Abbey Connectors facts for kids

Abbey Connectors are special books written by Elsie J. Oxenham. They are like secret pathways that lead into her famous Abbey Series of books. These "connector" books tell stories about characters or events that later become important in the main Abbey Series.

Think of them as mini-series that help you understand the bigger picture of the Abbey world. They are listed here in the best order to read them, so you can follow the characters' journeys. Some of these books are also part of the main Abbey Series itself!

Dustjacket from The Captain of the Fifth, a book from the Swiss Set.

Close Connectors

These series are very closely linked to the main Abbey Series. They introduce characters who become important later on.

Camp Keema Series

The Camp Keema Series introduces two main characters: Maribel Ritchie and Rosalind Firth. The first two books are set in a made-up town called Worthing in Sussex, England. The third book, Camp Mystery, takes place in France, near Lake Annecy. Here, we meet Cecily Brown.

These three characters then join the Abbey Series in The Abbey Girls Play Up. They appear or are mentioned many times later in that series. It's interesting how the books were published. Oxenham wrote about events in Cecily Brown's life in Abbey Girls Play Up (1930) before she fully described them in Camp Mystery (1932). Later, in 1936, she wrote Peggy and the Brotherhood to fill in more details about Rosalind's younger siblings and Maribel's school life.

Kentisbury Series

The Kentisbury Series is very closely linked to the Abbey Series. Patch and a Pawn introduces many new characters, including Patricia (Patch) Paterson and Roger Black. This book is set near a made-up 'Kentisbury Castle' in Sussex, which is like the real Arundel Castle.

Some of these characters, like Rhoda and Rosalie, appear in Rosamund's Tuckshop. Bill, Patch, and Roger appear in Secrets of Vairy, which is set in Scotland. Tansy reappears in Rosamund's Castle. Bill and Patch, as newlyweds, are in Song of the Abbey. All these characters are mentioned in many later books in the main Abbey Series.

Quellyn/Woodend Series

The Quellyn/Woodend Series has some interesting timeline puzzles. In The Girl Who Wouldn't Make Friends (1909), we meet Robin Brent and Gwyneth Morgan as twelve-year-olds. Their story mostly takes place in North Wales.

Their next adventures are in Rosamund's Tuckshop and Rosamund's Castle. These books are part of the main Abbey Series. In them, Robin and Gwyneth are about seventeen. Even though these events happen five years later in the story, the books were published much later (18 and 19 years later!). Robin's romance and marriage are in Robins in the Abbey (1947). But then, in 1957, Oxenham wrote New Girls at Wood End, which goes back in time to Robin's school days as Head Girl, right after Rosamund's Castle.

The technology in these books also shows the time difference. In 1909, cars were new, and telegrams were delivered by bicycle. But in later books like Robins in the Abbey and New Girls at Wood End, you find air crashes, car accidents, BBC news, and telephones are common.

Rocklands Series

A Go-Ahead Schoolgirl is set during World War I at Rocklands School in Yorkshire. The story follows Rena Mackay and her friend Nancy Morrell. When Rena's father dies in the war, she needs a job. The headmistress helps Rena and another friend, Lisabel Durrant, train to become gardeners.

Tickles tells the story of a new junior student named Tekla (Tickles) at the same school. Jen of the Abbey School continues Tekla's story and shows how the Rocklands girls meet Jen Robins from the Abbey Series. Rosamund's Victory continues Rena and Lisabel's story, including their engagements. Lisabel, now married, also appears in New Girls at Wood End (from the Quellyn/Woodend series). Betty McLean, a head girl from Rocklands, later joins the main Abbey Series in Abbey Girls at Home.

Rachel and Damaris/Rainbows Series

The Rachel & Damaris/Rainbows Series shows how Oxenham connects different stories. Maidlin to the Rescue (1934) introduces Maidlin's cousins, Rachel and Damaris. Maidlin brings them to The Abbey. Damaris at Dorothy's (1937) goes back to Rachel and Damaris's school days. It explains their friendship with Philippa (Pip) Russell, who is important in Maidlin to the Rescue.

Damaris Dances (1940) is a ballet book. It covers events that happen around the time of Joy's New Adventure and Maidlin Bears the Torch in the main Abbey Series. Rachel and Damaris also appear in Two Joans in the Abbey and are bridesmaids at Maidlin's wedding. From Guardians of the Abbey onwards, they become full members of the main Abbey Series.

Adventure for Two takes the Rainbows series in a new direction. It happens around the same time as Damaris Dances. Two sisters, Daphne and Elsa Dale, make different choices after their aunt dies. Daphne continues ballet in London and meets Damaris. Elsa moves to a cottage near 'Sandylands', which is like the real Uphill in Somerset.

The rest of the series introduces Nancybell Morgan, Margery Paine, and the 'Rose sisters'. Pernel Wins and Daring Doranne connect here. Characters from Pernel move to 'Rainbow Corner' in Doranne. The village Doranne creates, also called 'Rainbows', is where the 'Roses' live. The Roses later join the main Abbey Series in Fiddler for the Abbey. Mistress Nanciebel (1910) tells the story of an ancestor of Nancybell Morgan and other characters, showing how Oxenham linked older books to new ones.

Remote Connectors

These series have fewer direct links to the main Abbey Series.

Torment Series

• The only real link to the Abbey Series is that Tormentil Grant appears in The Abbey Girls Go Back to School. All three books in this series are set near Bala Lake in North Wales.

Sussex Set

Swiss Set

Woody Dean Set

These three sets of books – Sussex, Swiss, and Woody Dean – are closely connected to each other. The village of 'Woody Dean' is like the real Rottingdean in East Sussex. The Sussex Set is mainly set in a place like Pagham, and a city called 'Eldingham' is like Chichester.

Troubles of Tazy and Patience and her Problems mostly take place in Switzerland. They feature characters from all three of these sets.

A School Camp Fire is another book where Oxenham brought characters into later stories. Some characters from it attend a wedding in School of Ups and Downs. Characters from the Swiss Set also appear in the Camp Keema Series and the main Abbey Series. This is how these books connect to the main series.