Georgette Heyer

by Jennifer Kloester

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A great many people have assisted me during the last ten years of research and writing and without them this biography would not exist. All have given unstintingly of their time, knowledge, and expertise and many have gone above and beyond the call to provide me with information or point me in the right direction. I have enjoyed extraordinary kindness and wonderful hospitality—and many who were strangers have now become friends. I have been inspired, encouraged, and supported and I have learned far more about Georgette Heyer than I ever expected to know. I am enormously grateful to all who have helped me but especially to Sir Richard and Judy, Lady Rougier. Their kindness, generosity, hospitality, and friendship enriched my experience and made the vision a possibility; their permission to quote from Georgette Heyer’s letters, novels, and short stories made it a reality. Sir Richard’s continuing faith in me opened many doors and ensured that I would finish the book no matter what. Jane Aiken Hodge led the way with the first biography and continued to inspire me with her keen intellect, stimulating conversation, and perceptive reading of my work, as well as the extraordinary gift of her entire research archive. Susanna, Lady Rougier has been a constant support and a kind and generous friend, sharing with me a wealth of information, insight, and memories of Georgette Heyer. She also introduced me to others who knew her mother-in-law with plenty of laughter and memorable conversations along the way. Jean and Harry Frere made me welcome and allowed me exclusive access to the Georgette Heyer letters in the Frere Family Archive. Their unfailing kindness, generosity, and friendship will always be treasured. Special thanks to Jean Frere for reading the drafts, meticulous editing, wise counsel, invaluable suggestions, and for responding to my emails and phone calls with such magnificent insight and patience. Dr. Paul Nicholls brought a wealth of wisdom to the work with superb editing and rigorous reading and shared his delight of Georgette Heyer and her novels with me at regular intervals. J. Roy Hay, mentor and friend, set me on this path and has never stopped encouraging and supporting me; Frances Hay was always interested and happy to answer questions about punctuation. Jeremy and Judith Rougier shared their family history with me and were unfailingly kind and hospitable. Joan Reinhardt generously allowed me to borrow and copy the entire Max Reinhardt Archive and she and Belinda McGill told me many stories about Georgette Heyer and The Bodley Head. Jean Rose at the Random House Archives helped me to fill in several pieces of the puzzle and her generous replies to my emails, her kindness during my visits to Rushden, and her extensive knowledge of the Archives greatly enhanced this book. Hale Crosse provided the inside story on the Booker deal and other useful Heyer information, and he and Eunice Crosse gave me the pleasure of their company. Jay Dixon has been a great support and I will always be immeasurably grateful to her for an unforgettable day spent touring Sussex in pursuit of Georgette Heyer. Dr. Peter Sherlock gave unstintingly of his time, wisdom, and expertise, which enabled me to fill in many missing details in Georgette Heyer’s family tree. Ro Marriott generously shared her wonderful Georgette Heyer letters and her memories of their correspondence with me. Dr. Dolly MacKinnon remains a wise counselor and wonderful friend and her keen perception helped me to overcome many challenges. Dianne Tobias and Fiona Skinner have listened to me for ten years and have always responded with patience and insight and their friendship is priceless. Mary Fahnestock-Thomas generously gave me the benefit of her years of research, and her remarkable research archive was a timely addition to this book, and thanks to Alan Homes who kindly shared his years of Watkins family research with me. Special thanks to Jenny Walshe, Dianne Tobias, and John Nolan for reading the manuscript and to Dr. Helen MacDonald for her generosity, wisdom, and insight.

  Many other people have helped to make this book possible by enabling me to follow up the myriad of research lines, sharing memories, photographs, letters, ideas, and insight and offering practical assistance, encouragement, information, hospitality, or permission. Thank you: May and Neil Aaldwark-Clegg, Dilip Abraham at the Port of Geelong, Catherine Aldington, Ginny Andrews, Verity Andrews and Michael Bott at the University of Reading Archives, Esther Sherman Arlan, Marigold Atkey, the Australia Council for the Arts, Dr. Jack Ayerbe, Paul Baker, Jeremy Barron, Diana Baty, Donica Bettanin, Jill Black, Charles and Joy Boldero and the Old Weymouthians Club, Martin Boswell, Rex Bowley, Peter and Rosemarie Buckman, Milissa Burkart, Dame Antonia Byatt, Leslie Caelli, Euan Cameron, Luke Carruthers, Lori Curtis and Marc Carlson at the McFarlin Library Special Collection University of Tulsa, Loreen Chambers, Mercia Chapman, Margot Charlton at the Oxford English Dictionary, Teresa Chris, Simon Clews, William G. Contento, Damien Connelly, Glenda Cooper, Matt and Maryanne Cotter, John Coulter at the Lewisham Local History and Archive Center, Nick Cross, Jenny Darling, Emma Darwin, Simon & Annie Davies, Jane Davis, Professor Martin Daunton, Christopher Dean, Donald Derrick and Patricia (Lamburn) Derrick CBE, Ian Dinwiddy at Hodder & Stoughton, Ralitsa Donkova at the Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, Professor David Dorward, Peter and Anne Downie at Barwon Books, Darren Drake, Nell Duffie, Richard Edgar, Alan and Pat Elliot, Kirsten Elliot, The English-Speaking Union (Melb.), John and Penny Fabb, Leigh Finch, Dr. Juliet Flesch, Dr. Lisa Fletcher, Dominic Flint, Noel Flint, Elizabeth Frere Jones, Susannah Fullerton, Peggy Garvey at the Office of Censorship of Publications Ireland, Pat Gaskin, David Gibb, Chris Wright and the staff at Goodenough College, Kay Gooding, Juliet and Victor Gordon, Rob Grainger, Gordon Grant, John Gray, Terry and Myrna Green, Deirdrie Gregory, Dr. Humphrey Gyde, Karl Hahn, Lawrie Hall, Towse Harrison, Dr. Jane Harrold, Jane Hawtin, Tim Heald and Alexander Heald for information about the Mills & Boon archive, The Heyer Estate, The Heyer List (now Almacks), Tessa and Rupert Hinds, The Historical Novel Society, Roy & Hilary Hoevenaars, Dr. Sally Houghton, Graham Howe and Pam Moffat at the E.O. Hoppé Collection, Valerie Howe, Bruce Hunter, Professor John Iliffe, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining UK, The Jane Austen Society of Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), Peter Janson-Smith, Bill Jay, Debbie Jay, Marjorie Johnston, Dr. Susan Johnston, Dr. Peter Johnston, Adrien Joly Interpretation Officer at the Brighton Pavilion, Anna Karpinski, Sir John Keegan, Tamara Kichakov, Jeremy Knight and the staff at Horsham Museum, Mary Kosiak at Adelaide Booksellers, Kwik Kopy Geelong, Savannah Lambis, George Lawrie, Miss Deirdre Le Faye, John Letts, Pamela Lindsay, Dr. Joseph McAleer, Bruce McBrien OAM, George MacDonald Fraser, Belinda McGill, Rae McGregor, Victoria McNair, Hilary McPhee, Elizabeth-Ann Malden, The Melbourne University Writers’ Center, Rosalind Moad at King’s College Library Archives, Cambridge, Dr. Sandor Monostori, Gabrielle Murphy, Ian Murray, Jennifer Nason, The National Portrait Gallery in London, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Miss Elizabeth Oliver and the Albany Trustees, John Olsson at the Forensic Language Institute, Alice O’Neill, Christine Owen, Deborah Owen, Richard Page, Bridget Palmer at The Royal Academy of Music, Dr. Pauline Parker, Anna Paterson, Vija Pattison, Sue Payne, Lynn Penfold, Roy Pfautch, Professor David Philips, Christopher Phipps, Joanne Playfoot at IPC Media, Virgil Pomfret, Pauline Prest and the Wimbledon Literary and Scientific Society, Diane and Antony Price, Josephine Pullein-Thompson, Dr. Jonathan Ray, Phil and Mary Rebakis, Dr. Clare Rider at the Inner Temple Archives, Professor Ronald T. Ridley, J.S. Ringrose at the Pembroke College Archives, Marcus Risdell at The Garrick Club, Nicholas Rogers at the Sidney Sussex College Archives, Terry Rogers at the Marlborough College Archives, Romance Writers of Australia, Emma Rose, Nicholas Rougier, The Royal School of Mines, Mrs. Jane de Salis, Oliver Saxby, Diana Schaffer, Adele Schaverien, the School of Historical Studies at the University of Melbourne, Nikola Scott, Teresa J. Sergot at the Royal School of Mines, David Shannon, Iain Sharp at the Auckland Central City Library, Mike Sims at A Book For All Reasons, Sir Donald Sinden, David Smith at the New York Public Library, Kentley and Angela Smith at Smith’s Bookbinders, The Society of Authors (UK), Sotheby’s London, Henry Speagle, Ann-Marie and Peter Spolton-Dean, the staff at the National Army Museum Chelsea, the staff
at the Baillieu Library University of Melbourne, the staff at Barwon Books, the staff at the Billy Rose Theatre Collection in New York, the staff at the Brighton Pavilion, the staff at the Britannia Royal Naval College, the staff at the Rare Books and Music Reading Room at the British Library, the staff at the Family Resource Center London, the staff at The Illustrated London News, the staff at the Imperial War Museum, the staff at the London Library, the staff at the London Probate Office, the staff at the Newspaper Library at Colindale, the staff at the Public Record Office Kew, the staff at the State Library of Victoria, the staff at the Westminster City Archives, Mrs. Margaret Stankiewicz at the Lancing College Archives, Mr. William Staples the Head Porter in Albany, Pam Stevenson at Boris Books, Bryan Stokes at the King’s College School Archives, Jean Strathdee-Cook, Pat Stubbings, Francis Sultana, Mike Swales, Satu Tähtinen, Pia Tapper Fenton, Dr. Valerie Tarrant, Robyn Tooth, Sally Tornow, Stephen Tornow, Lady Juliet Townsend, James Travers, Julia Trevelyan Oman (Lady Strong), John Trier, Professor Stephanie Trigg, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Tucker, Dr. Clara Tuite, Anne Walker, Bruce and Jenny Walshe, Steven Walshe, Giles Weaver at Greywalls, Cdr Ian Wellesley-Harding RN, Vicki West, Professor Stephen Wheatcroft, Anne White, Eva White and the staff at the Victoria & Albert Museum Archives, Lydia Whitehand, John Whitehouse, Professor Martin Wiener, Damien Williams, The Wimbledon Local History Museum, Mark Wolfson OBE, Dr. J.G.M. Woodrow, Ruth and Andrew Woolaston, and Gavan and Anna Wright. Thanks also to my wonderful editors Jay Dixon and Georgina Hawtrey-Woore and my agent Courtney Miller-Callihan.

  For a lifetime of love and support, special thanks to

  Elanor, Christopher, and Benjamin.

  And to Barry for everything.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jennifer Kloester is the foremost expert on Georgette Heyer. A professional writer for more than a decade, Jennifer was granted unlimited access to Georgette Heyer’s private papers by her son, Sir Richard Rougier. She also had exclusive access to the newly discovered archives of Georgette Heyer’s early letters. Meticulously researched, Jennifer’s groundbreaking biography provides a wealth of new and intriguing insights into one of the world’s most reclusive bestselling authors. Jennifer has traveled widely researching Georgette Heyer’s life and writing and is a sought-after speaker on Heyer and the Regency.

  Georgette Heyer’s Regency World

  by Jennifer Kloester

  Immerse yourself in the resplendent glow of Regency England and the world of Georgette Heyer…

  From the fascinating slang, the elegant fashions, the precise ways the bon ton ate, drank, danced, and flirted, to the shocking real life scandals of the day, Georgette Heyer’s Regency World takes you behind the scenes of Heyer’s captivating novels.

  As much fun to read as Heyer’s own novels, beautifully illustrated, and meticulously researched, Jennifer Kloester’s essential guide brings the world of the Regency to life for Heyer fans and Jane Austen fans alike.

  Praise for Georgette Heyer’s Regency World:

  “An invaluable guide to the world of the bon ton. No lover of Georgette Heyer’s novels should be without it.” —Katie Fforde

  “Detailed, informative, impressively researched. A Heyer lover writing for Heyer fans.”—Times Literary Supplement

  For more Jennifer Kloester books, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  The Private World of Georgette Heyer

  by Jane Aiken Hodge

  An internationally bestselling phenomenon and queen of the Regency romance, Georgette Heyer is one of the most beloved historical novelists of our time. She wrote more than fifty novels, yet her private life was inaccessible to any but her nearest friends and relatives.

  Lavishly illustrated and with access to private papers, correspondence and family archives, this classic biography opens a window into Georgette Heyer’s world and that of her most memorable characters, revealing a formidable, energetic woman with an impeccable sense of style and, beyond everything, a love for all things Regency.

  Praise for The Private World of Georgette Heyer:

  “The Georgette Heyer bible…

  This is a must-have book for any Georgette Heyer lover.”

  —Historically Obsessed

  For more Jane Aiken Hodge books, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

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