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ArchivesRe: My column on Darrell, Daryl, Darryl, etc.
in reply to a message by clevelandkentevans
I don't imagine that the English children's author Enid Blyton had much of a following in the USA: her books are, like Agatha Christie's, mostly set in small, rather wealthy towns and villages which never existed but seemed familiar and more pleasant than usual English towns. She started writing while working as a teacher, but was soon able to become a full-time author.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton
'On 28 August 1924, Blyton married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971) at Bromley Register Office, without inviting her family.' The marriage became unsuccessful and she had affairs, including one with a surgeon named Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters whom she married in 1943, having divorced Pollock. 'In 1950 Blyton established the company Darrell Waters Ltd to manage her affairs', suggesting that Darrell Waters were her husband's two surnames. 'In 1946 Blyton launched the first in the Malory Towers series of six books based around the schoolgirl Darrell Rivers, First Term at Malory Towers, which became extremely popular, particularly with girls.' Rivers is clearly a version of her married surname, Waters, but no explanation for the name appears in the books; I seem to remember that the Darrell character had a younger sister named Felicity and a friend named Sally - very mainstream names! Her books were not popular with teachers and librarians, but children loved them; they typically feature children who solve mysteries which adults cannot, making the children strong, determined characters; this gave child readers a sense of importance and worth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton
'On 28 August 1924, Blyton married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971) at Bromley Register Office, without inviting her family.' The marriage became unsuccessful and she had affairs, including one with a surgeon named Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters whom she married in 1943, having divorced Pollock. 'In 1950 Blyton established the company Darrell Waters Ltd to manage her affairs', suggesting that Darrell Waters were her husband's two surnames. 'In 1946 Blyton launched the first in the Malory Towers series of six books based around the schoolgirl Darrell Rivers, First Term at Malory Towers, which became extremely popular, particularly with girls.' Rivers is clearly a version of her married surname, Waters, but no explanation for the name appears in the books; I seem to remember that the Darrell character had a younger sister named Felicity and a friend named Sally - very mainstream names! Her books were not popular with teachers and librarians, but children loved them; they typically feature children who solve mysteries which adults cannot, making the children strong, determined characters; this gave child readers a sense of importance and worth.
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