Phyllis Bentley
Encyclopedia
Phyllis Eleanor Bentley, OBE
(19 November 1894 - 27 June 1977), was an English
novelist.
The youngest child of a mill owner, she grew up in Halifax
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
, and was educated at Halifax High School for Girls and Cheltenham Ladies' College
. During World War I
she worked in the munitions industry. After the war, she returned to her native Halifax where she taught English and Latin.
In 1918 she published her first work, a collection of short stories entitled The World's Bane, after which she published several poor-selling novels until the publication in March 1932 of her best-known work, Inheritance, set against the background of the development of the textile industry in the West Riding, which received widespread critical acclaim and ran through twenty-three impressions by 1946, making her the first successful English regional novelist since Thomas Hardy
and his Wessex. Two further novels followed in 1946 and 1966, forming a trilogy, and in 1967 Inheritance
was filmed by Granada TV, with John Thaw
and James Bolam
in leading roles. In 1968 she wrote the children's novel Gold Pieces, which is a fictionalised account, seen through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy, of the Cragg Coiners
, who defrauded the government by clipping the edges of gold coins to melt down and make into new coins.
In 1949 she was awarded an honorary DLitt from Leeds University; in 1958 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; and in 1970 was awarded an OBE.
Read more: Phyllis Bentley Biography - (1894–1977), Environment, Carr, Inheritance, A Man of His Time, A Modern Tragedy, Manhold http://www.jrank.org/literature/pages/3330/Phyllis-Bentley.html#ixzz0rZvBYaeK
In addition to her fiction works, her non-fiction work included scholarly works on the Brontë Sisters, the English woollen industry, and West Riding history and topography.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(19 November 1894 - 27 June 1977), was an English
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...
novelist.
The youngest child of a mill owner, she grew up in Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, and was educated at Halifax High School for Girls and Cheltenham Ladies' College
Cheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
. 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...
she worked in the munitions industry. After the war, she returned to her native Halifax where she taught English and Latin.
In 1918 she published her first work, a collection of short stories entitled The World's Bane, after which she published several poor-selling novels until the publication in March 1932 of her best-known work, Inheritance, set against the background of the development of the textile industry in the West Riding, which received widespread critical acclaim and ran through twenty-three impressions by 1946, making her the first successful English regional novelist since Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
and his Wessex. Two further novels followed in 1946 and 1966, forming a trilogy, and in 1967 Inheritance
Inheritance (TV series)
Inheritance was a 1967 Granada produced ITV drama based on a 1932 novel by Phyllis Bentley.The ten-part period drama revolved around the fortunes of the Oldroyds, a Yorkshire mill owning family from 1812 to 1965. The early part of the series featured the Luddite riots involving the burning of mills...
was filmed by Granada TV, with John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
and James Bolam
James Bolam
James Christopher Bolam, MBE is a British actor, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Dr Arthur Gilder in...
in leading roles. In 1968 she wrote the children's novel Gold Pieces, which is a fictionalised account, seen through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy, of the Cragg Coiners
Cragg Coiners
The Cragg Vale Coiners were a band of counterfeiters in England, based in Cragg Vale, near Halifax, West Yorkshire. They produced fake gold coins in the late 18th century to supplement small incomes from weaving.-Activities:Led by "King" David Hartley, the Coiners obtained real coins from...
, who defrauded the government by clipping the edges of gold coins to melt down and make into new coins.
In 1949 she was awarded an honorary DLitt from Leeds University; in 1958 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; and in 1970 was awarded an OBE.
Works (partial list)
- 1918 The World's Bane (four allegorical stories)
- 1922 Environment (novel)
- 1923 Cat in the Manger (novel)
- 1928 The Spinner of the Years (novel)
- 1928 The Partnership (novel)
- 1929 Carr (novel)
- 1930 Trio (novel)
- 1932 Inheritance (novel)
- 1934 A Modern Tragedy (novel)
- 1935 The Whole of the Story (short stories)
- 1936 Freedom Farewell (study of the fall of Ancient Rome, her only fictional work not concerned with Yorkshire)
- 1941 Manhold (novel)
- 1942 The English Regional Novel
- 1945 We of the West Riding (scriptwriter)
- 1946 The Rise of Henry Morcar (novel) (part two of the Inheritance Trilogy)
- 1947 The Brontës (biography)
- 1950 'Quorum'
- 1953 The House of Moreys (novel)
- 1955 Noble in Reason (novel)
- 1958 Crescendo (novel)
- 1960 The Young Brontës (biography)
- 1962 O Dreams O Destinations (autobiography)
- 1966 A Man Of His Time (novel) (part three of the Inheritance Trilogy)
- 1968 Gold Pieces (children's novel)
- 1969 The Brontës and Their World (biography)
- 1972 Sheep May Safely Graze (novel)
- 1974 Tales of West Riding (short stories)
Read more: Phyllis Bentley Biography - (1894–1977), Environment, Carr, Inheritance, A Man of His Time, A Modern Tragedy, Manhold http://www.jrank.org/literature/pages/3330/Phyllis-Bentley.html#ixzz0rZvBYaeK
In addition to her fiction works, her non-fiction work included scholarly works on the Brontë Sisters, the English woollen industry, and West Riding history and topography.
External links
- Article about Phyllis Bentley: "Phyllis Bentley: novelist of Yorkshire life" by Eric Ford, first published in the Contemporary Review
- "The Photograph" a short story by Phyllis Bentley, published in the Persephone Biannually