part we believe in the doings of the still celebrated Humbug Society. He was connected with the Critic, a satirical publication which appeared in Adelaide, and fugitive contributions in prose and verse from his pen found their way occasionally into the columns of the city and country Press. He wrote some clever papers about debt and debtors seven or eight years ago for the Observer, and he published by subscription a small volume of fancy sketches and poetry entitled "Not for Sale." Later Mr. Isaacs started and conducted a weekly in the interests of the licensed victuallers. He was born in London, where his father was collector and salesman of antiquarian curiosities, and Mr. Isaacs was himself a member of the Archaeological Society. His fiction was pleasingly written, albeit at times somewhat overstrained; his verse was easy and flowing, while his ironical productions were often caustic and scathing. He was a thorough Bohemian with apparently no fixed object in life, and a want of application and lack of continuous energy that prevented the possibility of his prospering. To many, however, the announcement of his death will cause regret. 1Superscript text
Please click here to view photos from Dr Anne Blacks presentation on her book Pendragon: The life of George Isaacs, colonial wordsmith presented at the Gawler Civic Centre 19 May 2021 as part of the South Australia History Festival.
Please click here to purchase Dr Black's book: 'Pendragon: The life of George Isaacs, colonial wordsmith.'
References
- [[1."OBITUARY." South Australian Register 26 February 1876: 6 (Supplement to the South Australian Register.). Web. 20 May 2021 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43007420>.]]
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