Mrs George de Horne Vaizey facts for kids

Jessie Bell (1857 – January 23, 1917) was an English writer. She was born in Liverpool. After she married, she became known as Jessie Mansergh. She wrote her books using the name Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

Jessie Bell's Life Story

Jessie Bell was born in 1857. Her father, David Bell, was an insurance broker from Scotland. She had six brothers and sisters.

In 1883, Jessie married Henry Mansergh, who worked with cotton. They had a daughter named Gwyneth Alice in 1886. Later, Jessie met her second husband, George de Horne Vaizey, on a trip around the Mediterranean Sea. She had won this trip by winning a short story contest! Jessie and George had a son, also named George, who grew up to be a writer too.

Jessie was unwell for many years before she passed away in 1917.

Jessie Bell's Books and Writing

Jessie Bell often used her own life experiences in her books. She wrote about situations from her childhood in a big family. She also included parts of her life where she was unwell.

Her daughter, Gwyneth (who was nicknamed Kit), was the inspiration for a character named Kitty in Jessie's 1902 book, A Houseful of Girls. Jessie mentioned that Gwyneth really did share lessons with five sisters. She said these sisters were very much like the "Rendells" family in her book.

Here are some of the books Jessie Bell wrote:

• A Girl in Springtime (1897) (Published under the name of Mrs. Henry Mansergh)
• A Rose Coloured Thread (1898) (Published under the name of Mrs. Henry Mansergh)
• About Peggy Saville (1900) (Originally published under the name of Jessie Mansergh)
• Sisters Three (1900)
• More About Peggy (1901)
• Tom and Some Other Girls: A Public School Story (1901)
• A Houseful of Girls (1902)
• Pixie O'Shaughnessy (1902)
• More About Pixie (1903)
• The Daughters of a Genius: A Story of Brave Endeavour. (1903)
• How Like the King: The Week-end of Mr. Septimus Edward. (1903)
• The Fortunes of the Farrells (1907)
• The Heart of Una Sackville (1907)
• Flaming June (1908)
• Big Game: A Story for Girls (1908)
• The Conquest of Chrystabel (1909)
• Old Friends and New (1909)
• A Question of Marriage (1910)
• Etheldreda the Ready: A School Story (1910)
• A Honeymoon in Hiding (1911)
• Cynthia Charrington (1911)
• The Adventures of Billie Belshaw (1912)
• Betty Trevor (1912)
• A College Girl (1914)
• An Unknown Lover (1913)
• Grizel Married (1914) (aka "Lady Cassandra" in America)
• The Love Affairs of Pixie (1914)
• Salt of Life (1915)
• The Independence of Claire (1915)
• What a Man Wills (1915)
• The Lady of the Basement Flat (1917)
• Harriet Mannering's Paying Guests (1917)
• The Right Arm, and Other Stories (1918)

Jessie Bell's Thoughts on Life

In 1909, Jessie Bell shared her thoughts on the differences between men and women in Housekeeper magazine. She believed that women often handled the smaller, everyday tasks, like saving small amounts of money. She thought men dealt with bigger life matters.

Images for kids

Artwork from Etheldreda the Ready published in 1910

Artwork from A College Girl published in 1913

Artwork from The Lady of the Basement Flat published in 1917