Herbert Millingchamp Vaughan was a Welsh author, historian, and bibliographer whose independent wealth allowed him to dedicate his life to literary and historical pursuits. Born in Cardiganshire, he was educated at Clifton College and Keble College, Oxford. Between 1899 and 1910, Vaughan resided in Italy, primarily in Naples and Florence. This period inspired his early writings on Italian history and topography, culminating in his first published book, The Last of the Royal Stuarts (1906), a biography of Henry Benedict Stuart.
Vaughan's literary output was highly diverse. Following a journey to Australia, he published the travelogue An Australasian Wander Year (1914). During the First World War, while serving on local war committees and as High Sheriff of Cardiganshire, he turned his attention to speculative fiction. He wrote two notable early science fantasy novels: Meleager: A Fantasy (1916), which depicts a eugenic dystopia, and The Dial of Ahaz (1917), a novel exploring parallel Earths and the concept of reliving one's life. He later returned to fantasy with his privately financed collection, Nepheloccygia: or Letters from Paradise (1929).
In his later years, Vaughan settled in Tenby and focused on regional history, publishing The South Wales Squires (1926) and contributing extensively to historical and bibliographical journals. Beyond his writing, Vaughan was a dedicated supporter of the National Library of Wales, serving on its committees for over three decades and donating valuable collections, including Oriental manuscripts acquired by his great-grandfather. He died in Tenby in 1948.
