Bage received his early education at a common school in Derby, where he was an excellent student.
[4] Bage was a skilled businessman and his smooth running of his business allowed him time for intellectual pursuits.
This was a considerable loss, and Bage decided to begin his career in literature partly to make up for it.
[5] It was not until he was 53 that he took to literature; however, in the 15 years following, he produced six novels, of which Sir Walter Scott said that "strong mind, playful fancy, and extensive knowledge are everywhere apparent."
Scott included Mount Henneth (1781), Barham Downs (1784), and James Wallace (1792) in his series of Ballantyne novels.