Robert Neill (British writer of historical fiction)
Encyclopedia
Robert Neill was a British
writer
of historical fiction
. He was born in Manchester
, southern Lancashire
in the northwest of England
, the setting for his best known work, Mist over Pendle, a novelisation of the 1612 witchcraft trials in Pendle
, Lancashire. He was educated at Lytham and Cambridge
, England, where he read science (which he later described as a mistake). He became a research worker for the Scottish Marine Biological Association, a schoolmaster at Burton-on-Trent, and an Electrical Lieutenant in the RNVR during World War II. He was a professor of biology
and zoology
at Saint Paul’s College and lived in Cheltenham
, Gloucestershire
, where he was on the management committee of the literary festival there, before returning to the northwest (where he preferred to live) and turning to writing full-time. He wrote historical fiction because of his interest in history and his critical reading of historical fiction when younger. He felt he could think of new ways of looking at plots and correcting errors in the details, but it was only later he felt he could begin writing historical fiction himself, beginning with Mist over Pendle. For the background of his books he favoured reading the original sources and contemporary documents and visiting the places, only using textbooks to trace the sources.
The books he wrote were:
Note: In the United States
, Mist over Pendle is known as The Elegant Witch, and Moon in Scorpio is known as Traitor’s Moon.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
. He was born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, southern Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in the northwest of England
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...
, the setting for his best known work, Mist over Pendle, a novelisation of the 1612 witchcraft trials in Pendle
Pendle
Pendle is a local government district and borough of Lancashire, England. It adjoins the Lancashire boroughs of Burnley and Ribble Valley, the North Yorkshire district of Craven and the West Yorkshire districts of Calderdale and the City of Bradford...
, Lancashire. He was educated at Lytham and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England, where he read science (which he later described as a mistake). He became a research worker for the Scottish Marine Biological Association, a schoolmaster at Burton-on-Trent, and an Electrical Lieutenant in the RNVR during World War II. He was a professor of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at Saint Paul’s College and lived in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, where he was on the management committee of the literary festival there, before returning to the northwest (where he preferred to live) and turning to writing full-time. He wrote historical fiction because of his interest in history and his critical reading of historical fiction when younger. He felt he could think of new ways of looking at plots and correcting errors in the details, but it was only later he felt he could begin writing historical fiction himself, beginning with Mist over Pendle. For the background of his books he favoured reading the original sources and contemporary documents and visiting the places, only using textbooks to trace the sources.
The books he wrote were:
- Mist over Pendle (1951)
- Moon in Scorpio (1953)
- Rebel Heiress (1955)
- Black William (1955)
- Hangman’s Cliff (1956)
- Song of Sunrise (1958)
- So Fair a House (1960)
- Wonder Winter (1961)
- The Shocking Miss Anstey (1965)
- The Devil’s Weather (1966)
- Witch Bane (1967)
- Crown and Mitre (1970)
- The Golden Days (1974)
- Lillibullero (1975)
- Witchfire at Lammas (1977)
- Devil’s Door (1979)
Note: In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mist over Pendle is known as The Elegant Witch, and Moon in Scorpio is known as Traitor’s Moon.