Jeffery Farnol
Encyclopedia
John Jeffery Farnol was an English
author, known for his many romantic novels, some formulaic and set in the English Regency
period, and swashbuckler
s. He with Georgette Heyer
founded the Regency romantic genre; one of his first books, The Broad Highway, has been issued in a version edited by Barbara Cartland
.
He was born in Aston
, Birmingham
, and brought up in London
and Kent
. He attended the Westminster Art School, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm. In 1900, he married Blanche Hawley, daughter of the noted New York
scenic artist Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States
, where he found work as a scene painter.
The success of his early novels led Farnol to become a professional writer; he returned to England around 1910, and settled on the south coast. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. He died after a long battle with cancer
. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis (née Clarke), whom he had married in 1938.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
author, known for his many romantic novels, some formulaic and set in the English Regency
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
period, and swashbuckler
Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler or swasher is a term that emerged in the 16th century and has been used for rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much...
s. He with Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer was a British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer...
founded the Regency romantic genre; one of his first books, The Broad Highway, has been issued in a version edited by Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland
Dame Barbara Hamilton Cartland, DBE, CStJ , was an English author, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century...
.
He was born in Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, and brought up in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He attended the Westminster Art School, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm. In 1900, he married Blanche Hawley, daughter of the noted New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
scenic artist Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he found work as a scene painter.
The success of his early novels led Farnol to become a professional writer; he returned to England around 1910, and settled on the south coast. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. He died after a long battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis (née Clarke), whom he had married in 1938.
Works
- My Lady Caprice (1907) [Later issued as "Chronicles of the Imp"]
- The Broad Highway (1910)
- The Money Moon (1911)
- Chronicles of the Imp (1912) [Reissue of: My Lady Caprice]
- The Honourable Mr. Tawnish (1913)
- The Amateur Gentleman (1913)
- Beltane the Smith (1915)
- The Definite Object (1917)
- Our Admirable Betty (1918)
- The Geste of Duke Jocelyn (1919)
- Black Bartlemy's Treasure (1920)
- Martin Conisby's Vengeance (1921)
- Peregrine's Progress (1922)
- Sir John Dering (1923)
- The Loring Mystery (1925)
- High Adventure (1926)
- The Quest of Youth (1927)
- Gyfford of Weare (1928)
- The Shadow (1929)
- Another Day (1929)
- Over the Hills (1930)
- A Jade of Destiny (1931)
- Charmian Lady Vibart (1932)
- Voices from the Dust (1932)
- The Way Beyond (1933)
- Winds of Fortune (1934)
- John o'the Green (1935)
- Portrait of a Gentleman in Colours (1935)
- A Pageant of Victory (1936)
- A Book for Jane (1937)
- The Crooked Furrow (1937)
- The Lonely Road (1938)
- The Happy Harvest (1939)
- A New Book for Jane (1939)
- Adam Penfeather, Buccaneer (1940)
- A Matter of Business and other stories (1940)
- Murder by Nail (1942) [US Title: Valley of the Night]
- The King Liveth (1943)
- The Piping Times (1945)
- Heritage Perilous (1946)
- Most Sacred of All (1948)
- My Lord of Wrybourne (1948) [US Title: Most Sacred of All]
- The Fool Beloved (1949)
- The Ninth Earl (1950)
- The Glad Summer (1951)
- Waif of the River (1952)
- Justice by Midnight (1955)