Elinor Brent-Dyer

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (1894 – 1969) was a children's author who wrote over 100 books during her lifetime, the most famous being the Chalet School series. 
==Short Biography ==
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer was born Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6 April 1894. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Gladys had a half-brother, Charles Arnold Lloyd Dyer, who was a product of Charles Morris Brent Dyer's first marriage to Helen May Arnold. Several accounts have declared at this point that Charles Arnold "never lived with his father", but he is shown on the Census with Charles senior living in Fanshawe Street, Southampton in 1891 and in Brownhill Road, Lewisham in 1901. 
When Elinor was three years old, her father abandoned his family, which by then included his second son, Henzell. Eventually, Elinor's father moved in with another woman who had been a servant at his lodgings in 1901, bore him another namesake son, Morris, and in 1911 was living with him as Mrs Dyer. 
Elinor was educated in her birthplace town of South Shields. She claimed in later interviews to have attended Dame Allan's School but this can only have been there a briefly (though she may have taught there for a short time). After finishing her education, she attended Leeds Training College and returned to teach in her hometown. It was around this time that she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. 
In 1922, Elinor published her first book — Gerry Goes to School, which went on to become the first of the La Rochelle titles. 
She was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1930.
In 1933, Elinor and her mother moved to Hereford. For a while, Elinor was a commuting governess, but she eventually opened her own school in Hereford — the Margaret Roper School. This school was closed in 1948. Elinor then devoted all her time to writing. 
In 1964, following the death of her mother several years earlier, Elinor moved to Redhill. She died there in 1969, and her final book was published posthumously the same year.
==Bibliography ==
===Chalet School Series===
(in reading order)
1 The School at the Chalet 
2 Jo of the Chalet School 
3 The Princess of the Chalet School 
4 The Head-Girl of the Chalet School 
5 The Rivals of the Chalet School 
6 Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School 
7 The Chalet School and Jo 
8 The Chalet Girls in Camp 
9 The Exploits of the Chalet Girls 
10 The Chalet School and the Lintons 
11 The New House at the Chalet School 
12 Jo Returns to the Chalet School 
13 The New Chalet School 
14 The Chalet School in Exile 
15 The Chalet School Goes to It 
16 Highland Twins at the Chalet School 
17 Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School 
18 Gay From China at the Chalet School 
19 Jo to the Rescue 
19a Mystery at the Chalet School 
19b Tom Tackles the Chalet School 
 
19c The Chalet School and Rosalie
20 Three Go to the Chalet School 
21 The Chalet School and the Island 
22 Peggy Of The Chalet School 
23 Carola Storms the Chalet School
24 The Wrong Chalet School 
25 Shocks for the Chalet School 
26 The Chalet School in the Oberland 
27 Bride Leads the Chalet School 
28 Changes for the Chalet School 
29 Joey Goes to the Oberland 
30 The Chalet School and Barbara
32 The Chalet School Does it Again 
33 A Chalet Girl from Kenya 
34 Mary-Lou of the Chalet School 
35 A Genius at the Chalet School 
36 A Problem for the Chalet School 
37 The New Mistress at the Chalet School 
38 Excitements at the Chalet School 
39 The Coming of Age of the Chalet School 
40 The Chalet School and Richenda 
41 Trials for the Chalet School 
42 Theodora and the Chalet School 
43 Joey and Co. in Tirol 
44 Ruey Richardson - Chaletian 
45 A Leader in the Chalet School
46 The Chalet School Wins the Trick 
47 A Future Chalet School Girl 
48 The Feud in the Chalet School 
49 The Chalet School Triplets 
50 The Chalet School Reunion 
51 Jane and the Chalet School 
52 Redheads at the Chalet School 
53 Adrienne and the Chalet School 
54 Summer Term at the Chalet School 
55 Challenge for the Chalet School 
56 Two Sams at the Chalet School 
57 Althea Joins the Chalet School' 
58 Prefects of the Chalet School
=== La Rochelle Titles ===
Gerry Goes to School 
A Head Girl's Difficulties 
The Maids of La Rochelle 
Seven Scamps 
Heather Leaves School 
Janie of La Rochelle 
Janie Steps In
=== Other titles ===
Chudleigh Hold 
The Condor Crags Adventure 
Top Secret 
Fardingales 
The Susannah Adventure
A Thrilling Term at Janeways 
Caroline the Second 
The School by the River (1930)
The New House-Mistress 
Judy the Guide 
The Feud in the Fifth Remove 
Carnation of the Upper Fourth 
Monica Turns Up Trumps 
They Both Liked Dogs 
The School by the River 
The Little Marie-Jose 
Elizabeth the Gallant 
The Little Missus 
The Lost Staircase
Lorna at Wynyards 
Stepsisters for Lorna 
Kennelmaid Nan 
Nesta Steps Out 
Beechy of the Harbour School 
Leader in Spite of Herself 
The School at Skelton Hall 
Trouble at Skelton Hall 
Bess On Her Own In Canada 
A Quintette in Queensland 
Sharlie's Kenya Diary 
Verena Visits New Zealand
Jean of Storms
==Further reading==
*McClelland, Helen. Behind the Chalet School. (2nd ed.) Bettany Press.
==External links/references==
*Biography @ shropshire-cc.gov.uk
*Biography @ newchaletclub.co.uk
*Friends of the Chalet School
*CBB forum
 
Category:1894 births
Category:1969 deaths
Category:English children's writers
Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism
Category:English Roman Catholics
ja:エレノア・ブレント＝ダイアー