Mr. Keegan's Elopement was the first published story by the American author, Winston Churchill. It was published in magazine format in 1896, probably in Cosmopolitan magazine, of which he was the managing editor at the time. It was later published in 1903 by Macmillan & Co. as a short story in hard cover book format. The story is that of a young U.S. Naval officer meeting and eloping with a young British lady on the island of Madeira and of the, sometimes humorous, secretive arrangements made by one of his friends from the crew of the ship to facilitate the elopement. The island of Madeira is part of a Portuguese group of islands about 360 miles off the coast of Africa and 535 miles from Lisbon, Portugal. Funchal (the setting for this story) is on the south coast of Madeira, and is the capital city with a population of about 100,000 residents today.
About the Author: Winston Churchill, was born Nov. 10, 1871 in St. Louis, Missouri and died March 12, 1947 in Winter Park, Florida. To this day his work is often confused with that of the British Prime Minister and author, Winston S. Churchill. There were a lot of similarities in their careers. Winston S. Churchill was born in Nov. 30, 1874 and died Jan. 24, 1965. Both Churchill's were noted writers, in the early 20th century, as well as politicians. When Winston S. Churchill learned of the possibility of confusion with their names, he wrote a letter to the American Churchill promising to use his middle name to distinguish himself from the far better-known American author. The latter replied that had he had a middle name, he would have been pleased to return the compliment. Winston Churchill (the American author) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1894 and shortly thereafter resigned his commission, being financially independent at the time. He served briefly on the editorial staff of the Army and Navy Journal. In 1895 he became managing editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. In 1895 he married Mabel Harlakenden Hall. In 1899 they moved to New Hampshire, moving into a newly constructed mansion in Cornish, which was named Harlakenden Hall. He lived for nearly 50 years in New Hampshire, where he served in the state legislature from 1903 to 1905. He was a Progressive candidate for governor in 1912. For several summers, prior to WWI, Woodrow Wilson leased Harlakenden Hall as his summer White House. Winston Churchill was one of the most widely read authors of the early 20th century. When most American's spoke of Winston Churchill, there was no question they were speaking of the American author. His early novels were romantic-historical novels leaning heavily on the American Revolution and the Civil War. In 1898 his first novel, The Celebrity, was published. This was followed by Richard Carvel in 1899, The Crisis in 1901, Mr. Keegan's Elopement in 1903, The Crossing in 1904, Conisten in 1906, Mr. Crewe's Career in 1908, A Modern Chronicle in 1910, The Inside of the Cup in 1913, A Far Country in 1915, The Dwelling-Place of Light in 1917, and The Uncharted Way in 1940.