Lady Cynthia Asquith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lady Cynthia Asquith
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| Born |
Cynthia Mary Evelyn Charteris
27 September 1887 Clouds House, East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England
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| Died | 31 March 1960 (aged 72) Oxford, England
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1926–1960 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
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Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (born Charteris; 27 September 1887 – 31 March 1960) was an English writer. She was famous for her spooky ghost stories and her personal diaries. Cynthia also wrote novels, collected stories into books called anthologies, wrote books for children, and even wrote about the British Royal family.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Lady Cynthia was born on September 27, 1887, at a place called Clouds House in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England. She was one of seven children. Her father was Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss, and her mother was Mary Constance Wyndham. Her mother was part of a famous group called "The Souls."
Cynthia had several brothers and sisters. Two of her brothers, Hugo Francis Charteris and Yvo Alan Charteris, sadly died during World War I.
A Career in Writing
In 1913, Cynthia met the famous writer D. H. Lawrence and they became good friends. She also became the secretary for J. M. Barrie, the amazing author who created Peter Pan. She worked for Barrie for many years, until he passed away in 1937. He even left most of his money and belongings to her, except for the rights to Peter Pan.
Cynthia became well-known for putting together The Ghost Book. This was a collection of supernatural stories by different authors, including D. H. Lawrence. She also wrote her own ghost stories. One of her stories, "The Follower," was even turned into a radio show for the BBC!
Cynthia also helped write the movie script for a 1937 film called Dreaming Lips. Later in 1957, she appeared on a TV quiz show called "64,000 Question." She won the top prize by answering questions about the books of Jane Austen.
Personal Life
On July 28, 1910, Lady Cynthia married Herbert Asquith. He was the son of H. H. Asquith, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. Sometimes, people confused Herbert with his famous father!
Cynthia and Herbert had three children:
- John Michael Asquith (1911–1937)
- Michael Henry Asquith (1914–2004)
- Simon Roland Anthony Asquith (1919–1973)
Lady Cynthia's husband, Herbert, passed away in 1947. Lady Cynthia herself died on March 31, 1960, when she was 72 years old.
Her Books
Lady Cynthia Asquith wrote many books during her life. Here are some of them:
- The Duchess of York (1927), a book about someone's life
- The Spring House (1936), a novel
- Dreaming Lips (1937), a movie script
- One Sparkling Wave (1943), a novel
- This Mortal Coil (1947), a collection of stories
- Haply I May Remember (1950)
- What Dreams May Come (1951), another collection of stories
- Remember and be Glad (1952)
- Portrait of Barrie (1954), a book about J.M. Barrie
- Married to Tolstoy (1960), a book about someone's life
- Thomas Hardy at Max Gate (1969)
Books She Edited
Cynthia also put together many collections of stories by other writers. These are called anthologies.
- The Flying Carpet (1925)
- Treasure Ship (1926)
- The Ghost Book (1927)
- The Black Cap (1928)
- Shudders (1929)
- The Children's Cargo (1930)
- When Churchyards Yawn (1931)
- My Grimmest Nightmare (1935)
- The Second Ghost Book (1952)
- The Third Ghost Book (1955)
Stories on Screen
One of Cynthia's stories, "'God Grante That She Lye Stille'", was made into an episode of the TV show Thriller in 1961.
See also
- List of horror fiction authors
- List of science fiction editors
