H. D. Everett facts for kids
Henrietta Dorothy Everett (born in 1851, died in 1923) was a British writer. She used the pen name Theo Douglas for most of her books. She was quite popular when she was alive, but today, many people don't know about her. Her real name became known in 1910, but we still don't know much about her life.
About Henrietta Dorothy Everett
Henrietta Dorothy Huskisson was born in Gillingham, Kent, in 1851. Her father, John Huskisson, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Marines. Her mother was Julia Lovatt. In 1869, when she was 18, Henrietta married Isaac Edward Everett, who was a solicitor.
She started writing in 1896, at 44 years old. From then until 1920, she published 22 books. She used the name Theo Douglas for these books. Her books were published by 17 different companies!
Her Stories and Books
As Theo Douglas, Henrietta wrote three historical novels. These stories were set in the past.
- A Golden Trust (1905) took place during the French Revolution.
- Cousin Hugh (1910) was set during the Napoleonic Wars.
- White Webs (1912) happened in 18th-century Sussex.
Many of Everett's novels were about fantasy and supernatural things. This means they included magic, ghosts, or strange powers.
For example, in Iras: A Mystery (1896), an Egyptologist (someone who studies ancient Egypt) unwraps an old Egyptian mummy. Inside is a beautiful woman named Iras, who comes back to life! The two fall in love and get married. But as seven magical amulets are taken from Iras's necklace, she slowly turns back into a mummy. This book was seen as an early type of science fiction. It mixed old Egyptian mysteries with new ideas.
In Nemo (1900), the main character's soul takes over a robot-like machine called an automaton. The soul makes the automaton move, even though it doesn't want to. One or Two (1907) is a strange story about a woman who becomes thin using Spiritualism. Malevola (1914) is a vampire story with a psychic twist. In it, Madame Thérèse Despard can take away someone's beauty and life force during a massage.
Under her own name, Henrietta published The Death Mask, and Other Ghosts in 1920. The famous horror writer H. P. Lovecraft mentioned this book in his work. Another English writer, M. R. James, also praised her ghost stories. He said they were "excellently conceived."
In 1911, official records show that Mrs. Henrietta Dorothy Everett was a widow and a novelist. She lived on her own money. She passed away in Weston-on-Trent, Derbyshire, in September 1923. She left money to her son, Isaac Arthur Huskisson Everett.
Selected works
Novels
- Iras: A Mystery, William Blackwood & Sons (Edinburgh), 1896
- Nemo, Smith, Elder & Co. (London), 1900
- A Golden Trust, Smith & Elder, (London) 1905
- A White Witch, Hurstand Blackett Limited (London), 1908
- Cousin Hugh, Metheun (London), 1910
- White Webs, Secker (London), 1912
- Malevola, Heath, Cranton & Ousley Ltd (London),[1914]
Short stories
- More Uncanny Stories, C. Arthur Pearson Limited (London), 1918
- The Death-Mask and Other Ghosts, Philip Allan & Co. 1920
