Ellen Wood, 1814-1887
Biographical note
English novelist, writing as “Mrs. Henry Wood,” was born at Worcester. She turned to writing to support her family, eventually writing over 30 novels, many of which, especially East Lynne, had remarkable popularity. Among the best known are Danesbury House, Oswald Cray, Mrs. Halliburton’s Troubles, The Channings, Lord Oakburn’s Daughters, and The Shadow of Ashlydyat.
Her works were translated into many languages. In a 9 March 1872 letter to his older brother Sergei, Leo Tolstoy noted that he was "reading Mrs. Wood's wonderful novel In the Maze".
In 1867, Wood purchased the English magazine Argosy, which had been founded by Alexander Strahan in 1865. She wrote much of the magazine herself, but other contributors included Hesba Stretton, Julia Kavanagh, Christina Rossetti, Sarah Doudney and Rosa Nouchette Carey. Wood continued as its editor until her death in 1887, when her son Charles Wood took over. At her death (caused by bronchitis) her estate was valued at over £36,000, then a very considerable sum.
Works
- Danesbury House [1860]
- East Lynne [1861]
- The Elchester College Boys [1861]
- A Life's Secret : A Novel [1862]
- Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles [1862]
- The Channings : A Story [1862]
- The foggy night at Offord : a domestic story [1863]
- The Shadow of Ashlydyat [1863]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - Verner's Pride / illustrated by Harold Piffard [1863]
- Lord Oakburn’s Daughters [1864]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - Oswald Cray [1864]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - Trevlyn Hold; or, Squire Trevlyn’s Heir [1864]
- William, Allair; or, Running away to sea [1864]
- Mildred Arkell: A Novel [1865]
Vol 1 ; Vol 2 ; Vol 3 - Elster's Folly : A Novel [1866]
- St. Martin's eve, a novel [1866/1895]
- Lady Adelaide’s Oath [1867]
- Orville College : a story [1867/1881]
- The Ghost of the Hollow Field [1867]
- Anne Hereford: A Novel [1868]
v.1 ; v.2 ; v.3 - Castle Wafer; or, The Plain Gold Ring [1868]
- The house of Halliwell : a novel [1890]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - The Red Court Farm: A Novel [1868]
v.1 v.2 v.3
A sequel to: The house of Halliwell - Roland Yorke : a sequel to The Channings [1869/1904]
- Bessy Rane: A Novel [1870]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - George Canterbury’s Will [1870]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - Dene hollow : a novel [1872]
- Within the maze : a novel [1880]
- The Master of Greylands [1873]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - Bessy Wells [1875]
- Told in the Twilight: Containing “Parkwater” and nine shorter stories [1875]
- Adam Grainger: A Tale [1876]
- Adam Grainger, and other stories [1899]
Adam Grainger -- Gina Montani -- A tomb in a foreign land -- Katarina Orsini -- The Self-convicted -- A mysterious visitor -- Rupert Hall -- All Soul's Eve - Edina [1876]
v.1 v.2 v.3 - Our children [1875]
- Parkwater: Told in the twilight [1876]
Parkwater -- The foggy night at Offord -- Mr North's Dream -- Martyn Ware's temptation -- Feathers and spangles - Pomeroy Abbey [1878]
- Lady Adelaide [1879]
- Under the rose [1879]
- A Tale of Sin and Other Tales [1881]
- Court Netherleigh: A Novel [1881]
v.1; v.2; v.3 - About Ourselves [1883]
- Lady Grace and Other Stories [1887]
v.1 v.2 v.3 - The Story of Charles Strange [1888]
Vol. 1 ; Vol. 2 ; Vol. 3 - The unholy wish, and other stories [1890/1904]
- Ashley, and other stories [1897/1901]
