Elinor M. Brent-Dyer’s Followers (94)

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

Born

in South Shields, Northumberland, The United Kingdom

April 06, 1894

Died

September 20, 1969

Genre

Children's, Historical Fiction, Cookbooks

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Elinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.

Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide vari Elinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.

Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.

In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.

In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.

In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.

When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.

Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.

During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.

Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.

In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
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Combine Editions
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer’s books

Average rating: 3.98 · 21,925 ratings · 1,372 reviews · 152 distinct works • Similar authors

	The School at the Chalet (The Chalet School, #1) 4.05 avg rating — 3,736 ratings — published 1925 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jo of the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #2) 4.16 avg rating — 1,039 ratings — published 1926 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Princess of the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #3) 4.09 avg rating — 586 ratings — published 1927 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chalet School and Jo (The Chalet School, #7) 4.17 avg rating — 563 ratings — published 1930 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chalet School in Exile (The Chalet School, #14) 4.39 avg rating — 481 ratings — published 1940 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Head Girl of the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #4) 4.02 avg rating — 472 ratings — published 1928 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #6) 3.99 avg rating — 435 ratings — published 1930 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rivals of the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #5) 3.99 avg rating — 430 ratings — published 1929 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jo Returns to the Chalet School (The Chalet School, #12) 4.13 avg rating — 380 ratings — published 1936 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chalet Girls in Camp (The Chalet School, #8) 4.01 avg rating — 370 ratings — published 1930 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer…

Series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

The Chalet School - Armada (62 books)
by

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

3.99 avg rating — 19,810 ratings

The Chalet School (58 books)
by

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

4.00 avg rating — 18,906 ratings

La Rochelle (7 books)
by

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

4.07 avg rating — 368 ratings

The Chalet School 2-in-1 editions (11 books)
by

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

4.03 avg rating — 240 ratings

Chudleigh Hold (5 books)
by

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

3.92 avg rating — 108 ratings

More series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer…

Quotes by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (?)

“Much as Joanne disliked needlework, she was quite good at it, for she had been well taught. But hearing the remark from her governess's lips was almost more than the child could bear. And as for childish games -
"Cousin Ambrose has been teaching me to play chess," she said in her curiously deep voice. "And we sometimes play cribbage and ecarte."
"Still, at your age, there is so much to learn that I think we must dedicate this hour to sewing each night. And now, tell me, what is your favourite lesson?"
Joanne eyed the lady for a moment. Then, "Latin and 'cello," she said sweetly.
She was not disappointed. Miss Mercier's face fell.
"Latin? Oh my dear, I am very sorry to hear that. Latin is essential for boys, of course; but I cannot think it necessary for a girl in your position. But you cannot have gone very far in it yet?"
"We were doing the Aenid at school when I left," said Joanne briskly. "Fourth book. And Caesar, of course. I've learnt Latin for years."
"My dear child, you mustn't exaggerate. That is most unladylike. I suppose you began two years ago? You cannot call two years "years" in the sense you did."
"I didn't. I began Latin when I was seven. My father taught me."
This was worse than Miss Mercier had expected.”
― Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, The Lost Staircase

tags: clever-girl, education, governess, latin

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“Whenever anyone suggested that she looked as if she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, she used to groan loudly and ram in a few more pins until her head was a complete porcupine's back of hairpins!”
― Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

tags: hair

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“That wood," he said, pointing back to the pinewood on the mound, "is used for any building that goes on here. So is the one right over there; it is beech, elm and oak. We never buy a plank of timber here. And we never cut down a tree unless it is necessary. And whatever tree is cut down, is always replaced by a sapling of the same kind. That is another of our traditions. The result is that our woods never grow less. Even in the last war, when so much had to be cut for the Government, we replanted as fast as we cut down. I have a forestry man in charge, and we pride ourselves on our beautiful timber.”
― Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, The Lost Staircase

tags: forestry, replanting, timber, trees-environment, useful-wood

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