Evelyn Everett-Green facts for kids

Evelyn Ward Everett-Green (born November 17, 1856, in London, England – died April 23, 1932, in Funchal, Portugal) was an incredibly productive English writer. She wrote an amazing 350 books! She began her career writing inspiring stories for children. Later, she moved on to exciting historical adventures for older girls. Eventually, she wrote romantic novels for adults. She used her own name for more than 200 books. For others, she used pen names like H. F. E., Cecil Adair, E. Ward, and Evelyn Dare.

Evelyn Everett-Green: A Prolific Writer

Her Early Life and Education

Evelyn was born in London. Her mother, Mary Anne Everett Green, was a historian. Her father, George Pycock Green, was a portrait and landscape painter. The family followed the Methodist faith. Evelyn was one of four children. She was named Eveline at birth but later changed it to Evelyn. Her family added "Everett" to their last name. This was to honor a family friend, James Everett.

From a very young age, Evelyn loved making up stories. She would tell these stories to her sisters. She learned at home until she was 12 years old. Then, she attended Gower Street Preparatory School. There, she wrote a historical story about Lady Jane Grey. She also studied at Bedford College, London and the London Academy of Music. She continued to write during her studies. For two years, she even worked as a nurse in a London hospital. She dedicated her time to helping others.

Starting Her Writing Career

Evelyn's first published book was Tom Tempest's Victory. It came out in 1880. She used the pen name H. F. E. for this early work. She found it challenging to write at home. So, in 1883, she moved outside London with her friend Catherine Mainwaring Sladen. They lived in places like Albury, Surrey, for many years.

Evelyn wrote many historical novels. These are stories set in the past. She also wrote moral tales, which teach good values. One famous book she wrote was about Joan of Arc. It was called Called of Her Country (1903). This book showed Joan as a brave and inspiring young woman. It was later republished as A Heroine of France.

Many of Evelyn's books were written for girls. These stories often showed girls growing up. They followed characters from childhood to adulthood within a family. While careers for women were sometimes mentioned, the stories usually ended with the heroines getting married. This was a common theme in books of that time. She also wrote adventure stories for boys. An example is A Gordon Highlander (1901). Her Methodist upbringing influenced the values and themes in her books. This was especially true for her stories aimed at younger children.

Between 1890 and 1909, Evelyn wrote about 50 historical stories. After this period, she moved to Madeira, an island off the coast of Portugal.

From Girls' Stories to Adult Novels

Once in Madeira, Evelyn started writing romantic novels for adults. She often used the pen name Cecil Adair for these books. She was especially skilled at writing "family sagas." These were long stories about families. She also wrote romances with exciting historical adventure settings. Readers at the time really enjoyed these stories. They were thrilling but also proper for the era. Her books were very popular and sold well. This made her one of the bestselling authors for her publisher, Stanley Paul. Sometimes, she even worked with other writers. These included Louisa Bedford and Emma and Beatrice Marshall.

Even though her books were popular and earned her a good living, they are now mostly read to understand what life was like in her time.

Her Later Years and Legacy

In 1911, Evelyn and her friend Catherine moved to Madeira, Portugal. They settled there together as companions. During the First World War, they both lived in England for a time. Afterward, they returned to Madeira.

Evelyn would visit England each year. She went to see her sister Gertrude and to meet with her publishers. She became an active member of the Anglican church community in Madeira. When she passed away on April 23, 1932, she was buried in the British Cemetery there. There is a special memorial plaque inside the English Holy Trinity Church in Funchal to remember her. She left behind a significant amount of money. This showed her great success as a writer.

A Look at Her Many Books

Here are some of the many books Evelyn Everett-Green wrote:

• The Doctor's Dozen (1880)
• Fast friends; or, David and Jonathan (1882) (as H. F. E.)
• Little Lady Clare (1888)
• The Secret of the Old House. A Story for Children (1890)
• The Lord of Dynevor: A Tale of the Times of Edward the First (1892)
• In the Days of Chivalry: A Tale of the Times of the Black Prince (1893)
• The Church and the King, a tale of England in the days of Henry VIII (1893)
• St. Dunstan's Clock: A Story of 1666 (1893)
• The Lost Treasure of Trevlyn: A Story of the Days of the Gunpowder Plot (1894)
• Shut in: a Tale of the wonderful Siege of Antwerp in the year 1585 (1895)
• In Taunton town a story of the rebellion of James Duke of Monmouth in 1685 (1896)
• Molly Melville: A tale for girls (1897)
• A Clerk of Oxford, and His Adventures in the Baron's War (1898)
• French and English: A Story of the Struggle in America (1899)
• Shimmering Waters (1900) (as Cecil Adair)
• Priscilla: A Story for Girls (1900)
• The Heir of Hascombe hall; a tale of the days of the early Tudors (1900)
• In the Wars of the Roses: A Story for the Young (1901)
• True Stories of Girl Heroines (1901)
• In Fair Granada: a Tale of Moors and Christians (1902)
• A hero of the Highlands: or, The romance of a rebellion, as related by one who looked on (1903)
• Ringed by Fire: a story of the Franco-Prussian War (1904)
• A Heroine of France: The Story of Joan of Arc (1906)
• Little Lady Val; a tale of the Days of Good Queen Bess (1906)
• The Qualities of Mercy (1911) (as Cecil Adair)
• Queen's Manor School (1923)
• Francesca (1927) (as Cecil Adair)