The Ghost Pirates

Stanley Paul & Co., London, 1909 is the true first, and the census claim is confirmed as far as the sources reach. No American edition was traced in Hodgson's lifetime (he was killed in 1918) and none is recorded in any source consulted — but this rests on absence of evidence rather than a positive citation, so it should be stated as 'no US edition traced' rather than 'no US edition existed.' There is accordingly no UK/US precedence question and no original-language question. The standing bibliographic authorities for Hodgson are L.W. Currey and Bell's Hodgson bibliography (vol. I, p. 5), both of which underpin the points above.