J Storer Clouston

Joseph Storer Clouston (23 May 1870, Cumberland - 23 June 1944, Orkney) was an Orcadian author and historian. J S Clouston OBE, the son of psychiatrist Sir Thomas Clouston, was from an "old Orkney family", according to his obituary in The Scotsman. After being educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in London in 1895, but never practised as a lawyer. Soon after embarking on a career as a writer, he published one of his most popular novels, The Lunatic at Large. He was also a historian, author of a great history of Orkney, a founder member and second president of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. His The Spy in Black was made into a successful film in the late 1930s. His First Offence was also filmed in France as Dr le de drame (directed by Marcel Carn , 1937). He died at home at Smoogro House, Orphir, Orkney. Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest it was cloos'-ton, "with ou as in group." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

Joseph Storer Clouston (23 May 1870, Cumberland - 23 June 1944, Orkney) was an Orcadian author and historian. J S Clouston OBE, the son of psychiatrist Sir Thomas Clouston, was from an "old Orkney family", according to his obituary in The Scotsman. After being educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in London in 1895, but never practised as a lawyer. Soon after embarking on a career as a writer, he published one of his most popular novels, The Lunatic at Large. He was also a historian, author of a great history of Orkney, a founder member and second president of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. His The Spy in Black was made into a successful film in the late 1930s. His First Offence was also filmed in France as Dr le de drame (directed by Marcel Carn , 1937). He died at home at Smoogro House, Orphir, Orkney. Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest it was cloos'-ton, "with ou as in group." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

Joseph Storer Clouston (23 May 1870, Cumberland - 23 June 1944, Orkney) was an Orcadian author and historian. J S Clouston OBE, the son of psychiatrist Sir Thomas Clouston, was from an "old Orkney family", according to his obituary in The Scotsman. After being educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in London in 1895, but never practised as a lawyer. Soon after embarking on a career as a writer, he published one of his most popular novels, The Lunatic at Large. He was also a historian, author of a great history of Orkney, a founder member and second president of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. His The Spy in Black was made into a successful film in the late 1930s. His First Offence was also filmed in France as Dr le de drame (directed by Marcel Carn , 1937). He died at home at Smoogro House, Orphir, Orkney. Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest it was cloos'-ton, "with ou as in group." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

J. Storer Clouston achieved great success with the Lunatic series of comic novels, of which this, The Lunatic at Large, is the first. Two of his books, His First Offense and The Spy in Black, were made into major motion pictures by directors Marcel Carne and Michael Powell, respectively. Clouston was born in Cumberland, England; though his family came from Orkney and he spent most of his life there. His books include Vanrad the Viking (1898); The Lunatic at Large (1899); The Duke (1900); The Adventures of M. D'Haricot (1902); Our Lady's Inn (1903); Garmiscath (1904); Count Bunker (1906); A County Family (1908); The Prodigal Father (1909); The Peer's Progress (1910); His First Offence (1912); Records of the Earldom of Orkney 1299-1614 (1914); Two's Two (1916); The Spy in Block (1917); The Man from the Clouds (1918); Sermon (1919); Carrington's Cases (1920); The Lunatic at Large Again (1922); The Lunatic Still at Large (1923); Tales of King Fido (1924); The Lunatic in Charge (1926); Mr. Essington In Love (1927), ed.; The Orkney Parishes (1927); The Jade's Progress (1928); After the Deed (1929); Colonel Dam (1930); Virtuous Tramp (1931); Best Story Ever (1932); A History of Orkney (1932); Button Brains (1933); The Chemical Baby (1934); Real Champagne (1934); Our Member Mr. Mittlebery (1935); Scotland Expects (1936); Scots Wha Hae (1936); Not Since Genesis (1938); The Man in Steel (1939); and Beastmark the Spy (1941).