GREAT PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3381, 4 July 1927, Page 2

GREAT PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR.

The death occurred recently in London, at the age of 51, of Sir Ernest I lodder-Willuims, head of the famous publishing arm of Plodder and Stoughton. He was chief proprietor of the Faucet and the British Weekly, and one of the largest publishers of novels in the country. The late Sir William Rohevtson NicoU was his literary -adviser for years.

Sir Ernest entered the publishing business o ' his _ grandfather, Mr Matthew Plodder, in Paternoster-row.” at the age of 20. and became senior partner im 1017. Apart from his responsibilities as publisher, Sir Ernest was, anonymously, an author of books which sold by tons of thousands. Just after the death of -King Edward lie wrote one Sunday morning the touching booklet, entitled “Where's Master ” This purported to be the story of the sorrowful search of Caesar, the into King’s dog, lor his dead niastc:-. There was an enormous demand lor the little hook, and Queen Alexandra could not he satisfied until she had discovered the author. It was difficult to convince her Majesty that the b'),vk was entirely iniuginawy and that the author had never even been within Buckingham Palace. Pater, when Ernest I fodder-Williams wrote “Tim Way of the Red Cross,” the widowed Queen prefaced it. Besides other literary work, he was the author ol “Pale o' Sir George Williams.” founder of the Y.M.C.A., who ivas_ fils great-uncle, ben all publishing ventures seemed paralysed by the Great War. Mr Plod-der-Williams struck nut a new line, issuing a long series of war books, as 'Vi'lj as an output of general hooks and fiction. chimes to which authors and artists gave their best were issuer] for "aj- charities, under Royal |*a 1 romme After the war Mr HoddeV-WilM mils was knighted in recognition of bis tireless work in this direction.