Our third clue showed Mr. Thackeray famed writer of poetry and prose, and also author of a little witty ditty called "An Ode to Curry" - which you can read if you click that link. In fact it has several titles, and is a bit of a curry itself, some call it "Kitchen Melodies" (which was the book in which it appeared), and others just "Curry - a poem".
Now at the bottom of the page we link to, it tells you something very important, and that is that Mr. Thackeray was born in India.
And this verse is not his only mention of curry, either, for in his book "Vanity Fair", he writes a very amusing section about Becky Sharp, goaded very inhumanely to try an overheated curry by Joseph Sedley. Perhaps she did murder him, later in the book, after all? And who could blame her.
Now I did originally say that she also got one over on him by appearing in John Player`s "Characters from Thackeray", as card 13/25 - whilst he did not. But it turns out he is there as card 11, where it is also mentioned that he was "in the East India Company`s Civil Service" - just like William Thackeray's own father, who was a writer, and Civil Servant, of the East India Company.
Thackeray fans will also be interested to know that the great author also appears as card 10 of Taddy`s "Autographs" (1912), and on two sets by John Player`s, their "Bookmarks" (1902), and "Famous Authors and Poets" (1900),
The full listing for this set in the original World Tobacco Issues Index is as follows :
CELEBRITIES AND THEIR AUTOGRAPHS. Small 70-72 x 41-43. Large 78 x 63. Brown gravures.
1. Nos 1/25 (25). Size (A) small (B) large
2. Nos 26-50 (25).
(A) Small size, back with numerals (a) 2 m/m (b) 2 1/2 m/m. high
(B). Large size, back with numerals (a) 2 1/2 m/m (b) 3 m/m. high
3. Nos.51-75 (25). Size (A) small (B) large
4. Nos.76-100 (25). Size (A) small (B) large
The only change to this listing in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index is that the entry for the first part reads : "1. Nos. 1/25 Inscribed "A Series of 25". (25). Size (A) small (B) large."