William Wirt Sikes was an American journalist and author who served as the United States Consul in Cardiff from 1876 until his death in 1883.

In his early career, Sikes wrote various short-stories and poems for American magazines and newspapers, some of which were compiled into the Book for the Winter-Evening Fireside in 1858.

[1] Before taking his post as Consul, Sikes unsuccessfully searched for coverage of southern Wales in various bookstores, noting that he was only able to find an obsolete 18th century account of the region in the Library of Congress.

[3] British Goblins is divided into four sections; "The Realm of the Faerie", "The Spirit-World", "Quaint Old Customs", and "Bells, Wells, Stones and Dragons".

[1] Unlike many contemporary publications on Welsh folklore, portions of British Goblins were drawn from oral accounts and traditions collected in the field.