Jane Turpin facts for kids

Jane Turpin is a fun, made-up girl character. She was created by a writer named Evadne Price. Her stories first appeared in The Novel Magazine]]. Later, they were collected into books. These books were published between 1928 and 1947, around the time of World War II. Many people called Jane the "female William." This is because she was similar to the popular character Just William by Richmal Crompton.

Jane looked like an angel with golden curls. But her sweet looks often hid her mischievous plans! She was a bit of a tomboy and didn't like being told what to do. The books are full of funny situations, known as situation comedy. Jane also has her own special way of talking. For example, she often says "terrable" instead of "terrible."

Meet Jane's Family

Jane's family has five members. There's her father, mother, older sister, Jane, and baby Henry. In the books, her parents are usually called "Mr. Turpin" and "Mrs. Turpin." Later books reveal their first names are Henry and Marcia.

Jane's older sister is Marjorie, but Jane calls her "Marge." Marge is a young woman who is interested in boys. This often leads to funny situations in the stories. We don't know Marge's exact age. But she doesn't go to school like Jane, so she's probably at least eighteen.

Baby Henry joins the family later. Once, Jane, Pug, and Chaw even kidnapped him! Aunts and great-aunts, like Great-Aunt Catherine, visit the Turpin home often. They are usually strict characters. Jane also lives with the threat of being sent to her grandparents. They want to "mold" her into a more proper child.

Who Else Lives in Little Duppery?

Jane lives in a small, friendly neighborhood called Little Duppery. The stories are set around the time they were written. Here are some other important characters you'll meet in Jane's books:

• Vilet the Cook: She works for the Turpin family. Vilet is often the only person who understands Jane. Jane calls her the "greatest cook in the world."
• Nana: This is Jane's grandmother. She appears in many stories. Nana often thinks she is sick, even when she isn't.
• Arnie the Gardener: Arnie works for the Turpin family. He is the gardener and does other odd jobs. He is also Vilet's husband. Sometimes, he is a little bit on Jane's side.
• "Pug" Washington and "Chaw" Smith: These two are Jane's best friends. They are also her "helpers." They usually appear together and follow Jane's lead. A funny part of the books is when they are all dressed up. They threaten each other not to laugh at how the others look!
• Amelia Tweeddale: Amelia is known as the best-behaved girl in Little Duppery. Jane and her friends don't like her much. They call her "Soppy 'Melia." Adults often tell Jane to be more like Amelia. Many stories involve Jane and her friends trying to get Amelia into trouble. Jane's mother also doesn't get along with Amelia's mother.
• Miss Baldock: She is an older lady who often appears in the stories. Most people in Little Duppery don't like Miss Baldock. Jane Turpin especially dislikes her. Miss Baldock usually calls Jane "Janie-Panie."

How Jane's Stories Are Like William's

Evadne Price didn't like it when people said her Jane stories copied the William series. She even said she had "never heard of William." This was surprising because William's stories were advertised on Jane's book covers! The famous artist Thomas Henry Fisher drew pictures for both Jane and William books. He even signed his Jane illustrations as "Marriott" to show they were different.

Here are some ways the two series are alike:

• Similar Settings: Both William and Jane grew up in middle-class neighborhoods in Britain. This was between the two World Wars. World War II is an important part of both series.
• Similar Main Characters: Jane Turpin and William Brown are both about ten years old. They are brave and often get into trouble. They don't always listen to their parents or society's rules. They are also often not very good at school.
• Similar Families: Both Jane and William live in small families. They both have older brothers or sisters. Aunts, uncles, and great-aunts often visit. These visits can cause funny problems for Jane or William.
• Similar Book Names: The first William book was Just William (1922). The first Jane book was Just Jane (1928). The fourth book in each series had similar names too: William the Fourth (1924) and Jane the Fourth (1937). Other titles like William the Pirate (1932) were like Jane the Sleuth (1939). When William joined the war effort in William Does His Bit (1941), Jane had Jane at War (1947).
• Similar Story Ideas: Many basic story ideas are the same. This includes embarrassing the family at big events. They also try to get well-behaved kids into trouble. And they take advantage of their older sisters' boyfriends.
• When They Were Written: 39 William books were written from 1922 to 1970. Evadne Price wrote many romantic novels. But she wrote 10 Jane books between 1928 and 1947.
• How They Were Published: Both William and Jane books were for children. They were even published by the same company, Newnes, for a while. At Newnes, the same artist, Thomas Henry, drew pictures for both. The books looked similar too. They were hardbound with colorful art on the cover. They were collections of short stories with hatch or crosshatch drawings.

One big difference is that Jane doesn't have a gang like William's "Outlaws." Jane has two close friends, Pug Washington and Chaw Smith. But she doesn't have the same strong loyalty from them that William had from his gang. So, Jane often has more adventures by herself. Also, Jane doesn't have a pet at the beginning of the series. William had a dog named Jumble. He also kept hamsters and white mice. Later, Jane does get a dog named Popeye. There are also mentions of a cat named Toothache that belongs to Jane.

Book Illustrations

Three main artists drew pictures for the Jane books. Each artist worked for a different publishing company. Thomas Henry, who first drew for the William books, worked for Newnes. But his drawings didn't show Jane as an angelic girl with golden curls. The most famous image of Jane came from Frank R. Grey. He worked for the Robert Hale publishing house.

It's interesting that when the Jane copyrights moved between publishers, the rights to the illustrations did not. This means the first Jane book has been illustrated three times from scratch. The second and third Jane books have been illustrated twice.