On Fairies and Their Abodes by Charles Kingsley

The Cottingley Fairies Hoax: thanks to Central Fife Times

Title: On Fairies and Their Abodes

Author: Charles Kingsley 

Publisher: Not known 

Source book: Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London #3)

On Fairies and Their Abodes by Charles Kingsley (Church of England vicar and social reformer, also author of The Water Babies and Westward Ho!), illustrated by Edward Linley Sambourne, is not as comprehensive as Barbey d’Aurevilly’s book on the same subject; but that has never been translated into English. 

Jules-Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly was a French writer of novels and short stories, and an exponent of “dandyism” IRL. Who knows if he ever wrote anything about fairies? And what exactly is dandyism? Answers on a postcard please.

Peter finds an 18th century reprint of On Credulity and Incredulity in Things natural, civil and divine by Méric Casaubon at a goblin market. It looks very similar to the copy back at The Folly. Méric Casaubon was born in Geneva, but educated at Eton and Christ Church College, Oxford. Casaubon actually (which is to say IRL) wrote A Treatise Concerning Enthusiasme (apparently enthusiam is not a good thing), and a book on John Dee (1655); representing him as having dealings with the devil: well, that can’t be a good thing either.

Peter also finds a 1911 copy of Erasmus Wolfe’s Exotica, ex the Bodleian Library.

Peter Grant spends a lot of time underground in this episode of the Rivers of London series so, seriously, do watch out if you’re claustrophobic.

Thanks to flower fairies.com
I used to know someone who told me her husband was a model for a flower fairy as very little boy. Apparently he attended the kindergarten run by Cicely Mary Barker’s sister Dorothy.