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Tom Merry's Own (Annual)

Tom Merry's annual appeared for the first time in 1949 and was published until 1954. The issue from 1949 was called 'The Tom Merry Annual', subsequent publications were called 'Tom Merry's Own'.

The following table lists only the Hamilton stories. You can find full details of the contents in the publications section of  The Greyfriars Index

Many of the stories were later reprinted in compilation annuals. You can find a list here.

Contents list kindly supplied by Dr Nandu Thalange, front cover scans from The Greyfriars Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Free in Tom Merry's Annual

One of the characters featured in Tom Merry's Own was that of Jack Free, AKA Jack Nobody. Hamilton wrote 8 books but only 3 were published in Hamilton's lifetime. The other 5 manuscripts gathered dust for almost 60 years before efforts were made to have them published. With the permission of Hamilton's great niece the Friars club set out to publish the books to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Charles Hamilton. Sadly the manuscript for the fourth book is missing, feared destroyed. You can read more about the project and purchase the books via the Friars Club website here.

You can read an interesting article on Jack Free from the 1990 Collector's Digest annual here.

Jack Free stories also appeared in Billy Bunter's Own


Grimslade in Tom Merry's Annual

A Grimslade tale from the Tom Merry Annual of 1949 is available, click on the link in the table below to read or download.

Grimslade stories originally appeared in the Ranger with much of the content being reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library.

Very little appeared in the CD on Grimslade, all I could find was one of Roger Jenkins 'Do You Remember' articles covering the Schoolboys Own Library  issue 232, you can read it here.


Carcroft in Tom Merry's Annual

4 stories were published in Tom Merry's Own and Tom Merry's Annual from 1949-1954, click on the links in the table below to read or download.

Carcroft School also featured in 'The Silver Jacket' and 'Hutchinson's Pie'.


Rio Kid in the Tom Merry's Own

Only two Rio Kid stories appeared in Tom Merry's Own, click on the links in the table below to read or download.

The Rio Kid also made an appearance in the Popular, Ranger, Modern Boy, Boys Friend Library and Billy Bunter's Own.


  Title Stories
Tom Merry's Annual 1949
 

Introduction and Index
The Carcroft Chronicles [Carcroft]
Tom Merry's Christmas Quest [St Jim's]
The Mysterious fate of Perkins Minor [Verse]
Lovell on the Warpath [Rookwood]
Winter Walk [Grimslade]
The Fourth Form at Carcroft [Carcroft]

The Sad Story of Arthur Jones [Verse]

Just Like Jack [Jack of All Trades]
£5000 Reward [King of the Islands]
Tom Merry's Own 1950
 

Introduction and Index
Billy Bunter for Christmas [Greyfriars]
The Missing Millionaire [Herlock Sholmes, Peter Todd]
A Fortune in Pearls [Ken King, Charles Hamilton]
Arthur Augustus's Christmas Party [St Jim's]
Left to Lovell [Rookwood, Owen Conquest]
Tom Merry's Own 1951


Introduction and Index
The Ghost of St Jim's [St Jim's]
A Bargain in Bikes [Rookwood, Owen Conquest]
Bad Luck for Billy Bunter [Greyfriars]
Tough on Turkey [Carcroft]

Tom Merry's Own 1952
 

Introduction and Index
The Ghost of Billy Bunter [Greyfriars]
Jimmy the Shark [Ken King]
Tom Merry's Christmas Present [St Jim's]
The Case of the Perplexed Painter [Herlock Sholmes]
A Lodging for the Night [Jack Free]
Rag at Carcroft [Carcroft]


Tom Merry's Own 1953
 

Introduction and Index
Gussey's Island [St Jim's]
The Rio Kid Rides Again [Rio Kid]
Study Four at Felgate [Felgate]
Bessie Bunter Forgets [Cliff House]
The Rebel of Greyfriars [Greyfriars]
Tom Merry's Own 1954


Introduction and Index
From Foes to Friends
Jack and the Caravanner [Jack Free]
Who Cares for McCane [High Coombe]
The Rio Kid's Close Call [Rio Kid]
Just Like Bunter [Frank Richards]
Bad Luck for Bundle [Dolcot]