Search >> Briggs, Charles Frederick ( Harry Franco ) (1804-1877)

Novelist, Editor, Journalist.

Before trying his hand at writing, Charles F. Briggs spent several years working as a sailor on voyages to Europe and South America. He also spent a few years as a merchant in New York City. In 1839 he published The Adventures of Harry Franco: A Tale of the Great Panic, which was based upon his adventures as a sailor. Retaining the pseudonym Harry Franco, Briggs went on to publish The Haunted Merchant in 1843. In 1844 he created the Broadway Journal, for which Edgar Allan Poe first worked as a contributor and later as an editor. Briggs ran the Journal for only one year before retiring in 1845. There is some uncertainty about the dates, but between 1844 and 1850 Briggs also published Working a Passage, or Life in a Liner and The Trippings of Tom Pepper; or, The Results of Romancing, an Autobiography. After Trippings, Briggs stopped writing fiction, largely due to the displeasure of his friends when they recognized themselves within the novel (H. Howland).

In 1853 Briggs became an editor at Putnam's Magazine. He remained there for three years and returned to it again in 1866. During the ten year interim between his jobs at Putnam's Briggs worked as an editor at the New York Times under Henry J. Raymond. When Raymond traveled to Europe, Briggs was given temporary control of the newspaper. In 1870 he became financial editor of the Brooklyn Union. Three years later he briefly became editor in chief of the Union before moving on to the Independent where he worked "until a few hours before his death, which came suddenly at his home in Brooklyn" (H. Howland).

In his lifetime Briggs' also held a position in the New York Customs House and was one of three men to sit on the first Board of Commissioners for Central Park. He was one of those who "rallied" at Pfaff's, (A. Maurice 396) and he was eventually described by R. H. Stoddard as one of Poe's "Bohemian friends" (Parry 383). His relationship with Edgar Allan Poe prompted the publishers of Encyclopedia Britannica to request that he write a biographical sketch of the author.

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References & Biographical Resources

Bercovitch, Sacvan, ed. The Cambridge History of American Literature. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge UP, 1995. [more about this work]

[pages: 57, 70, 757, 763]

Derby, J.C. Fifty Years among Authors, Books and Publishers. New York: G. W. Carleton and Co., 1884. [more about this work]

He is mentioned as one of the "brightest and most popular humorous men of the day," known to rally around the book store of George W. Carleton. Derby notes that "the noonday hour frequently found most of them at Pfaff's celebrated German restuarant, in a Broadway basement, near Bleecker-street, the rendezvous at that day of the so-called Bohemians." Derby notes that his pen name was "Harry Franco" (239).

Parke Godwin and Briggs were the first co-editors of Putnam's Monthly Magazine in 1852 (312).

Briggs was also one of the "brilliant corps of assistant editors" hired by Henry J. Raymond of the Times in 1852, when the paper was able to double its size. Many of these editors were also the authors of books (354). [pages: 239,312,354]

Haynes, John Edward. Pseudonyms of Authors: Including Anonyms and Initialisms. New York, 1882. [more about this work]

This text identifies the following pseudonyms: Harry Franco (42), Tom Pepper (95). [pages: 42, 95]

Hemstreet, Charles. Literary New York: Its Landmarks and Associations. New York: G.P. Putnam, 1903. [more about this work]

Listed here as "Harry Franco." In 1845, he was assisted by Poe at the Broadway Journal after Poe left the Evening Mirror. According to Hemstreet, "Briggs was the matter-of-fact 'Harry Franco,' a journalist with great ability who in another ten years was to edit Putnam's Magazine from 10 Park Place. More than one of Poe's friends said that the combination of Harry Franco and the poet must assuredly bring forth great literary results and financial success. But the partnership did not work at all well." Poe bought out Briggs through an arrangement with Horace Greeley and moved the paper's offices to Clinton Hall; the Broadway Journal under Poe was not as successful(159).

Briggs, as Harry Franco, is mention as being friendly with Charles Fenno Hoffman, who founded and ran the Knickerbocker magazine. During this time, he was also associated with William Cullen Bryant, Lewis Gaylord Clark, William L. Stone, the Duyckinck brothers, Frederick S. Cozzens, Park Benjamin, John L. Stephens, and others (174-5). [pages: 159, 174-175]

Howland, Harold. "Charles Frederick Briggs." Dictionary of American Biography. Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 2006. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC. [more about this work]

Briggs was born on Nantucket to John and Sally Briggs. He had an early career as a sailor, but soon left that profession to become "engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York."

In 1839, he published the novel The Adventures of Harry Franco: A Tale of the Great Panic, which drew on experiences from his days as a sailor. "Harry Franco" would become a psuedonym used by Briggs in several later works. In 1843 he wrote The Haunted Merchant and in 1844 he founded the Broadway Journal.

Briggs accepted several of Poe's submissions and eventually made him an associate editor of the Broadway Journal. Briggs retired from the paper in 1845, and published in the next two years Working a Passage, more "reminisces" of his days as a sailor, and The Trippings of Tom Pepper. Some of his friends recognized themselves in the characters of the book and took offense and Briggs decided not to write fiction again.

In 1853, Briggs edited Putnam's Magazine with Parke Godwin and George William Curtis. He worked there for three years until the magazine stopped running, but was reinstated as an editor when it resumed ten years later. During the gap, Briggs worked as an editor at the New York Times and was put in charge of the paper when Henry J. Raymond when to Europe. Briggs also worked at the New York Custom House during this intirim. Briggs was made the financial editor of the Brooklyn Union in 1870, and worked there for three years before leaving to join the editorial staff of the Independent.

Briggs was also one of the first three member of the Board of Commissioners for Central Park. He wrote the "annual preface" for Trow's New York City Directory for twenty-four years. Briggs was also asked to write the sketch of Poe for the Encyclopedia Britannica because of their association, which he did under his psuedonym.

Briggs died a few hours after taking his job at the Independent. He died at home in Brooklyn and was survived by his wife and daughter.

Lukens, Henry Clay. "American Literary Comedians." Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Apr. 1890: 783-797. [more about this work]

[pages: 793]

Maurice, Arthur Bartlett. "Literary Clubland II: New York's Literary Clubs." The Bookman: A Review of Books and Life. Jun. 1905: 392-406. [more about this work]

He is described as one of the "others who rallied" at Pfaff's. His pen name is given as "Harry Franco." [pages: 396]

Parry, Albert. Garrets and Pretenders: A History of Bohemianism in America. New York: Covici, Friede, 1933. [more about this work]

Decades after his death, Briggs and English were named by Stoddard as Poe's "Bohemian friends." According to Parry, this was "one of the first references, however indirect, to Poe as a Bohemian by any of his contemporaries" (3). [pages: 3]

Wilson, James Grant and John Fiske, eds. Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume I, Aaron-Crandall. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1888. [more about this work]

Appleton notes the body of Briggs' work as being humorous and dealing with life in New York. [pages: 374, 375(ill.)]

Winter, William. Old Friends; Being Literary Recollections of Other Days. New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1909. 407 p. [more about this work]

Winter discusses a rumor orginated and published by Briggs/Harry Franco about O'Brien: "O'Brien was not the heir to a title, nor did he pretend to be. The clever, piquant, tart, and rather malicious writer, Charles F. Briggs, once prominent in New York journalism as 'Harry Franco,' originated and published the incorrect statement,--which was accepted by Aldrich and others,--that O'Brien was a relative of Smith O'Brien, at one time conspicuous as an Irish 'agitator,' and was an heir to the title borne by Smith O'Brien's brother, Lord Inchiquin. Fitz-James's father was a lawyer: his mother's maiden name was de Courcy" (102).

Winter notes that when he arrived in New York in 1859-'60, Briggs was publishing the "The Courier" using the pen name "Harry Franco." "The Courier," a weekly paper, was published on Spruce Street, the same street as "The Satruday Press." Winter also mentions that Augustin Daly got his start around this time writing for "The Courier" (137).

When discussing "The Literati" identified by Poe and the ties and animosties that existed among them, Winter mentions talking many times with "the tart, sprightly, satiric Charles F. Briggs" (296).

Winter mentions that Briggs has long since passed away and is buried at the old Moravian Cemetary on Staten Island (296). [pages: 102,137,296]