When Was "Just William"� First Published?

Richmal Crompton's hugely popular character, William Brown, first appeared in a magazine story, but the first book-length collection of William stories was published in 1922. The main character is of course William himself – freckled, solemn, obstinate and always eleven years old. However, there is a large supporting cast too. There is William's family: his patient mother, who persists in thinking the best of him; his grimly sceptical father; his haughty elder sister Ethel, the beauty of the district; and his susceptible brother Robert, who falls in love with a different girl every week. William himself prefers to spend time with his friends the Outlaws (Ginger, Henry and Douglas) has a weakness for Joan, the little girl next door, and is pursued by the small but scary Violet Elizabeth Bott. Otherwise the village characters, such as the despairing vicar's wife and his stern teacher Miss Drew, form a sort of disapproving chorus to William's activities.