Jacobs, W(illiam) W(ymark) (1863–1943)

English author. He used his childhood knowledge of London's docklands in amusing short stories such as ‘Many Cargoes’ 1896 and Sea Urchins 1898. He also excelled in the macabre, for example in the story ‘The Monkey's Paw’ 1902; this and some other stories were dramatized.

The son of a wharf manager, he was born in Wapping, London, educated privately, and worked in the Post Office 1883–99. His intimate knowledge of the docks and their ‘characters’ (such as ‘Bob Pretty’) was exploited in his stories. His earliest literary work was published in the Idler and Today, both edited by Jerome K Jerome, who soon recognized the merit of Jacob's humour. He also became a regular contributor to the Strand Magazine. Jacobs's first volume of short stories, Many Cargoes, was followed by The Skipper's Wooing 1897, and after producing Sea Urchins he abandoned his job and lived entirely by writing. He published about 20 volumes, chiefly collections of short stories.