Cynthia Asquith
Encyclopedia
Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (1887 – 31 March 1960) was an English writer, now known for her ghost stories
and diaries. She also wrote novels and edited a number of anthologies, as well as writing for children and on the British Royal family
.
Her father was Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss (1857–1937) and her mother Mary Constance Wyndham (see The Souls
). She married Herbert Asquith in 1910.
In 1913 she met D. H. Lawrence
in Margate
, and became a friend and correspondent. During World War I
, to supplement her husband's income, she took a position as secretary to Peter Pan
creator J. M. Barrie
, with whom she became close friends, continuing to work for him until his death in 1937. Barrie left the bulk of his estate – minus the Peter Pan works – to her. The author L. P. Hartley
became a lifelong friend after they met in the early 1920s.
Ghost story
A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
and diaries. She also wrote novels and edited a number of anthologies, as well as writing for children and on the British Royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
.
Her father was Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss (1857–1937) and her mother Mary Constance Wyndham (see The Souls
The Souls
The Souls were a small, loosely-knit but distinctive social group in England, from 1885 to about 1920. Their members included many of the most distinguished English politicians and intellectuals....
). She married Herbert Asquith in 1910.
In 1913 she met D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, and became a friend and correspondent. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, to supplement her husband's income, she took a position as secretary to Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
creator J. M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
, with whom she became close friends, continuing to work for him until his death in 1937. Barrie left the bulk of his estate – minus the Peter Pan works – to her. The author L. P. Hartley
L. P. Hartley
Leslie Poles Hartley was a British writer, known for novels and short stories. His best-known work is The Go-Between , which was made into a 1970 film, directed by Joseph Losey with a star cast, in an adaptation by Harold Pinter...
became a lifelong friend after they met in the early 1920s.
Works
- The Ghost Book (1927), editor
- The Black Cap (1928), editor
- Shudders (1929), editor
- When Churchyards Yawn (1931), editor
- My Grimmest Nightmare (1935), editor
- The Spring House (1936), novel
- One Sparkling Wave (1943), novel
- This Mortal CoilThis Mortal Coil (book)This Mortal Coil is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Cynthia Asquith. It was released in 1947 and was the only collection of the author's stories to be published by Arkham House...
(1947), stories - Haply I May Remember (1950)
- What Dreams May Come? (1951), stories
- The Second Ghost Book (1952), editor
- Portrait of Barrie (1954)
- The Third Ghost Book (1956), editor
- Married to Tolstoy (1960), biography
- Thomas Hardy at Max Gate (1969)
Further reading
- The Diaries of Cynthia Asquith 1915-1918 (1968)
- Best Friends: Memories of David and Rachel Cecil, Cynthia Asquith, L. P. Hartley and Others (1991) Julian Fane