Monica Edwards
Encyclopedia
Monica Edwards was an English children's writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children's novels.
, Derbyshire
on November 8, 1912 but the family moved to Wakefield
, Yorkshire
in 1919. As well as being a vicar, Harry Newton was a diocesan exorcist
and often took his children with him when performing exorcisms. In 1927 the family moved to Rye Harbour
in Romney Marsh
, Sussex
where Harry Newton remained as vicar until 1936. The young Monica Newton received a fragmentary formal education: she is known to have attended Wakefield Girls High School
between September 1920 and July 1921 and when the family were living at Rye Harbour
she was sent to St Brandon's School
, Bristol where she remained for just three months in 1928 before returning to Sussex. She received no further formal education.
in Rye Bay with the loss of all aboard.
, published in 1953.
in Sussex; Croft
in Leicestershire and Send
, near Woking in Surrey, they eventually bought Pitlands Farm (in Thursley
, Surrey) at auction in 1947 and renamed it Punch Bowl Farm.
. During this time she wrote ten Punchbowl Farm novels with the farm and its surroundings as their setting. Although the real name of the farm was Punch Bowl Farm, the fictional name was contracted to Punchbowl (as was the herd name of the Jersey cattle
at the real farm) and Thursley
's name was changed to Highnoons for the books. The characters of this series of books were the Thornton family - principally the children Andrea, Dion, Lindsey and Peter. The first book in the series (No Mistaking Corker
) was written before the purchase of the farm.
The complete list of Punchbowl Farm novels is:
The Edwards family's farm life was brought to a close in August 1968 when Bill had a near-fatal tractor accident. The couple eventually sold the farm and built a retirement bungalow for themselves in one of the farm's fields.
in 1947, Edwards altogether wrote fifteen titles in the Romney Marsh series of novels. These were set in the village of Rye Harbour
which was renamed Westling. The Romney Marsh towns of Rye
and Winchelsea
were also renamed Dunsford and Winklesea respectively. The stories feature many real-life characters (with changed names) which the author remembered from her childhood there, such as the ferryman Jim Decks and the villainous Hookey Galley. The principal characters in the novels are Tamzin Grey, Rissa Birnie, Meryon Fairbrass and Roger Lambert. Tamzin's father, the Reverend Richard Grey, was based on Edwards' father, the Reverend Harry Newton.
The complete list of Romney Marsh novels is:
Edwards did not realise that finding an agent would be a necessary step to having the story published. Instead she simply sent it to Collins (now HarperCollins
), who accepted it for publication. She quickly came to dislike the book:
All the books in the two series were published by Collins
, but abridged versions of some of the titles in both series were published as Armada paperbacks. The non-series book Under The Rose
was also published by Collins
.
Edwards' chief illustrator was Geoffrey Whittam, although the first four books (Wish for a Pony
, No Mistaking Corker
, The Summer of the Great Secret
and The Midnight Horse
) had illustrations by Anne Bullen; Joan Wanklyn illustrated Spirit of Punchbowl Farm
, The Wanderer
and Punchbowl Harvest
, and Charles Tunnicliffe
illustrated Punchbowl Midnight
.
In the 1980s John Goodchild published new versions of some of the earlier titles. These versions were updated by the author to make them less rooted in the 1950s. However, Goodchild died before Storm Ahead
was published and the project was abandoned.
Edwards’ two children, Shelley and Sean, have recently agreed to the republishing of their mother's entire output, starting at the point where John Goodchild stopped in the 1980s, with Storm Ahead
(published July 2005). The appointed publisher is a small concern specialising in the nostalgia republishing of (mainly girls') books, Girls Gone By Publishers
. This distinguishes them from the reprints of the 1980s, which were still notionally aimed at children; the reprints are essentially aimed at nostalgic adults. So far Girls Gone By Publishers
have republished all the Romney Marsh titles from Storm Ahead
to A Wind Is Blowing
and have now started publishing the Punchbowl titles.
Shelley and Sean have also approved the writing of their mother's biography by Brian Parks. It was published by Girls Gone By Publishers
in February 2010. Brian Parks' Companion to the Romney Marsh series of books was published in July 2006.
Bill Edwards died in October 1990 and Monica in January 1998.
Early life
She was the third of four children born to the Reverend Harry and Beryl Newton. She was born in BelperBelper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
on November 8, 1912 but the family moved to Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
in 1919. As well as being a vicar, Harry Newton was a diocesan exorcist
Exorcist
In some religions an exorcist is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or other demons. A priest, a nun, a monk, a healer, a shaman or other specially prepared or instructed person can be an exorcist...
and often took his children with him when performing exorcisms. In 1927 the family moved to Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England, near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham. Rye Harbour is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye....
in Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
where Harry Newton remained as vicar until 1936. The young Monica Newton received a fragmentary formal education: she is known to have attended Wakefield Girls High School
Wakefield Girls High School
Wakefield Girls' High School is an independent school in Wakefield, England established in 1878 in Wentworth House, its current location. The school has grown from 59 pupils when it first began to nearly 750 in the present day .-Education:...
between September 1920 and July 1921 and when the family were living at Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England, near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham. Rye Harbour is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye....
she was sent to St Brandon's School
St Brandon's School
St Brandon's School was a private infant and junior school, and a senior boarding school for girls located in Clevedon, England, opened in 1831 and closed in 2004.-History:...
, Bristol where she remained for just three months in 1928 before returning to Sussex. She received no further formal education.
The Mary Stanford disaster
In November 1928 Edwards witnessed the capsizing of the supposedly unsinkable Mary Stanford LifeboatMary Stanford Lifeboat
The Mary Stanford Lifeboat was a vessel which capsized in Rye Harbour in 1928.The disaster was the worst for many years. It occurred on 15 November 1928 when the whole of the 17 man crew of the Mary Stanford Lifeboat were drowned, practically the whole male fishing population of the small town of...
in Rye Bay with the loss of all aboard.
Edwards knew all seventeen crew-members personally but was especially close to Charlie Southerden. In a letter to a school friend in January 1930 she described Charlie, who was six years older than she was, as her "boy friend" although the relationship was not public knowledge because of the difference in their age and social class. Much later she wrote a fictional account of the lifeboat disaster in Storm Ahead
The unprecedented mass funeral, which was attended by representatives of King George V, the Government and the Armed Services, was conducted by her father, the
Reverend Harry Newton.
Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead is the seventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton, from Punchbowl Farm in Surrey, comes to stay at Westling with the Grey family. Almost immediately she is caught up in the worst gale the area has seen for many,...
, published in 1953.
Marriage
Monica Newton married William "Bill" Edwards in November 1933 (two days after her twenty-first birthday) in the face of opposition from both families. Bill was an athletic and charismatic man ten years older than her and a lorry-driver by profession. After living in a variety of places, including UdimoreUdimore
Udimore is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It is located five miles west of Rye on the B2089 road to Brede....
in Sussex; Croft
Croft, Leicestershire
Croft is a village of 700 homes in the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, off the old Fosse Way and straddling the River Soar. Nearby places include Stoney Stanton, Broughton Astley, Huncote and Narborough...
in Leicestershire and Send
Send, Surrey
Send is a village in the English county of Surrey. It reputedly got its name as a corruption of the word sand, which was extracted until the 1990s for construction and other purposes at pits nearby. Send is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it is named Sande.-History:Send appears in...
, near Woking in Surrey, they eventually bought Pitlands Farm (in Thursley
Thursley
Thursley is a small village in Surrey. It lies just west of the A3 running between Milford and Hindhead. Neighbouring villages include Rushmoor, Bowlhead Green and Brook. Thursley is in south-west Surrey, in south-east England...
, Surrey) at auction in 1947 and renamed it Punch Bowl Farm.
The Punch Bowl Farm series
Between 1947 and 1968 Bill and Monica Edwards gradually built up the near-derelict farm into a thriving dairy concern stocked exclusively with pedigree Jersey cattleJersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
. During this time she wrote ten Punchbowl Farm novels with the farm and its surroundings as their setting. Although the real name of the farm was Punch Bowl Farm, the fictional name was contracted to Punchbowl (as was the herd name of the Jersey cattle
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
at the real farm) and Thursley
Thursley
Thursley is a small village in Surrey. It lies just west of the A3 running between Milford and Hindhead. Neighbouring villages include Rushmoor, Bowlhead Green and Brook. Thursley is in south-west Surrey, in south-east England...
's name was changed to Highnoons for the books. The characters of this series of books were the Thornton family - principally the children Andrea, Dion, Lindsey and Peter. The first book in the series (No Mistaking Corker
No Mistaking Corker
No Mistaking Corker is a novel by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It contained the same characters as the Punchbowl Farm series of books but was written before the purchase of Punchbowl Farm. The book tells the story of the four Thornton children and their father who go for a gypsy...
) was written before the purchase of the farm.
The complete list of Punchbowl Farm novels is:
- No Mistaking CorkerNo Mistaking CorkerNo Mistaking Corker is a novel by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It contained the same characters as the Punchbowl Farm series of books but was written before the purchase of Punchbowl Farm. The book tells the story of the four Thornton children and their father who go for a gypsy...
(1947) - Black Hunting WhipBlack Hunting WhipBlack Hunting Whip is the first book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1950 by Collins - although the preceding novel in the series featured the same characters but was written before the purchase of Punchbowl Farm...
(1950) - Punchbowl MidnightPunchbowl MidnightBlack Hunting Whip is the second book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1951 by Collins. The book was illustrated by the eminent wild-life artist Charles Tunnicliffe. Tamzin, from the Romney Marsh series, meets Lindsey Thornton while stalking wild deer in the...
(1951) - Spirit of Punchbowl FarmSpirit of Punchbowl FarmSpirit of Punchbowl Farm is the third book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1952 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn. The story centres on the farm’s triple-trunked yew tree which Lindsey loves and believes to hold the spirit of the farm...
(1952) - The WandererThe Wanderer (1953 novel)The Wanderer is the fourth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn. The Wanderer’s plot describes how the colt Chalice continually escapes from the farm taking with him the heifers Midnight and Whinberry...
(1953) - Punchbowl HarvestPunchbowl HarvestPunchbowl Harvest is the fifth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1954 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn...
(1954) - Frenchman's SecretFrenchman's SecretFrenchman's Secret is the sixth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1956 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton discovers a strange map in the diary which had been found in Black Hunting Whip...
(1956) - The CownappersThe CownappersThe Cownappers is the seventh book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1958 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam. Dion Thornton achieves national celebrity status as the Boy Farmer when the BBC decide to make an Outside Broadcast television...
(1958) - The OutsiderThe Outsider (Edwards novel)The Outsider is the eighth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1961 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam. Mr Thornton wins a prestigious prize for one of his paintings...
(1961) - Fire in the PunchbowlFire In The PunchbowlFire in the Punchbowl is the ninth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1965 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam. Punchbowl Farm is threatened by a fire which spreads northwards from the Devil's Punch Bowl to the farm itself in a story...
(1965) - The Wild OneThe Wild One (novel)The Wild One is the tenth and final book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1967 by Collins. The book was the last Monica Edwards book to be illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam...
(1967)
The Edwards family's farm life was brought to a close in August 1968 when Bill had a near-fatal tractor accident. The couple eventually sold the farm and built a retirement bungalow for themselves in one of the farm's fields.
Romney Marsh series
Beginning with Wish for a PonyWish for a Pony
Wish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
in 1947, Edwards altogether wrote fifteen titles in the Romney Marsh series of novels. These were set in the village of Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour
Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England, near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham. Rye Harbour is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye....
which was renamed Westling. The Romney Marsh towns of Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
and Winchelsea
Winchelsea
Winchelsea is a small village in East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately two miles south west of Rye and seven miles north east of Hastings...
were also renamed Dunsford and Winklesea respectively. The stories feature many real-life characters (with changed names) which the author remembered from her childhood there, such as the ferryman Jim Decks and the villainous Hookey Galley. The principal characters in the novels are Tamzin Grey, Rissa Birnie, Meryon Fairbrass and Roger Lambert. Tamzin's father, the Reverend Richard Grey, was based on Edwards' father, the Reverend Harry Newton.
The complete list of Romney Marsh novels is:
- Wish for a PonyWish for a PonyWish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
(1947) - The Summer of the Great SecretThe Summer of the Great SecretThe Summer of the Great Secret is the second book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1948 by Collins. Tamzin and Rissa become entangled with the nefarious smuggling activities of the Westling fishermen...
(1948) - The Midnight HorseThe Midnight HorseThe Midnight Horse is the third book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1949 by Collins. Tamzin and Rissa are joined for the first time by Meryon Fairbrass and his friend, Roger Lambert...
(1949) - The White RidersThe White RidersThe White Riders is the fourth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1950 by Collins. It was the first book in the series to be illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam who subsequently illustrated all the following Romney Marsh titles .To Tamzin’s horror, a property...
(1950) - Cargo of HorsesCargo of HorsesCargo of Horses is the fifth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1951 by Collins. The book is dedicated to the Society of the Blue Cross - a UK national animal welfare charity....
(1951) - Hidden in a DreamHidden in a DreamHidden in a Dream is the sixth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1952 by Collins. After suffering concussion when swimming on his own near Winklesea beach, Meryon is haunted by disturbing dreams...
(1952) - Storm AheadStorm AheadStorm Ahead is the seventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton, from Punchbowl Farm in Surrey, comes to stay at Westling with the Grey family. Almost immediately she is caught up in the worst gale the area has seen for many,...
(1953) - No EntryNo Entry (novel)No Entry is the eighth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1954 by Collins. When several farms in the area contract foot-and-mouth disease and have to slaughter their herds, the Merrows at Castle Farm are determined to isolate the farm from all visitors so that...
(1954) - The NightbirdThe Nightbird (novel)The Nightbird is the ninth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1955 by Collins. Like The White Riders, this is another ‘haunting’ story in which the children attempt to scare off unwelcome intruders. This time it is the French fishing fleet who are poaching in...
(1955) - Operation SeabirdOperation SeabirdOperation Seabird is the tenth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1957 by Collins. Tamzin and Rissa discover to their horror that many seabirds in the area are being killed by oil pollution...
(1957) - Strangers to the MarshStrangers to the MarshStrangers to the Marsh is the eleventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1957 by Collins. When Jim Decks has to pay for some valuable cakes which he destroyed in an accident, Tamzin and her friends come to his rescue. They attempt to raise funds by starting a...
(1957) - No Going BackNo Going Back (novel)No Going Back is the twelfth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1960 by Collins.-Blurb from First Edition:...
(1960) - The HoodwinkersThe HoodwinkersThe Hoodwinkers is the thirteenth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1962 by Collins.The four children discover that Jim Decks has been hoodwinking innocent American...
(1962) - Dolphin SummerDolphin SummerDolphin Summer is the fourteenth book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1963 by Collins. Once again Tamzin finds an animal in need of rescue. This time it is a dolphin which appears in Dunsford Bay one hot summer. Tamzin conspires with the other children and Jim...
(1963) - A Wind Is BlowingA Wind Is BlowingA Wind is Blowing is the fifteenth and final book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1969 by Collins. This final book in the series features only Tamzin and Meryon of the usual four children; Rissa and Roger are staying at Punchbowl Farm in Surrey. When Meryon ‘has...
(1969)
Publishers
When she wrote Wish for a PonyWish for a Pony
Wish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
Edwards did not realise that finding an agent would be a necessary step to having the story published. Instead she simply sent it to Collins (now HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
), who accepted it for publication. She quickly came to dislike the book:
Monica Edwards wanted to alter much of Wish for a PonyWish for a PonyWish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
soon after it was published but Collins told her they would only publish her next story (No Mistaking CorkerNo Mistaking CorkerNo Mistaking Corker is a novel by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It contained the same characters as the Punchbowl Farm series of books but was written before the purchase of Punchbowl Farm. The book tells the story of the four Thornton children and their father who go for a gypsy...
) if Wish for a PonyWish for a PonyWish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
remained as it was.
All the books in the two series were published by Collins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, but abridged versions of some of the titles in both series were published as Armada paperbacks. The non-series book Under The Rose
Under The Rose
Under the Rose is a non-series children's novel written by Monica Edwards, published in 1968 by Collins. The story was deliberately pitched at a slightly older audience than the writer's Romney Marsh series or Punchbowl Farm series of books....
was also published by Collins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.
Edwards' chief illustrator was Geoffrey Whittam, although the first four books (Wish for a Pony
Wish for a Pony
Wish for a Pony is the first children's book written by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It introduces her Romney Marsh series and the characters of Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie...
, No Mistaking Corker
No Mistaking Corker
No Mistaking Corker is a novel by Monica Edwards, published in 1947 by Collins. It contained the same characters as the Punchbowl Farm series of books but was written before the purchase of Punchbowl Farm. The book tells the story of the four Thornton children and their father who go for a gypsy...
, The Summer of the Great Secret
The Summer of the Great Secret
The Summer of the Great Secret is the second book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1948 by Collins. Tamzin and Rissa become entangled with the nefarious smuggling activities of the Westling fishermen...
and The Midnight Horse
The Midnight Horse
The Midnight Horse is the third book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1949 by Collins. Tamzin and Rissa are joined for the first time by Meryon Fairbrass and his friend, Roger Lambert...
) had illustrations by Anne Bullen; Joan Wanklyn illustrated Spirit of Punchbowl Farm
Spirit of Punchbowl Farm
Spirit of Punchbowl Farm is the third book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1952 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn. The story centres on the farm’s triple-trunked yew tree which Lindsey loves and believes to hold the spirit of the farm...
, The Wanderer
The Wanderer (1953 novel)
The Wanderer is the fourth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn. The Wanderer’s plot describes how the colt Chalice continually escapes from the farm taking with him the heifers Midnight and Whinberry...
and Punchbowl Harvest
Punchbowl Harvest
Punchbowl Harvest is the fifth book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1954 by Collins. The book was illustrated by Joan Wanklyn...
, and Charles Tunnicliffe
Charles Tunnicliffe
Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey.-Life:...
illustrated Punchbowl Midnight
Punchbowl Midnight
Black Hunting Whip is the second book in the Punchbowl Farm series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1951 by Collins. The book was illustrated by the eminent wild-life artist Charles Tunnicliffe. Tamzin, from the Romney Marsh series, meets Lindsey Thornton while stalking wild deer in the...
.
In the 1980s John Goodchild published new versions of some of the earlier titles. These versions were updated by the author to make them less rooted in the 1950s. However, Goodchild died before Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead is the seventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton, from Punchbowl Farm in Surrey, comes to stay at Westling with the Grey family. Almost immediately she is caught up in the worst gale the area has seen for many,...
was published and the project was abandoned.
Edwards’ two children, Shelley and Sean, have recently agreed to the republishing of their mother's entire output, starting at the point where John Goodchild stopped in the 1980s, with Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead is the seventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton, from Punchbowl Farm in Surrey, comes to stay at Westling with the Grey family. Almost immediately she is caught up in the worst gale the area has seen for many,...
(published July 2005). The appointed publisher is a small concern specialising in the nostalgia republishing of (mainly girls') books, Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
. This distinguishes them from the reprints of the 1980s, which were still notionally aimed at children; the reprints are essentially aimed at nostalgic adults. So far Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
have republished all the Romney Marsh titles from Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead
Storm Ahead is the seventh book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1953 by Collins. Lindsey Thornton, from Punchbowl Farm in Surrey, comes to stay at Westling with the Grey family. Almost immediately she is caught up in the worst gale the area has seen for many,...
to A Wind Is Blowing
A Wind Is Blowing
A Wind is Blowing is the fifteenth and final book in the Romney Marsh series of novels by Monica Edwards, published in 1969 by Collins. This final book in the series features only Tamzin and Meryon of the usual four children; Rissa and Roger are staying at Punchbowl Farm in Surrey. When Meryon ‘has...
and have now started publishing the Punchbowl titles.
Shelley and Sean have also approved the writing of their mother's biography by Brian Parks. It was published by Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers
Girls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
in February 2010. Brian Parks' Companion to the Romney Marsh series of books was published in July 2006.
Non-series fiction
- Killer Dog (1959 - novelisation of Monica Edwards' script for the Children's Film Foundation film The Dawn Killer made in 1958)
- Under The RoseUnder The RoseUnder the Rose is a non-series children's novel written by Monica Edwards, published in 1968 by Collins. The story was deliberately pitched at a slightly older audience than the writer's Romney Marsh series or Punchbowl Farm series of books....
(1968)
Career fiction
(Both titles published by Bodley Head)- Joan Goes Farming (1954)
- Rennie Goes Riding (1956)
Non-fiction
(All titles published by Michael Joseph)- The Unsought Farm (1954)
- The Cats of Punchbowl Farm (1964)
- The Badgers of Punchbowl Farm (1966)
- The Valley and the Farm (1971)
- Badger Valley (1976)
Short stories
- The Irresponsible Rescue (Collins - 1948)
- Serena Bathover's Horses (Collins - 1948)
- A Sort of Miracle (Collins - 1952)
- The Horse That Came From the Sea (Collins - 1953)
- Such a pony was Gipsy (Collins - 1953)
- Sure Magic (Max Parrish - 1955)
- The Champions (Chambers - 1955)
- The Telegram (Collins - 1955)
- Bird in the Hand (Collins - 1959)
- The Great Horse (Naldrett Press - 1960)
- Caesar's Fire (Collins - 1963)
Later life
Monica Edwards' last new title (Badger Valley) was published in 1976. She spent the next twenty years in travelling, reading and studying natural history.Bill Edwards died in October 1990 and Monica in January 1998.
Reference books
- Parks, Brian. July 2006. The Monica Edwards Romney Marsh Companion Girls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
- Parks, Brian. February 2010. Monica Edwards: the Authorised Biography Girls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
- Parks, Brian. (Date TBA). The Monica Edwards Punchbowl Companion Girls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By PublishersGirls Gone By Publishers is a publishing company run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter and is based in Bath, Somerset. They re-publish new editions of some of the most popular girls' fiction titles from the twentieth century.-Elinor Brent-Dyer:...
External links
- The Monica Edwards website, by John Allsup.
- The Monica Edwards Appreciation Society (M*E*A*S) publishes a regular magazine (The Martello) and organises visits to areas associated with Monica Edwards.
- The Girls Gone By Publishers website. Clarissa Cridland and Anne Mackie-Hunter are currently undertaking the task of republishing all of Monica Edwards' written output.
- Information about the author
- An article about the author's books.
- The Rye Harbour Picture Gallery - contains many images of Rye Harbour as it was when the author lived there in the 1920s and 1930s.