More Again on Morcove

In More About Morcove, it is written that Morcove opened in November, 1895. In SO 661-665 Althea Dillon, (October 1933) we learn that Morcove actually opened in December, 1883. Horace Phillips decides that a publication named Fifty Years of Morcove is to be written, celebrating Morcove’s history under the present regime.

At the end of this article are some personal thoughts on The Rivals of Morcove by Gary and Keith – two major players in bringing Morcove to the Friardale website.

More on Horace Phillips

As we know, Betty’s home town is Ribbleton, Lancashire.

Writing as Joy Phillips -SGOL 67 Her Pride to Blame - originally published in The Schoolgirls’ Weekly of 1924, Horace Phillips bases his non Morcove story in Lancashire, at a town named Ribbleham.

Phillips’ description of a thunderstorm in SO 490 Pam Willoughby’s Clever Plan:

The rain had stopped as suddenly as it had begun, only a few minutes since. Overhead the clouds had thinned and parted; in the west, a last blotch of purple cloud was drawing up like a curtain, letting the sun shine again upon land and sea before setting.

The words ‘hang’, ‘trending’ ‘challenge’ and ‘twitting’ are not new words, as Horace Phillips uses them as descriptives throughout his saga. The Study 12 Coterie hang together, and the girls are constantly twitting on certain subjects.

She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed (From Rumpole fame,) appears in SO 619-620 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle, when Polly is directing everyone for her impromptu play The Haunted Castle. ‘Legging it’, cosh instead of ‘gosh’ (Keith mentions that ‘cosh’ is a word appearing in SO Annual stories that may not pertain to Phillips’ authorship in some Morcove stories, however Phillips does use this word in SO 580-583 Calmani’s Circus and SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap

and later stories.

Rainy night in London; rainy night at Morcove – SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow so echoes the words of the still to come song Rainy Night in Georgia written

Another of Phillips’ subtleties in humour is where Naomer calls His Worship the Mayor of Barncombe His Warship – SO 640-644 Headland Hotel, when she and Polly appear in Court. Although a serious writer, his love of the farce comes through loud and clear.

More on Leonard Shields

Amongst some of the stories where he illustrates the girls wearing uniform whilst on holiday include SO180-185 Wembley Exhibition - even Edith Enson, who isn’t a Morcove girl at all, and the holiday at Heron’s Haunt SO 26-30 Heron’s Haunt (SGOL 26 The Mystery of Heron’s Haunt). Shields has also done a really amusing illustration here, of Josiah and Emma Grandways, along with Cora and Judith, being chauffeured along in his ostentatious car. Josiah is sitting with his head back, cigar in mouth, his wife Emma’s scarf seen just behind him – flying in the wind, whilst Cora and Judith, beautifully dressed, are screaming in delight at the Morcove girls being covered in dust from the car.

Shields also depicts Polly and Jack in uniform after their expulsions in SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap, and he illustrates Miss Somerfield as a much younger woman.

In SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved Betty and the Coterie go outside to investigate, having warmly wrapped themselves against the cold night, but the illustration shows them as in their usual day wear!

The illustration in SO 410 The Mystery of Muriel Lane! of Polly’s parents greeting the Coterie is very similar to the front cover of SO 440 Holiday-Making with Paula!

One of his fine illustrations include that of The Hunt coming through Barncombe, past The Creamery – SO 458 That Cousin of Pam’s. Lady Evelyn rides with the Hunt, although she can’t be seen in this particular illustration.

Shields’ illustration in SO 484 Only Morcove Could Help Her of the girls boarding the S Y Salvator is thrilling and exciting. Morcove’s cliffs are seen in the background.

The boundary fence and main gate architecture of Swanlake is similar to Morcove and Grangemoor.

His illustration of Hortense Despard shows similarities to Cora Grandways. SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France.

A wonderful illustration in SO 709 While Revelry Reigned.

Shields illustrates the front cover of SO 472 She Longed to Leave Morcove and the later front cover on the re-print SGOL 689 Alone at Morcove in similar style, but with the scene reversed.

There is an inconsistency in the style of Agatha Trelawney’s dress style in SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed. Agatha is wouldn’t have had time to change into another outfit in the time frame permitted.

More on Evelyn Flinders

Evelyn Flinders names a café in Sandton Bay as Gerrards. Is this the Ocean Café? She dresses Mrs Willoughby beautifully. Both illustrations are in SO 712 False to Their Schools.

Paula Creel

Paula, early on during the saga in SO 26-30 Heron’s Haunt (SGOL 66 The Mystery of Heron’s Haunt) gets the back up of Esther Hone, who high handedly tells the girls they cannot go in parts of the chateau. Paula quickly sets her right!

She just lives for the genteel life, where she can wear her fine clothes and eat fine food, although she joins in all of the activities and plays a vigorous game of hockey. In SO 92 The Coiners’ Captives Paula’s spirit is captured well. When she discovers a secret panel in her and Madge’s bedroom at The Old Priory and they decide to explore, her exploits are summed up: She was not quite so deft at the job as was Madge, and she soon began to splutter and fume because of the dust that came away from the brick wall. But she never voiced a murmur of regret at their having made the venture. Paula had grit, for all she was so often the laughing-stock of the Form.

Paula suffers many bouts of cruelty instigated by Cora.

Paula features strongly in SO180-185 Wembley Exhibition – whilst camping at Dolly Delane’s farm. Her attempts at cooking, coping with hissing geese, leaking tents, lightning strikes, and involving herself with a booby trap which Helen’s Father sets up to ensnare the Searles are quite hilarious and make for delightful reading.

Later stories in the saga show that the Study 12 Coterie don’t involve Paula – and Naomer - in solving various mysteries because they are both liable to unwittingly ‘give the game away’.

Paula decides France isn’t the place for her in SO 335-340 Holiday in France (SGOL 587 Morcove’s Holiday in France). She decides she isn’t going back to France ever again, although she relishes French cooking. But, of course, she does, in SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France and of course SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

During SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence, Paula has the foresight to say that she thinks Pat’s life will change when her Aunt Jessica marries.

Paula, on Cora in SO 592-597 Inter-School Sports: “Hetty cewtainly runs a gweat wisk of being out of twim in wegard to the sports,” observed Paula, with her best drawl. “Cora always wejoices, if you notice, when Morcove does badly.”

Here, she usually calls Cora ‘Corwa’, must have been a printer’s error here!!

Dolly Delane

Dolly is a golden girl - pure class. Her parents were tenant farmers at Fallowfield Farm – adjacent to the New Forest in Hampshire. (In SO 468-472 Althea Marshall the Lonely New Girl (SGOL 689 Alone at Morcove), the farm is known as The Home Farm, Rambourne.) The closest village is Alstead. Windmill Hill is a well known local landmark. In the early days, they seem to be quite well to do, as described in SO180-185 Wembley Exhibition. Here, the farm house is variously described as a Manor House, or beautiful old country home, where they employ farm hands and servants, who come to the rescue of the squatter on land next to the Delane farm. The girls name him Old Nemo as he has lost his memory. People by the name of Searle set his shack on fire. Old Nemo turns out to be the Father of Edith Enson, whom the girls have come across and befriended just prior to coming camping, at the Wembley Exhibition. The Searles are Edith’s Guardians.

In SO 318-323 £5000 Reward (SGOL 555 She Cheated Her Morcove Chum), Dolly saves the life of Daphne Cranford. Grace, who is with Dolly at the time, is collecting scabious and doesn’t take part in the actual rescue, which happens so quickly. After Daphne’s parents come into money, Daphne wants to thank the girl who saves her life, however gets the identities of the girls mixed up and the reward goes to Grace. When Grace realises the reward is for Dolly and not herself, she genuinely wants to rectify the wrong, however she has had a taste of ‘the good life’ and Morcove is also under the illusion she has done a great deed, which heightens her esteem, especially after the girl she was at the beginning of the saga. Dolly, after a while realises the reward was for her, of which so much the money can achieve for her struggling, hard working parents. The deception is exposed however, and eventually cleared up due to the intervention of Dolly, who shows her strength of character in her gracious dealings with Grace, and also the way she handles Cora and her shallowness.

The Delanes remain on the farm until SO 468-472 Althea Marshall the Lonely New Girl (SGOL 689 Alone at Morcove). At this stage, the Delanes lose everything. Dolly suggests they move to a long vacant and neglected small holding close to Morcove – which they do. When the affair of the unfair eviction is cleared up, the Delanes decide to stay at the small holding at Morcove where they are happy, hard working and have the will to succeed, and Dolly returns to Morcove as a day girl.

She often brings treats for the girls, especially strawberries and home made clotted cream.

There is description of the land around Dolly Delane’s cottage and Morcove itself - Dolly can see Morcove from her bedroom window, as is mentioned in SO 483-487 Jose and Garcio Mexican. She tells Helen, who has come to ask her to tea with herself and Pam, that she saw a person climb down the fire escape. This is highly illegal, and it turns out to be Muriel Garth.

Dolly’s Aunt Ada Addison – sister of Mrs Delane - comes from the Scottish Highlands, and we meet her in SO 607-610 Mike the Mysterious. She is described as a virago. In this story we learn that Dolly’s real name is Dorothy. That fact isn’t revealed when Dolly first comes to Morcove. An old man by the name of Dan’l works around the small holding. I have a feeling that this story isn’t written by Phillips – twice have tried to immerse myself into the story and twice have the same feeling that it just isn’t Phillips’ style.

Pam and her parents, Mr & Mrs Willoughby

Pam, like Betty, is another person of whom Miss Massingham doesn’t approve. No doubt due to her composure and because she just goes her own way regardless.

Pam’s Mother has the same name, although she is known as Pamela. Her Father has at least two brothers, one is Charles Willoughby, known as The Grey Man in SO 463-467 Christmas at Swanlake (SGOL 706 The Legend of Swanlake)

The Willoughbys’ thoughts on Cora Grandways, when she gatecrashes in SO 592-597 Inter-School Sports: “She is a little minx,” said Mrs Willoughby indignantly. “That about wanting the address – trumpery excuse!” “In other words, she thought she would get what Hetty might be getting, under our roof this week-end? For audacity,” smiled Mr Willoughby, “it would take some beating.”

Of course, the above happens before Mr & Mrs Willoughby discover that Hetty has caused the dreadful accident which happened to Pam. Cora knows that Hetty is the guilty one, and is milking her for as much as she can get.

Pam’s name is on Morcove’s Honour Board, having earnt her place there during SO 445-452 Pam’s Problem With the Morgan Family (SGOL 685 When Pam Made Morcove Wonder), where she saves the life of the dreadful Edna Morgan.

Jennings is the Morcove chauffeur, although his name is mentioned as being under the employ of the Willoughby family - SO 458-462 Pam’s Unruly Cousin Billy.

She is gracious, dignified and unjudgemental all times, although she finds Grace Garfield hard to bear, especially in SO 397-407 Rosemount School (SGOL 639 Driven From Morcove) and (SGOL 643 That ‘Meddler From Morcove) She handles the girls – especially Polly - so well during her Captaincy. Although they are great friends, Polly’s impetuousness frequently causes ripples between the two. During SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out – Polly temporarily loses it with Pam. Jack & Co (Known as the Fenwicks’ Filibusters), are demonstrating against the impostor Dr Trouncer and are holed up in one of the caves below Morcove. Pam, Helen and Tess are sent into Barncombe to get supplies for the boys, and come in empty handed:

Just then the door opened, letting in Pam, Helen and Tess. Their entry upon the scene would have meant nothing either surprising or dismaying; but they came in empty-handed. And their looks –

“Well?” clamoured Polly frantically. “What?”

“Yes, bekas – What ze diggings! Where is all ze food that you were to buy in Barncombe? Queek, bekas ‘”

“Miss Somerfield has it.”

“Wha-a-at!”

“Gosh!” gasped Polly, staring wildly. “You couldn’t do a simple thing like that! Ugh!”

“We did exactly as you would have done,” submitted Pam serenely. “And would any of you girls have expected to find the headmistress herself lying in wait for you? After all, how often do girls cycle in Barncombe to get things for afternoon tea. Whoever thinks anything of a girl coming in from the cycle sheds carrying a few Creamery parcels?”

“So you were doing that when Miss Somerfield swooped?” exclaimed Betty, still aghast.

There were nods from Pam, Helen and Tess.

“Miss Somerfield simply walked straight up to us and said ‘Let me look at those parcels.’”

However during SO 710-714 Pam New Form Captain Polly - for the first time, shows complete and utter loyalty to Pam without question or misreading her.

Pam has a major part in helping to clear Tom Trelawney in SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed. I don’t have the final instalment of this series, so don’t know how this is achieved.

Pam’s unfaltering loyalty and humanity really shines whereby she stands by Shirley Branson, who with her brother Tom become protégées of the Willoughby family in SO 666-670 Pam’s Protegee Shirley Branson.

Mrs Rosewell is Swanlake’s housekeeper – she has been there for thirty years SO 445-452 Pam’s Problem With the Morgan Family (SGOL 685 When Pam Made Morcove Wonder)

Pam’s parents own Beach House at Brighampton - SO 741-745 Brighampton

Judy Cardew

Judy has a scar near her wrist that she has had since a child. She doesn’t know how she got it, and when she asked about it the Grandways didn’t know how she got it. This is before her transformation, and one of the clues Phillips lets slip about her not being a Grandways.

SO 564 Hetty Lets Out the Secret shows the very first illustration of Mrs Cardew, where, unbeknown to Judy, she is meeting her real Mother for the first time. Mrs Cardew is tall, with lovely dark eyes.

Betty Barton

“We’ll manage!” and “To bear and forbear.” Fortitude is a word which comes up more than once, and is the word chosen by Miss Somerfield in a special prize which Betty wins during her battles when she and her Father are accused of burning down Josiah Grandways’ mill, and it is also mentioned during SO 645-649 Etta’s Brother in Disgrace, where she has to go home due to her sister Doris’ illness. Betty also has a brother Joe. Apart from Doris, who is mentioned several times during the saga due to her ill health, Joe is seldom if ever, mentioned. Parents are Joe - known as James in SO 207-210 Tyrant Mistress Bertha Snode (SGOL 355 The Morcove Tyrant), and Nell Barton. Uncle George Barton is the person who rescues the family from dire poverty in the early days.

Betty is an outstanding leader, and a superb person. The only times she comes unstuck – through outside intervention - is during SO 174-179 Ursula As Captain (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret) and SO 430-434 Hilda Fawley From Betty’s Hometown (SGOL 665 Not Fit For Morcove). Circumstantial evidence against her in both stories is so strong that authority is forced to believe it.

Betty’s advice to Naomer in SO 499 The Fourth Form’s Folly – when Naomer unwisely thinks she can do anything because she is a Queen:

“Those who are specially favoured by their position in life, Naomer,” Betty more or less seriously addressed her Serene Highness, “must be all the more careful not to take advantage! Never let it happen again!”

In SO 500 Betty Barton’s Unenviable Task, she remarks to Judy, when both start to become uneasy about Cora’s behaviour:

“Judy, don’t worry. Cora shan’t get like it again – not whilst I am Captain.”

As we know though, Cora eventually reverts to her true colours and totally beyond any further attempts at rehabilitation.

Betty’s mature outlook and her philosophy on life serve her well during SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out, when she temporarily loses the Captaincy due to her aiding Polly and Judy after it is discovered that Jack and Dave are in trouble at Grangemoor. She graciously assists Etta – who has been allotted the Captaincy by Miss Somerfield. When the going gets really tough for the boys, Polly and Judy, she answers Polly’s furious rage with “Why – carry on, of course!”

In SO 640-644 Headland Hotel, Betty has a really hard time trying to keep Polly’s headstrong temper under control after she and Naomer are found guilty of the trumped up charge of setting fire to the workmen’s shed at the Headland Hotel site. Polly rages at Brenda Fordyce (Her Uncle George Amberley is Financial Director of the Headland Hotel project), who is suspected of leaking information to Cora Grandways regarding the fire. Cora is the guilty party, having eavesdropped on a private conversation between Judy and Brenda, and set Brenda up due to her shunning Cora’s false overtures of friendship. Brenda later pretends to befriend Cora when she learns about the theft of the Delane’s Title Deeds, and she is ostracized by the girls until she eventually comes up trumps, exposing Josiah and Cora for their deceit and for the theft of the Title Deeds. During the row Betty calls a Form meeting where she wants to give Brenda a fair chance – but which Brenda doesn’t attend (She is out trying to relocate the Delanes’ stolen Title Deeds which she had successfully obtained earlier on, but had been observed by Saul Budgeon who broke into the school and stole them back), and so she again says “Oh, just carry on, that’s all!”

Tess Trelawney

Tess has a brother Tom, cousins Agatha and Gerald Trelawney, Aunt ? and Uncle Rupert? Trelawney - SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed; Uncle John Trelawney and his wife May, SO 107-110 Cruising With Tess’ Uncle (SGOL 169 Morcove on the Sea). Uncle John is a New York millionaire - does he come to the rescue when Tess’s family is in trouble in SO 734-736 Tess Trelawney Distress at Home? Aunt Penelope Trelawney SG 396-408 When Morcove Expelled Her. Tess’ parents are Dorothy and Arthur Trelawney - although her Father is also known as John in a later story. Various descriptions of her home exist - known as Langwood Court in SO 211-214 Tess Leaves Home (SGOL 367 When Tess Left Morcove) and in SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed it is known as The Gables, Tollbarn, Droversford. And then later again it is Woodicombe in SO 734-736 Tess Trelawney Distress at Home.

Madge Minden

Madge has an Aunt Margaret Elsby, and a cousin – Effie Stanford, who appear in SO Annual 1928. There is also an Aunt Anna – SO 20-24 Madge Minden Outcast (SGOL 58 The Girl Morcove Misjudged). In this early story Madge has both parents, but by at least SO 94-98 Madge Minden’s Search (SGOL 151 Madge Minden’s Secret), her Mother has passed away. In SO 481 Backed Up By Study 12, Polly mentions that Mrs Minden passed away when Madge was a baby. Madge’s relationship with Jack Linton is mentioned as early as SO 62-65 Second Morocco (SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove) Jack of course is the older version of himself until Phillips decides he is to be younger – he drives his Mother Mrs Linton, over to Morcove to bring the girls home for the Easter holidays.

Fay and Edna Denver

As we know, Fay and Edna come to Morcove in SO 691-695, Morcove’s Feud With Grangemoor. It isn’t long before they are suspended during SO 699-702 Spanish Treasure, due to smoking and illicit visits to the Headland Hotel. During a long overdue Museum clean up, an old parchment map of the Morcove coastline is discovered. It contains vital evidence of long ago buried treasure, and it is stolen during the night. Tess is able reconstruct a copy of it, which Fay and Edna steal, just prior to being sent home. As their parents are away, they decide to stay in the area and try and locate the treasure rightfully belonging to a Madame Almaro and her daughter Isabel, whom Helen has befriended on the train, returning for new term a week or so behind the others. The Denver girls - whilst searching for the treasure, run into trouble by the hand of people named Guzman who are staying at the Headland, and who are after the treasure for themselves.

Pat Lawrence

“I believe she’s a handful, that new girl,” Polly frowned. “You’ll have trouble with her, Betty! Far more trouble than you ever had even with – “ Before saying the rest, Polly glanced towards the door, so make sure that it was closed.

“Even with Cora Grandways, in the old days,” she resumed, after that cautious pause. “Only Cora never got a following of really nice girls. Pat’s different –“

(We know of course, Horace Phillips quickly tames this most brilliant of girls, and how Cora soon reverts to her old ways!)

Pat handles most situations by saying “Oh, what does it matter?” or “It doesn’t matter at all” when in some circumstances it does matter a lot. This is in evidence during SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence. In this story, Pat’s Aunt Jessica Lawrence marries Mr Crosby. Pat is glad that her Aunt is to marry, although she is aghast because the widower has two daughters who caused her expulsion from her previous school, Lowmoor.

Aunt Jessica is tremendously wealthy, however lives a simple, almost reclusive life, even though she is relatively young, only in her late thirties. story. As well as the manor house in Somerset with its superb garden, she also owns a home in London, where they are known by the Lundys as their opera boxes are next door to each other. Lady Evelyn Knight, daughter of the Earl and Countess Lundy of Barncombe Castle, takes an instinctive liking of Pat upon their first real meeting, and remarks about the opera boxes. Pat and her Aunt are extremely popular – especially on the country circuit, and known to almost everyone. Very close friends with old landed gentry such as the Norrises, who take on a furnished place near Stormwood ‘for the season’, and the Jessops who have a country house inland from Morcove.

The SO version of the story also states that Pat attended Eastgate, rather than Lowmoor which we learn of in SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence. Lowmoor – on the coast in Somerset, is an hour and a half’s run by motor bike.

Upon re-reading SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence, Pat’s Aunt Jessica’s home could be in the locality of Beechwood Park in Somerset, rather than being the name of her home.

The Crosby girls think that because Pat’s Aunt Jessica doesn’t seem to take to them on their first meeting is that Pat has told her that they are the ones responsible for Pat being expelled from Lowmoor. The Three E’s don’t take to the Crosby girls, and this is despite them coming to know that they were responsible for Pat’s expulsion from Lowmoor.

Pat wishes that she had made friends with the Study 12 Coterie, when she first started at Morcove, and is forced to eat her words to Pam about never liking them when she is made Captain. Betty and Co come to her aid during her Aunt Jessica’s wedding, when she is so viciously set up by the Crosby girls. She realises at last the sterling worth of them, especially Betty.

SO 482 When Dave Lawder Helped:

Pat suddenly walked the room.

“I’m thinking, Polly,” she paused to say, at last, “How I used to feel that I couldn’t stand you at all. Nor Betty.”

“Couldn’t be helped, I suppose!”

“And you have been, all of you, such real friends to me at this trying time,” Pat spoke on feelingly. I feel I must say, Polly, it has made me feel sorry – ashamed –“

More is learnt about the Crosby sisters in SO 481 Backed Up By Study 12. They lost their Mother when they were babies, and as Mr Crosby had to go abroad, the awful pair were brought up by an inefficient governess and sent to a prep school that wasn’t cracked up to what it was, and so by the time they got to Lowmoor the damage had set in. Helen remarks that their past shouldn’t influence their despicable behaviour, obvious to all excepting their Father and Pat’s Aunt Jessica. Pat is calm and shows no emotion whatever at her treatment by this awful pair, but treating them in return with dignity and respect. Behind Norah and Lilian’s facades lie a hopeless envy of Pat and her popularity, even with their wealth behind them. Pat receives a letter from Mabel Carden, who has recently left Lowmoor and is off to New Zealand to live with her parents. Mabel knows the Crosby pair well, and was unfortunately under their influence whilst at Lowmoor, however now she knows that their Father is to marry Pat's Aunt, she decides to set the record straight and give Pat some support, as she knows that Pat was wrongfully expelled. She also tells Pat that the pair were becoming really objectionable. Of course, Dave is more than a match for the Crosby girls, eventually forcing their hand to become the normal human beings which they do.

After re-reading SO 645-649 Etta’s Brother in Disgrace, Pat is a little too officious in her role as temporary Captain here, and Miss Everard can see it. When she becomes Captain after Etta stands down, Polly is the first to back Pat, until circumstances force Polly to change her mind. Pat makes herself very unpopular with the Coterie, due to her treatment of Etta and her officiousness, and they refuse to apologise to her.

Pat is responsible for lacrosse becoming extremely popular at Morcove.

Cissy Norton

Cissy’s parents are George and Jessie Norton. Jessie Norton is Mrs Linton’s sister, and a very similar character to her – quiet and refined. George though, is the opposite – loud, brash, irritating and intrusive. He works at the Stock Exchange. Cissy unfortunately takes after her Father. Polly loves her Aunt Jessie, but doesn’t have much time for her Uncle George. The Norton family are very wealthy, and everything is showered upon the ultra pampered Cissy. Cissy was in trouble at her previous school, but her parents don’t know of this. She covers herself by asking to be taken away, and Morcove is chosen. Aunt Jessie is worried about Cissy wanting to leave her old school, but goes along with it and enlists the help of her sister Mrs Linton and Polly, to settle her down at Morcove. Unfortunately, Mrs Linton hasn’t seen Cissy since she was a baby, and isn’t impressed at all by her. (There is no reason given for why there is such a huge gap with no contact.) Polly doesn’t like Cissy’s ways - especially after she teases the Lintons dog Rex, and allows the servants to take the blame for smashing a Chinese vase when in fact she did it herself. Upon arrival at Morcove, Cissy quickly makes herself unpopular, and Cora Grandways sees an opportunity for herself with Cissy. The first thing she does is set a trap, for which Betty is blamed by Cissy. For all that, Polly is determined to look out for Cissy, and is ultimately afraid that Cissy will eventually fall under Cora’s spell. She does all she can to stop the association, much to her cost. Polly continually tries to see the better side of Cissy and to help her as well. It just doesn’t work. Miss Somerfield is hard on Polly as she sees it that she isn’t aiding Cissy – but of course she doesn’t know what is going on behind the scenes. Judy, due to her instinctive dislike of Cissy, is led a merry dance even more so Cora. SO 342 Were They Too Hard on Her:

Judy, if I have any more of your nonsense, I’ll box your ears! Anyhow, what’s the matter with Cissy Norton, that you can’t do her a turn?”

“I don’t like her.”

“You wouldn’t! But that isn’t to say that there is anything against her. She is not your sort, perhaps, any more that she is the sort for Betty & Co.” Cora suddenly gave her wide grin.

“It is a scream, those girls having to take Cissy into Study 12. Spoils the select circle, and all that, eh? Ha, ha, ha!”

Cissy quickly realises that although to be with Cora is fun, she sees the type of girl she is. She would much rather be friendly with the rest of the girls, but her personality prevents this and of course she can’t see why. She gets herself into trouble when she follows the Coterie on a picnic to Brown Tor. Polly is blamed by Miss Somerfield for not looking out for Cissy, and then there is the affair of Cissy involving herself with Cora and the hayrick belonging to Farmer Jollard being set on fire. This time, Grace Garfield is blamed for this.

I don’t know the details of all of the above as I don’t have that instalment.

Both Cora and Cissy are in trouble with the ticket money raised for the charity concert organised by Morcove for the Jollard farm. Ursula is involved in this incident. Cissy cannot stand Ursula.

By the time of the next story - SO 346-350 Miss Cunliffe (SGOL 603 The Scheming Mistress of Morcove), Cissy is tiring of her wayward life with Cora and really wants to make proper contact with Polly and for the Study 12 Coterie’s company. But, Cora’s influence is too strong for her at this point.

(See more on Cissy in Miss Cunliffe’s profile on the Morcove analyses.) Cissy features in SO 363-366 Cora Grandways Disgraced (SGOL 617 The Girl Who Fooled Morcove.);and SO 367-372 Cora Grandways Reformation (SGOL 623 The Girl Morcove Pitied). She disappears from the radar soon after.

Diana Forbes

Diana is an out and out troublemaker and ‘pot stirrer’. She causes trouble and mayhem to Camilla Loretto in SO 435-439 Camilla Loretto the Italian Girl (SGOL 669 Shielded by Morcove) and also to Althea Marshall in SO 468-472 Althea Marshall.

Ursula Wade

SO 535-539 Anne Sheridan New Girl (Monica Hope): .Possessed of a mind far meaner, far more deceitful than Morcove had ever suspected

SO 379-382, Called Back to Morcove, (SGOL 627 Called Back to Morcove): Malicious and underhanded.

Ursula is at Morcove long before Betty’s arrival, and is the longest serving, most detested and unpleasant character ever to enter Morcove. Detested more than Audrey, Cora, Hetty and the Denver sisters. Not quite as evil as Audrey though, and doesn’t possess the cleverness of Cora and Hetty. However, there is a cold passiveness that far outweighs those slightly better attributes. Ursula has sea green/grey eyes, a pale lifeless face, and the usual requisite lanky, straight hair. Leonard Shields occasionally illustrates her hair style as similar to Pams, which is a pity! Although her parents are quite wealthy, they keep a check on her pocket money, which is Ursula’s continual bugbear. She never has enough, and what she does get is immediately exhausted, and so continually stoops to petty thieving. This thieving is what eventually gets her expelled from Morcove. Her time at Morcove is spent continually living beyond her means and constantly owing money right, left and centre. When Betty first comes to Morcove, she quickly falls foul of Ursula. Betty, not knowing Ursula’s past but instinctively taking a dislike to her, shields her when she discovers Ursula stealing. She promises that she will repay her kindness, but it never happens, and Betty pays a heavy price.

Ursula never learns from past mistakes, or bettering herself and changing her ways. She is lazy and takes no pride in her appearance. Countless times she has been given opportunity after opportunity of friendship and inclusion in the many affairs of the Fourth, but she avails herself of none of them.

Cora’s opinion of Ursula in SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret: “You, the miserable, crawling specimen that has never yet counted for anything in the eyes of the Form! You think you’d like to take the lead all at once – over me, too?”

In this story, Ursula discovers that Cora has found Naomer’s missing jewels that are washed up on the beach, when she escapes the Nortons. Cora, always on the lookout to create trouble for Betty, frames her for the theft. Unbeknown to Cora though, Ursula discovers Cora’s scheming, and she frames Cora herself. Cora threatens Ursula with the following until she finds out how much Ursula knows. Betty resigns her captaincy, for which Cora quickly sees an opportunity for herself. But for once, Ursula is too clever for her and Ursula pips her at the post. This is about the only time though, that Ursula ‘has it all over’ Cora. Ursula’s sudden new quiet authority impresses some of the girls, but it doesn’t last long, and then she frightens them. She goes to Betty explaining some dreadful treatment meted out to Paula which she has quashed, but makes the mistake of naming the perpetrator. This goes down badly with Betty, who has decided that she will support Ursula in her new role.

Throughout the saga after this particular story, Cora, although detesting Ursula, uses her when she has no one else to scheme with, and to while away the time in illicit pastimes.

Not a lot is known about Ursula’s family, apart from the fact that they don’t allow her much financial freedom. Her elder sister Maggie whom we meet in SO 379-382, Called Back to Morcove, (SGOL 627 Called Back to Morcove) is a thoroughly likeable girl. Ursula’s Aunt Alicia Adelaide - SO 503-508 The Morcove Peeress, Ursula Wade (SGOL 701 The Morcove Peeress) is also a decent person, although her head was rather turned when she first learned that Ursula was going to come into the Ravenscaw fortune. She assumes responsibility for Ursula after the apparent death of Ursula’s parents, although there doesn’t seem to be any documentation regarding their death. Ursula’s brother Philip though, who attends Hurstbourne School is also a character similar to Ursula. He is featured in see SO 445-452 Pam’s Problem With the Morgan Family (SGOL 685 When Pam Made Morcove Wonder). Both Maggie and Philip, along with Aunt Alicia, feature briefly during the saga, with all emphasis on Ursula. Ursula’s parents are alive right up to at least SO 426-429 Pam and the Casket of Kangpur, (SGOL 647 Morcove’s Casket of Mystery)

Aunt Alicia assumes responsibility for Ursula when her parents die – strangely there seems to be no story featuring the death of her parents, and Horace Phillips seems to forget the existence of Philip and Maggie when he writes SO 503-508, The Morcove Peeress, Ursula Wade (SGOL 701) One would have expected either Maggie or Philip inherit the title! When Muriel Swancrave/Ravenscaw inherits the title, it is unknown if she actually aids Ursula. It is assumed that Aunt Alicia Adelaide who is rather wealthy, carries on responsibility for Ursula until her demise from the Morcove saga.

Ursula’s dreadful deeds are usually exposed in her dreams at night, when she is having nightmares. Many is the time Betty, Polly and Co hear her talking in her sleep, unconsciously giving herself away.

Ursula’s involvement in the lead up to Miss Everard getting married proves to be her final undoing, and she is ultimately expelled from Morcove - SO 679-682 Marriage of Miss Everard. (In Dennis L Bird’s Morcove Musings, he writes that Ursula is not expelled. Perhaps he didn’t have this particular story, or at the time of writing he had no further details on Ursula.)

Althea Dillon

See Friardale Website

More on the Fifth

Dora Dean is a girl whom Phillips could have made much of. Shades of Jemima Carstairs here, with Dora on the scene prior to Rosman’s wonderful creation.

Anna Easton – SGOL Annual 1930

Violet Vane – one time Captain of the Fifth, is a super nasty character before she reforms. Absolutely NASTY.

More on the Mistresses

Miss Somerfield

She is depicted by both Phillips and Shields as ‘different ages’ throughout the saga. An example is in SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap she is a much younger person than in previous stories. Her friend, Mabel Eldersen comes to stay at Morcove with her baby, which is kidnapped. Miss Somerfield’s and Mabel’s Mothers were at school together, which suggests that the two are around the same age. Shields illustration of Miss Somerfield is certainly of a young woman. Jack Somerfield is the reason for the baby kidnapping. Miss Somerfield undergoes extreme anxiety and anguish in this story, including not believing Polly and Jack, who are staying at Cliff Edge Bungalow whilst under suspension. They deliver to Miss Somerfield a message from the kidnappers and Miss Somerfield thinks it is just a ruse to get back to Morcove.

Miss Redgrave (Mrs Burnaby)

She marries Dick Burnaby in SO 414-419 The Morcove Wedding (SGOL 653 The Wedding at Morcove). She accompanies the girls to France in SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France.

Miss Everard

Miss Everard is twenty two when she comes to Morcove, and her sister Florrie is sixteen. She is very astute, and quickly sums up Ursula Wade on first contact, and also the worth of Pat Lawrence. Betty, also extremely astute, realises that certain girls are taking Miss Everard for a ride, before Miss Everard herself sees so - SO 498-502 Miss Everard New Mistress (SGOL 730 On Trial at Morcove). The SGOL version of this story isn’t as heavily edited as many of the re-prints are. Miss Everard is seen as weak by the girls, and even Betty is forced to believe it for a while, and so she draws up a blacklist of girls whom Miss Everard should watch out for. But, to Betty’s dismay, these certain girls are still given certain favours. (Of course, Violet Corfew has a hand in this as she intercepts Betty’s warning to Miss Everard.) Violet has her knife into Miss Everard. Betty becomes angry when discipline is wrought upon the class, with dispensation on the blacklisted girls which makes Betty’s job very difficult indeed! Miss Everard is eventually suspended but does return to Morcove. (It is revealed at the end of the story that Cora sees Violet intercepting the note, so she has a trump card over Violet).

Miss E and Florrie board at No 5 The Meads, with the kindly Mr & Mrs Welworthy. Florrie is the one who is able to save the day for Miss Everard, at the country house party given by the Jessops – friends of Pat Lawrence and her Aunt Jessica, for their daughter, Frances.

By SO 614-618 Polly Linton at Fallowfield School, Miss Everard is in trouble again, and this time she lodges at No 5 Ashley Terrace after she temporarily leaves Morcove due to the affair of the leaking of the school register, and has had Florrie in a nursing home.

More on Barncombe House

Fifth Form:

Ethel Wilbut

Milly Haward

Nell Conway

Diana West

More on Grangemoor

Their colours are orange and black. In SO 570 Castaways of the Air though, it is stated that the tie is yellow and black.

Grangemoor has a War Memorial – this information comes from SO 458 That Cousin of Pam’s.

Grangemoor has another House – Spenlows - by the time of SO 666-670 Pam’s Protegee Shirley Branson. It is unknown whose House it was previously.

Charlie Calligan and the Hon Bob – both of whom take a big liking to Paula, aren’t mentioned again during the Morcove saga, even though they are touted as such good friends of Jack and Dave. See SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out.

Michael Heriot has a motor bike and side car - SO 458 That Cousin of Pam’s.

Some more boys of Grangemoor:

Steve Hope – the troublemaking cousin of Trixie Hope. SO 329-334 First Jack Linton, Disgraced (SGOL 579 Polly Linton’s Brother – Expelled and SO 358-362 Moatby Grange (SGOL 615 The Boy Who Marred Morcove’s Christmas)

Bobby Cheriton – Billy Charters fights him when he first comes to Grangemoor.

Robin Merton. He shares a study with Jack and Dave in SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow

And some more staff:

Tonkin, a House Porter.

Dave Cardew

Polly’s attraction to Dave is mentioned as early as SO 318-323 £5000 Reward (SGOL 555 She Cheated Her Morcove Chum). Madge’s attraction to Jack is also mentioned in the same story. Many girls of dubious character, such as Lucille Lafarge in SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas are attracted to Dave for his honesty and integrity, and they wish they were of similar character.

About the worst situation to befall Dave – apart from his illness, is when his motives are misunderstood by Morcove and Grangemoor in SO 687-690 Cromlech Manor House. The Delanes inherit Cromlech Manor from a distant relative. This is a run down country estate which needs to be brought back into its previous prosperity and one of the terms of the Will is that it is not to be sold outside the family, and if the Delanes fail in their venture, it is to be offered to another distant relative. Unbeknown to the Delanes, these distant relatives who are unscrupulous and who have fallen on hard times are actually guests at Cromlech, scheming to get the estate themselves. They are in the guise of a Mrs Curtis, and her daughter Thelma (In reality, they are Mrs Laura Delane, and daughter Enid.) Strange things start to happen just after the arrival of Morcove and Grangemoor, and Dave is the first one to become suspicious of the pair, especially after looking at an old photograph album in the library of Cromlech and decides to befriend Thelma as part of his investigations. Thelma is flattered and finds him extremely attractive, however her shallow and narrow character shows itself up. To Morcove and Grangemoor though, Dave’s befriending of this imperious, shallow and nasty character is beyond their understanding. Phillips allows the readers to be kept up to speed, with Morcove and Grangemoor being kept in the dark about events, although the highly intuitive Jimmy thinks there may be an ulterior motive behind Dave’s odd and out of character behaviour. Unexplained incidents happen, resulting in driving guests away from the Manor, which is of course just what the outsider Delanes are planning upon. Dave’s gallant attitude and impeccable politeness to Thelma’s vanity and coquettishness is rather titillating, as she thinks he is genuinely attracted to her! Eventually she realises that Dave is shadowing her but she cannot say anything to him, although complains to her Mother long and loud. It is soon suggested by Pam that an adult be invited to join them due to the troubles, and the choice is Mrs Cardew, and in actual fact she arrives unexpectedly at the Manor before the invitation. By the third episode of this story, it is revealed to the reader how Dave is suffering by his ‘infatuation’ with Thelma against all odds, and how he knows he has upset the Coterie, Jack, Tubby and Jimmy. The final straw is when Jack is driven beyond endurance by Dave’s behaviour, and he is ‘sent home’ by Mrs Cardew. It isn’t until the end that the reader is made aware that Dave doesn’t return home at all, although little clues are leaked out by Phillips. When the Delane pair are exposed by Dave and after their hurried departure from the Manor, Polly, naturally, takes the whole scenario really hard after Dave’s heroic actions are revealed. No wonder Mary Cadogan thinks that Polly marries Dave, as he is the only person other than Betty – and perhaps Pam, who can do anything with Polly and her explosive nature! Jimmy’s star also rises higher with Pam after his heroic actions save her and Tess from a raging bull.

Jimmy Cherrol

One of the finest boys of Grangemoor. Jimmy’s feelings for Pam are interspersed throughout SO 655-657 Morcove in Turania, as does his instinct, bravery and heroism under duress. (Unfortunately I don’t have SO 655.) Also in this story, Jimmy will come in for a large windfall from Jack and Zora Somerfield when they eventually sell Zora’s land in Turania. This sets him up financially, although it doesn’t alter his inferiority complex. It also doesn’t stop him from being framed for theft in later stories.

Billy Charters

See Friardale website

Barncombe Castle and the Lundy family

When the Lundy family are introduced to the saga, their cars are Rolls Royces. Phillips introduces his own Roysler into the saga at some later stage. Phillips’ description of Lady Evelyn is similarly applied to Pam when she comes into the saga. Lady Evelyn takes a special shine to the Study 12 Coterie, and is described well in SO 20 Madge Minden’s Folly, where she, finds especial companionship in Madge. As the saga grows, the friendship with the Morcove girls deepens, with the exception of course, Audrey, Cora, Ursula and the Denvers to name a few.

The exact location of Barncombe Castle is also in SO 20.

Lord Lundy is the Chairman of the Headland Hotel. Lady Lundy is a Governor of Morcove School, and also a Magistrate in the Barncombe Court, where she does her best to help the people of Barncombe. She decides to step down though, whilst Polly and Naomer attend Court after being accused by Josiah Grandways on a trumped up charge of setting fire to the workmen’s shed at the Headland Hotel site. They are found guilty. Of course, Josiah, aided and abetted by Cora Grandways is the instigator – SO 640-644 Headland Hotel.

Barncombe Castle Staff:

Babs Harper SO 200-206 Babs Harper (SGOL 342 At Morcove to Cheat Another)

Muriel Swancrave – she later goes on to be Lady Ravenscaw. SO 503-508 Ursula as Lady Ravenscaw (SGOL 701 The Morcove Peeress), SO 515-518 Ravenscaw Castle.

Tregarth

Mortimer

More on Other Characters

Camilla Loretto

Camilla comes from Averno in northern Italy, where she lives on a farm with her “Uncle Lorenzo Loretto” and “cousin Marianna”. She runs away from them when they discover that there is another Will, leaving the farm at Averno to her, by her recently deceased Grandfather. Camilla is tired of being treated badly and runs away, taking the new Will with her. Lady Evelyn, who is travelling through Italy with her parents, comes across this marvellously beautiful girl asleep in a meadow, about five miles from the Italian/Swiss border. So she rescues her and takes her to England, home to Barncombe Castle.

SO 435-439 Camilla Loretto the Italian Girl (SGOL 669 Shielded by Morcove). See also Morcove Magazine in SO 527 What More Could Polly Do.

Joyce Marshall of Gorselands Manor

Joyce makes her entrance in SO 548-552 Hetty Curzon, Deceitful New Girl, and she is in the Morcove saga on and off until the end. She lives with her parents at Gorselands Manor which is on the Droverton Road, about eight miles from Morcove. Mr and Mrs Marshall seem to be quite decent and popular, although ‘loud’. Mr Marshall is a buyer at the London Wool Exchange. The Marshalls love to entertain, and sometimes various HouseMasters and HouseMistresses of Grangemoor are invited to their soirees. In order to provide companionship for Joyce, Grangemoor boys are also allowed to attend, and once or twice Jack and Dave are included. They don’t really enjoy these parties, mainly due to their dislike of Joyce, although they do enjoy the food! Miss Somerfield, on the other hand, has no time for the Marshall family. It is the above story where Joyce meets Hetty Curzon and Cora Grandways, and realising their ‘type’, quickly extends the hand of friendship.

Joyce is a wayward type of girl, easily bored and always on the lookout for excitement. She is a little older than the Morcove Coterie. Joyce was expelled from school due to her waywardness, and although she jokes to Hetty and Cora that her parents haven’t bothered to find another school for her, the truth seems to be that no other school will take her. Betty Barton instinctively sums up Joyce upon their first meeting. As with many of Phillips’ characters, Joyce is extremely pretty, and Leonard Shields dresses her beautifully – there is an exquisite portrayal of Joyce, Hetty and Cora in SO 548 page 48.

Joyce has two cousins, Steve Marshall, who features in SO 731-733 Betty Barton’s Ordeal, and Daisy Marshall who features in SO 746-750.Agatha Drew and Head Girl. In this story, Valerie Floyd of the Sixth becomes infatuated by Daisy.

Joyce is friendly with Daisy Loveland, of Loveland Court. Daisy however, is totally opposite to Joyce, she comes from a genteel family, therefore is far superior to Joyce in every way. It is to Daisy’s 17^th birthday where Joyce brings along Hetty Curzon as her companion. Hetty has duped Morcove School in coming to this party, however Cora Grandways sees through the duplicity, and the end result of this sees Cora fall foul of Joyce Marshall. SO 574-576 Judy Cardew and Hetty Curzon. SO 574 – Page 56: Judy Cardew to Cora Grandways: “Joyce Marshall! That was the girl whom you were both friendly with last term, only Miss Somerfield didn’t approve.” SO 576 – Page 115: Betty Barton to Cora Grandways: “Joyce Marshall?” frowned Betty. “But surely, Miss Somerfield said girls were to have nothing to do with her!” “Hetty is friendly with her, isn’t she? Then why shouldn’t I be!” was the furious retort.

Joyce also seems to be rather fond of Dave, although she is older than the Coterie and the boys.

Another friend of Joyce’s is Hazel Baynard, a short lived member of the Fourth, whom she met at a hotel in Brighton - SO 626-629 Hazel Baynard New Girl v Betty Barton. Fay and Edna Denver, along with their cousin Percy Denver, also become part of Joyce’s crowd.

The Marshalls are wealthy enough to employ a Chauffeur whose name is Dawson, and a female Chauffeuse – her name is unknown.

Stories featuring the Marshalls:

SO 553 When Madge Was a Mystery!

SO 626-629 Betty Barton v Hazel Baynard.

SO 627 – Comments of Miss Everard to Hazel Baynard: I have heard of this Joyce Marshall before, Hazel.” “I’m sure there is nothing against her, Miss Everard.”. “Except that she has left school, and just idles about at home, and is inclined to be troublesome. Indulged, Hazel. And that is always - ”

SO 627 - Pat Lawrence to Hazel Baynard: “There is another thing, Hazel Baynard. It so happens that I wouldn’t wish to make friends with the girl who lives at Gorselands. I know all about her, and she’s not my sort.”

Anne Sheridan and Monica Hope

SO 535-539 Anne Sheridan New Girl (Monica Hope)

Anne Sheridan is a First Class passenger to England on board the liner Taj Mal. Shortly before the liner comes to grief by hitting a floating wreck (What happened to radar!!) she meets some of the Study 12 Coterie who are on their way back from the Nakaran holiday - SO 529-535, Nassina the Spy (SGOL 722 Stranded in the Desert). They get talking about their lives and about why Anne is on the liner, and school. The Coterie suggest that Morcove is the school for Anne. Also, Anne has befriended Monica Hope, a steerage passenger from Australia. Monica, a really nice girl, is in for a grim time in England, having also come from a grim time due to step relatives in Australia. But being the girl she is, assists a young mother who is sick, by looking after her baby. Just after Anne meets the Coterie, she goes steerage and insists to Monica that she go to her cabin to rest, while Anne herself looks out for the young mother and baby. When the liner sinks, Monica who is on the First Class deck, naturally is rescued, and of course the authorities think she is Anne Sheridan, as she had the foresight to take Anne’s attaché case with her. Sadly, we don’t learn if the young mother and baby survive. Anne (Monica) is duly given over to her Aunt, whom she hasn’t seen for many years if at all, and then Aunt Emily tells Monica that she would have died if Anne had died. Due to this, Monica decides to keep up the pretence of being Anne for a while, plus it will aid her in avoiding the unscrupulous step relatives she is bound for. Monica, under the guise of Anne, duly comes to Morcove, where she is welcomed with open arms, however they are a little puzzled by her. Shortly after, news reaches Morcove that a steerage passenger known as Monica Hope is rescued after all, and she is in hospital in Southampton with injuries and lost memory. Unfortunately for Monica, the dreaded step relative Mrs Horder does find her, after making enquiries regarding the rescued passenger. Meanwhile, the Study 12 Coterie become more puzzled by Anne’s behaviour and eventually work out that ‘Anne’ could be an impostor. By this time, Monica has decided to flee Morcove, and writes a letter to Miss Somerfield, giving a full and truthful explanation about how she came to Morcove, and the deception. However, the dreadful Mrs Horder intercepts the letter. Morcove decides to hold a concert to raise funds for ‘Monica’ who has been found in a hospital in Southampton. Ursula steals the proceeds of the concert, and hides it away at Hunter’s Rock Manor. Naturally enough, Morcove suspect that the missing Monica may have stolen the money. This is the place that Monica finally takes refuge in. There are some really good illustrations of Hunter’s Rock Manor in this story as well, by Leonard Shields. When matters are finally cleared up, by Anne regaining her memory, and Monica being exonerated, Anne asks that her Aunt Emily do something for Monica, and so she assumes responsibility for Monica and so she eventually becomes a member of the Fourth. Betty in the end, due to Ursula’s demeanour, starts to suspect that Ursula may have been the thief all along, although nothing is actually said.

More on the Circus

In the previous article on the website, I didn’t have this story, however do have it now!! Calmani’s Champion Circus (A name which belies its’ run down state) comes to Barncombe – and the fanfare as it trundles past Morcove draws the Study 12 Coterie to the front gate. They take a shine to Sambo the elephant, and a girl named Beth Garlow. They befriend Beth, who tells them that the circus has been sold, and that there is one more town to ‘do’ before it packs up. Beth also tells them of some of her and her Granny’s background, including the fact that her Father was part owner in the circus and he injured himself badly in the ring, which resulted in his death. (Shields illustrates Darkie as a younger man as opposed to Phillips’ older character, and oddly, Shields illustrates Pat Lawrence without her immediately recognisable hair style.) Since then, Calmani has been pocketing all proceeds and allowing the circus to run down into a deplorable state. The Circus is kept together by a clown, who is so fed up with the low pay that he leaves in Barncombe. Sambo is another drawcard, although he is not treated properly. Beth herself is a lithe and supple trick pony rider, trained well by her late Father. Darkie is a faithful old lame, but talented black man, who is badly treated by Jackson, the bullying but cowardly all mouth and no action manager, who is Calmani’s ‘greaser’. Calmani, the extremely well off owner is equally as nasty, having made his fortune with the Circus proceeds. Half of these proceeds of the sale were due to go to Beth, but because an important document cannot be found, nothing can be proved. Beth’s Granny Garlow, who is frail and absent minded, has put the document somewhere however she cannot remember where, and Beth is beside herself with worry about it. Polly and Jack are called home for the weekend and at the last moment Jack receives a telegram saying that Mr & Mrs Linton have to go to London urgently so they are told they can still go home or go back to school. They decide to stay and try and help Beth. (Just prior to this, the Coterie, along with Jack and Dave, have attended a performance, where Beth has an accident and is hospitalised.) He pays a lightning visit to the Circus where Beth tries to have a word with him, but to no avail. Jack and Polly opt to disguise themselves in order to help Beth Garlow and her Granny. Polly is easily able to do this due to her acting prowess and because Granny has lost her glasses and cannot see properly. Jack is taken on as a cook because Jackson is uneasy that even though the Circus is nearing its end, due to the clown leaving suddenly, he is short handed. Jack performs some silly acts which impresses the ghastly Jackson and so he is allowed in the ring. We learn that Linton Lodge has been built by the time this story is featured, as Betty sends a telegram to Polly. Jack and Polly successfully perform an act to a small audience, but which includes the Study 12 Coterie. Naomer thinks that the clown is similar to Jack’s particular antics. Cora and Ursula also feature in this long story. Tess is the first to tumble to Polly’s disguise, when Polly has to take a note to Miss Somerfield regarding a wrecked bicycle Jack has used in trying to stop Sambo rampaging towards Morcove. Tess doesn’t let on to Polly, but, tells the rest of the Study 12 Coterie. A farmer from Droverton way – Mr Honeywell, comes in regard to the Garlows’ van which he has brought to house his shepherd. This upsets Polly and Granny Garlow, however Polly realises that he is a genuine person and that he needs the van. She is also upset because she hasn’t found the missing paper. The van is taken away. Polly and Jack are requested to do a ‘turn’ at the circus by the awful Mr Jackson. Cora is champing at the bit because she is prevented by Betty and Miss Everard from attending the circus again in order to bowl out Polly, and she deliberately fouls Betty during a hockey match. So she enlists the fawning Ursula to go to the circus and uncover what she can. However, Mr Jackson’s van catches fire, which ignites the big top. Panic ensues, and Polly and Jack are heroes in saving many people in the conflagration, including Jackson himself who has panicked. The missing document is eventually discovered by Jack and Polly upon Jackson himself. Beth Garlow and her Granny receive the rewards due to them. Polly also saves Ursula who has collapsed in her usual cowardly style. Although Polly and Jack are hero and heroine in more ways than one, it is explained to the reader that they gave gone about doing the right thing in the wrong way, and that punishment is warranted. Miss Somerfield is directed to suspend Polly, and Dr Halden is directed to suspend Jack from Grangemoor. Both are terribly sad to do this but off course the reputations of Morcove and Grangemoor have to be upheld.

The suspensions result in Jack and Polly being sent to live at Cliff Edge bungalow under the guardianship of their old Nanny, Alice. Mr Linton has work commitments abroad and Mrs Linton is going with him. This unexpected turn of events isn’t bargained for, and so Mr Linton leases the bungalow and sends Jack and Polly there, along with Alice - the newly built Linton Lodge has been let fully furnished and staffed for tenancy. This is the leadup to the next story - the baby kidnap.

SO 584-587 Calmani’s Circus and SO 588-591 Baby Kidnap

Sailing vessels

Many vessels feature during the Morcove saga. These do not include old shipwrecks:

S.S. Golden Valley - SO 174-179 Return of the Girl Queen (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret)

Naomer came on this vessel, which plies between Marseilles and Avonmouth when she made her way back from Nakara to Morcove. Philip and Rachel Norton, opportunists, shelter Naomer and then try and steal her jewels. Whilst the Golden Valley is stopped due to fog about five miles from Morcove, they steal the ship’s pilot boat and whisk Naomer away with them. She escapes though, throws her jewels in a knotted hanky into the sea and makes her way to Morcove. SO 175 The Girl Who Could Have Told!: Swindlers long ‘wanted’ by the international police. There were warrants out for them in half a dozen different countries, and so it was little wonder that they had seized the chance to make a secret landing, thus evading the port police.

Southern Queen - SO 577-579 Prelude to Santa Rita

This is a small schooner – registered in Bristol. Two masts and square rigged.

S Y Salvator - SO 484 Only Morcove Could Help Her

Sanvincinte - SO 324-328 Girl from the wreck Hilda Morland (SGOL 571 Wrecked Near Morcove)

A Portuguese vessel wrecked off Morcove

Sylvania - SO 304-311 Morcove Girls in Canada (SGOL 537 The Morcove Girls in Canada) Mr Barton finances a mine in Canada along with Mr Craig.

S.Y. Coral Queen – SO 598-602 Morcove’s Treasure Island Holiday.

This yacht is chartered by the parents to go to Santa Rita in search of the treasure on behalf of Amy Stuart and her Father.

S.Y. Sea Nymph – Lord Lundy’s palatial yacht –SO 703-709 Cassara and Spain.

Overseas Locations

Turania

Turania – as a setting in the Morcove saga, is introduced in SO 76-81 Holiday In Turania (SGOL 133 Morcove In Turania). The SGOL is heavily abridged. Jack Somerfield – Miss Somerfield’s brother, mentions a proposed holiday to Turania in the previous story - SO 70-75 Audrey Blain, New Girl (SGOL 127 Morcove’s Reckless Two), where he has interests in an oil field in Turania. Audrey Blain hopes to get herself invited on this proposed holiday. Naturally of course, she doesn’t go! (See Audrey Blain’s profile on Friardale website)

Turania is a small fictional European country, which borders with Germany. In SO 760-763 Judy Cardew Helps Turanian Princess Sonia Phillips places it as Eastern European. Suva Pesth is the capital of Turania.

In the words of Jack Somerfield – SO 75 Through Her Own Fault!: “It is a land of great mountain ranges and huge lakes; a land of great old castles and vast forests.”

“Railways?” asked Tess breathlessly.

“Railways!” Well, those of us who go will get a few miles across the frontier by railway; then – it will be some travelling, I can tell you!” And Somerfield laughed. “You will find yourselves going through mountain passes in the craziest sort of stage-coaches.”

Jack goes on to explain that Turania has undergone a revolution, with peace reigning in the turmoil driven country.

Solfrino, a little village which has a tavern named the Goatsherd’s Pleasure where the entourage stays at the beginning of their first Turanian adventure. Carona – more substantial than Solfrino. Set deep in a valley, with its castle set on an island in the lake.

Betty, Polly, Paula, Madge, Tess, Bluebell, Trixie and Etta go to Turania accompanied by Miss Somerfield, Miss Redgrave and Rose of the Desert. In the SGOL version, the beginning of the story is different to the SO version – perhaps introducing the story to girls who haven’t read the SO version, and Etta’s name is missing from the list of girls. Jack Somerfield and Jack Linton become separated from Morcove, and that is when the adventures begin.

Jack Somerfield meets his bride – Zora Druvesco in SO 544-547 Second Turania

Suva Pesth, the Cat’s Creep, and Klosters feature in SO 654-657 Holiday In Turania (3). Klosters and Suva Pesth also feature in SO 760-763 Fifth Turania, which is illustrated by Evelyn Flinders. Princess Zoresco, daughter of the King of Turania, appears in SGOL Annual 1932. Princess Sonia features in SO 760-763 Fifth Turania.

Africa

SO 570-573 Morcove in the Jungle

SO 675-679 Morcove Girls in Africa

Pam takes an instant dislike to the name of Hekler (Maurice Hekler)

The South of France

Naomer joins the S.S. Golden Valley in Marseilles which plies between there and Avonmouth in SO 174-179 Return of the Girl Queen (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret)

SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France

The Study 12 Coterie, attended by Mrs Burnaby (Miss Redgrave) holiday in the South of France. The main characters in this story are The Baron Despard at the Chateau-Rouge, his grandchildren Hortense and Maurice Despard, whom he dotes on (These two are very similar to the dreadful Cyril and Sybil Elswick in SO 540-543 Madge Minden’s Father’s Secret). Phillips describes the Baron as an autocrat, who employs Louis Ducros to find the site of a secret fortune. The Eagles Nest, (The legend of this is explained in the story) and the stones with 9 and 7 inscribed on them are relevant. Marie Ducros is his daughter whom Morcove befriends after his disappearance. Morcove and Mrs Burnaby are staying at Blanchefleur Farm as paying guests, in a locality known as Mont l’aigle.

SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

As this is a Christmas story, see below.

Morcove Christmasses

There are many celebrated during the saga. These include:

SO 47-51 Morcove in Morocco (SGOL 92 Morcove in Morocco)

SO 99-102 Christmas Holiday at Garth Castle (SGOL 157 The Morcove Treasure Hunters)

SO 151-154 Christmas Convict (SGOL 231 Morcove’s Christmas Problem)

SO 200-206 Cheat at Morcove Babs Harper (SGOL 342 At Morcove to Cheat Another)

SO 255-259 Christmas at Linton Hall and London (SGOL 451 When Morcove Chums Quarrelled)

SO 304-307 Christmas at Sea Helen Craig

SO 358-362 Christmas at Moatby Grange (SGOL 615 The Boy Who Marred Morcove’s Christmas)

SO 463-467 Christmas at Swanlake (SGOL 706 The Legend of Swanlake)

SO 515-518 Ravenscaw Castle at Christmas

SO 567-569 Prior’s Wold Christmas

SO 619-621 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle

The Study 12 Coterie, along with Jack and Dave, (Before Jimmy comes into the saga) spend ten days over Christmas at Glenlochry Castle in the Highlands, north of Edinburgh. The various parents have clubbed together to provide a Scottish Christmas for the group. Jeannie Campbell and her Aunt Kirstie (Christina) Campbell – who has been left the castle – are finding it extremely difficult to run Glenlochry and its vast estate, including a deer forest, due mainly to the disappearance of the heir, Kirstie Campbell’s 21 year old son Donald. Donald - a good and chivalrous lad, but a hothead – in Phillips’ words - unwise and impatient, disappeared without trace several years previously, when he was told NO to an unreasonable demand by his Mother. They do retain a small staff, though.

Glenlochry and the adjoining hamlet – all in the lee of Ben Lochry, are serviced by a tiny local railway. Betty, Polly, Paula, Naomer, Jack and Dave are the first to arrive, two days before Christmas, with the others following the next day – Christmas Eve. Jeannie is a very pretty nineteen year old girl. They are helped by Old Alan – described by Phillips as an old giant of a man, whose rugged, bearded face was that of your true Hielan’ man. Glenlochry is described as being partly ancient fortress and partly “Scottish Baronial”. The Hall in particular, is furnished with antique oak settles, richly carved chairs and heavy draperies at the windows. It also has the grim and forbidding North Tower, and an underground crypt complete with labyrinthine passages. Aunt Kirstie is a tragic figure – due to the disappearance of Donald, although extremely warm and welcoming, and she is only too glad to earn some money. Old Alan skirls his bagpipes every night – in fact Jeannie tells the girls that he has done this ever since Donald disappeared – in the vain hope that he will ‘hear them from afar’ and return home. That first night, Betty and Polly hear an odd scuffling which un-nerves them, and they explore, venturing into the grim North Tower area. Later the same night Jeannie is found unconscious on the floor. Next day, she confides in the girls that she thought she saw Donald, and the shock of this caused her collapse.

On Christmas Eve morning, whilst out collecting holly, Polly requests Jack not to smoke but he says it’s Christmas, whilst calmly whiffing at a Virginian. She herself though, also takes a whiff of a cigarette which her Father is smoking, soon after! (Smoking is so de rigeur in those days.) On that same morning, Betty and Judy are out walking with Jeannie, and Jeannie goes into shock. Donald just turns up out of the blue, and walks towards them. The full details of the reunion isn’t explained by Phillips, however it can be imagined. Later on that day, the rest of the group - Mr & Mrs Linton, Madge and her Father, Pam and her parents Mr & Mrs Willoughby, Helen, Mrs Cardew, Colonel and Mrs Creel, arrive at the railway, (Mr Craig is overseas, as are Mr & Mrs Barton). There is a celebratory Christmas Eve dinner, with snow and blizzards all around. It’s not long though, before Dave’s detective bent rises to the fore (As it does in the later story SO 687-690 Cromlech Manor House which is described earlier in this article.) Jeannie and her Aunt are beside themselves with joy at the reunion, however Betty notices that Jeannie seems uneasy amidst the happiness. Donald has a patronising and supercilious attitude with everyone, and the boys and girls take an uneasy but instinctive dislike to Donald, especially Polly who refuses his ‘advances’ under the mistletoe. Jack is furious at his actions. Betty decides to have a quiet word with Jeannie in her room. She hears her crying and goes in to comfort her. Not a lot is said, apart from that they cannot expect any other attitude from Donald because of his experiences away. A lot is mutually unsaid though, with their eyes. Jack and Dave perform some ridiculous Christmas Eve tricks. Much later that night, Donald brusquely goes off to bed, after a conversation with Jeannie who rebuffs him, as Polly did earlier on. (It is now that we learn that he is an impostor, in the name of Steve Jaffry, a bullying opportunist but a total coward, who met the real Donald as shipmates, trying their luck together in South America. The two bear an uncanny resemblance to each other. But things go wrong, and Jaffry leaves Donald for dead in the Andes.) He ruminates to himself of how he has successfully carried out the impersonation, landed himself in clover, whether or not he should marry Jeannie in order that he can get his hands on the Castle, which he can sell off in parts. Just as he is gloating to himself on his good fortune, his door opens and is confronted by the real Donald Campbell. This totally unnerves him, in its’ total unexpectedness. There is some conversation between the two – where Donald calls Jaffry a skunk and a twister, and the reader learns how the two met in the Andes, the real Donald’s shame and humiliation of what he has done to his family; how he has been hiding out in the North Tower whilst deciding how he can bring about a reunion, and how the impostor, Steve Jaffry,.manages to successfully carry out his first day of imposition at Glenlochry.) Donald realises that it isn’t right to expose the impostor Jaffry – including the extreme weather conditions, and so he takes Steve Jaffry to the North Tower and provides him every comfort, including an anthracite stove. He plans to give Jaffry enough money and provisions to make a clean getaway when the time is right. The North Tower is described as: The whole room was completely out of date, except as to that stove which had been smuggled here in the small hours of the morning. The walls were bare, smoke-blackened stone. The one window was little better than a cross-shaped slot, as if at one time it had been meant to serve for defensive purposes only. And there may have been more than one hour in Glenlochry’s ancient history when an arrow was fitted to the bow by some stalwart warrior, posted high up here in the great North Tower. Identities are switched, and the excitement of cat and mouse between the two accelerate, with Dave as a suspicious watcher, with the mysterious North Tower as a backdrop. Christmas Day finds the real Donald present, whilst everyone is beside themselves for joy at the sudden change in his attitude, especially Jeannie who has been given pearls from the family safe. But Steve Jaffry is savagely envious, watching from high up in the North Tower, the happiness of the group in going to Church, the happiness of Jeannie with the real Donald. He decides that he is going to get as much as he can, including the contents of the safe. He should have died where I left him to die, out there in South America, when we were all alone – not another soul within fifty miles. And he has come back like this. He has no conscience, and plans to imprison Donald somehow, so that he can make a profitable getaway.

On the way back from Church, Polly remarks that it is so much better with Donald’s present attitude, and Dave replies that he thinks Donald may be a dual personality, and that today he is right handed, whilst yesterday he was left handed. This intrigues Polly, as she hadn’t noticed and lets Dave know that he is too clever for her, and too deep.

Nothing else is mentioned of the ‘doings’ on Christmas Day, - apart from the grown ups being exhausted from games and dancing - until that night when Polly decides to present The Haunted Castle. Jack is the ghost, and he gives his address as: J Linton, Ghost, Sixth Floor, North Tower, Phone A1, Glenlochry Polly sends Madge to tell Jack, who has disappeared to practice his ghostly practices, to be quiet, and she comes across strange noises, upstairs, and sees Donald Campbell. But then she is puzzled because the noises aren’t from Jack, and when she returns Donald Campbell is with his Mother downstairs. After the impromptu farce is produced, Donald goes to the North Tower to relocate Jaffry underground in the crypt area because he fears that the group along with Jeannie, may come across Jaffry inadvertently whilst playing their planned game of hide and seek. Jaffry is un-nerved when he learns of his fate, but quickly turns it around to his advantage, and imprisons the real Donald Campbell. Later that same Christmas night, Betty and Polly rescue a black cat, and accidentally come across Donald, who has the safe open. He is furious, but then quickly alters his demeanour to ingratiating and explanatory. Betty and Polly are astounded by his sudden change in attitude, after being so charming all that day. On Boxing Day -after a tobogganing race at or near the Corrie, the Coterie, Jack and Dave get caught in a blizzard, and Naomer and Paula become disoriented and have to be assisted back by the others, who are concerned that they may be going the wrong way. Phillips describes the dangers of victims becoming sleepy in extreme blizzard conditions. The impostor Jaffry, who is ‘now Donald Campbell’ shows his total cowardice to the group after they have come in out of the blizzard, with the aid of Jeannie who comes upon them first in a search for them, whilst the Fathers went out another way. Betty asks Jeannie where Donald is, and is dismayed by Jeannie’s unhappiness. He has elected to stay at the Castle, dressed in all his finery, and when he suddenly appears bombastically commenting on the weather (Phillips has another of his double edged meanings here), Colonel Creel and Pam are the ones to put him in his place. Betty goes to have another talk with Jeannie, and she mentions the suspicions that Dave has alerted the group of regarding a possible dual personality with left and right handed uses by Donald. Jeannie, although miserable, listens to Betty. Jaffry creeps to Jeannie’s door and overhears the conversation, putting him on the alert regarding his lapse in observation. That night, Jack and Dave plan parlour games to try and catch ‘Donald’ out, but he is forewarned – temporarily. Then Jack makes a game of throwing oranges and apples, and ‘Donald’ uses his left hand unwittingly to catch an orange. This silently alerts Jack and Dave, who plan to stay up all night to watch, and to listen, as they have heard odd scufflings from deep below their floors. The girls, also wakeful, join Jack and Dave and head below stairs. They search for the real Donald by following faint cries. Then they are locked in one of the rooms of the crypt by the laughing Jaffry. However, Paula saves the day, as shortly after they are locked in, Paula opens the door in a distraught state, saying that Jeannie and she heard noises and came down to investigate. Jeannie has collapsed again in shock of seeing ‘Donald’ who has rushed past them, knocking Jeannie to the ground, and the evil on his face was bloodcurdling. The Coterie go to Jeannie’s aid, whilst Jack and Dave have gone on to try and find the real Donald. All ends well though, and by New Year there is a great celebration at the castle, which includes all of the local population. There is also a budding romance between the overjoyed Jeannie and Donald. Aunt Kirstie is happiness supreme, and after they have all left Scotland and gone back to Morcove and Grangemoor, they hear from Jeannie that Jaffry’s body has been found not too far from Glenlochry, after the snows have melted. Phillips decides that a few of his villains must pay the ultimate price for his own actions, and one of them is Steve Jaffry. Jeannie goes on to marry Donald, and Glenlochry is headed for a bright future.

SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

The Chateau – owned by Jules Dumont, is located on the French Riviera - high above Cannes. It is rented by the Morcove/Grangemoor parents for Christmas. Madeline Dumont – the grand daughter of Jules – who is spending Christmas in Paris – is ravishingly pretty, and lovely in every way. She remains behind to welcome the entourage to the Chateau. It’s not long before the Study 12 Coterie learn something of her history. Phillips’ description of Cannes itself – the Californie, where the Chateau is situated, including Nice, Villefranche and Monte Carlo is extremely evocative. The Esterelles; Alpes Maritimes; the Mediterranean; olive groves and orchards; apricot coloured villas; the local flora, Cannes harbour and surrounds, the villas of the rich and famous. Even though it’s Winter, one can almost feel the warm climate, but cold enough for holly and mistletoe to grow at the Chateau, and the very very cold nights. Chateau Dumont is a large pile, situated in the Californie area. A mystery about Madeline – she is expelled from the school which she and Lucille attend. There is some confusion as to the location of the school – which is connected to the Chateau by a subterranean tunnel. Is it next door, or is it over the road from the Chateau?. Lucille Lafarge and her aristocratic Mother - whom the entourage meet on the train says she comes from Cannes, and that she knows the Chateau Dumont and Madeline Dumont. Phillips describes Mamselle Lufage as being too posh to talk to anyone. They live at the Villa Maris – along the Promenade de la Croisette near the tennis courts and the Carlton. Lucille also attends the same school, where she won a prize for which Madeline was blamed for cheating, and expelled. Lucille develops an immediate attraction for Dave, who is repulsed by her but of course he doesn’t show it. Jacques and his wife, are the school caretakers. There is also shopping in Cannes along the Rue de Antibes, morning tea in Nice, lunch in Monte Carlo. Naomer is beside herself with the culinary delights of Nice and it can be imagined in Monte Carlo! Later in the story, the entourage move onto Brunnerspel for Winter sports, where they encounter and traverse the treacherous Gorge des Diables. Of course, the mystery is cleared up, Madeline is re-united with her Grandfather and the story ends well.

Next phase in this holiday is the invitation by Maurice Hekler for the entourage to visit Nakara, as Naomer’s people have heard she is in the South of France – just a stone’s throw by air from Nakara.

SO 724-726 Christmas at Cromlech Manor

SO 776-779 Black Rider and Christmas at Prior’s Wold

SO Annual 1936 Morcove’s Merriest Christmas

Morcove and the Spanish Armada Connection

Phillips introduces the Spanish Armada connection with Morcove in SO 8-10 Treasure Trove (SGOL 46 The Morcove Mysteries). This story deals with treasure belonging to Juan Alvos, a survivor of the Armada, which is found in one of the caves by Betty and Polly. The cave is the one which has a fissure at the back of it, where previously Ursula had hidden when she ran away. Ursula was the first to actually discover the cave, and the first to discover a gold coin there. This cave is located to the left of the zig zag path running down onto the beach. Here, Polly explains to Betty: “You have only been at Morcove a few weeks, and so perhaps you have not heard the story. But any of the natives would tell you, if you asked them. It is supposed that a galleon was wrecked along this coast at the time of the Armada. And the story goes that a few survivors landed, bringing away the ship’s treasure with them. They were on enemy soil, of course, and perhaps – perhaps they had to hide in the caves, Betty. Perhaps they had to hide the treasure –“

This story is also where Madge comes over onto Betty’s side, thus forming the Study 12 Coterie.

Much later on in the saga, Phillips touches upon this theme in SO 699-702 Spanish Treasure. Madame Almaro and her daughter Isabel come to Morcove in search of the legendary lost treasure by their ancestor, Alfonso Almaro, another survivor of the Armada. Polly, in SO 700: “We know there is a tradition that a Spanish galleon went down off Morcove, after the Armada had been scattered in 1588. So if that Almaro johnny got ashore – perhaps with some of the ship’s treasure – he’d have to see about hiding it.”

After this story, Morcove go on to visit the Almaro family in SO 706-709.

Incidentally in SO 699, there’s mention of the next issue, which is the 700^th issue, and the 700^th story of Morcove. SO 700 reveals in My Dear Readers, a little article on how many stories Phillips wrote, and guesses at how many words there were, and just a general interesting social chit chat along the way.

More Villains and Villainesses

A few of Phillips’ villains meet a sticky end, as does Steve Jaffry mentioned above in SO 619-621 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle. Another is The Ameer of Abdur Khan who is run over – SO 727-730 Pam Willoughby’s Masquerade.

It is usually the woman who features as the villainess, rather than the man, and she is always absolutely beautiful, exceedingly well dressed by Shields, but extremely venomous. In a lot of cases it is a husband and wife team, with Phillips deciding the woman playing the major role. Here are some more examples, and a bit more on Pearl Hartry:

Pearl Hartry

Breathtakingly beautiful, impeccable manners, immaculate clothing. Paula is entranced! But an outward shell hiding the venomous interior. Pearl drives Betty and Polly to Linton Hall for the Easter holidays – where she has been invited by Polly. Pearl is driving her Father’s car at the furious pace of 18mph, when she comes into difficulties and the car is out of control. Absolutely wonderful reading!! Pearl has a temporary attack of conscience after she is saved from almost certain death, however it doesn’t last long in her quest for ‘riches beyond avarice’.

SO 62-65 Return of Rose of the Desert and Pearl Hartry (SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove)

More on Michael Carnay and his wife, Jean

The Carnays appear in SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved). Mrs Carnay is in her forties, extremely beautiful and wears designer clothes. SO 91 Myra Marshall’s Fear: Tall and graceful, her stately figure draped about by a dressing-gown of brilliant character, Mrs. Carnay’s was a personality that might be expected to banish gloom from any heart. She was a woman who seemed to have kept all the spirit of youth, as her hair had kept its beautiful colour – that of ripe corn. Her smile was the sweetest.

Her husband is somewhat older, with grey hair and sporting exquisitely cut tweeds. Both are outwardly genteel, hiding their inner merciless, duplicitous characters. Myra - a Morcove Sixth Former and a Prefect, is placed in charge of some of the Fourth and Fifth when they move to The Old Priory due to fire damage at Morcove. It’s not long before things are afoot with counterfeit coins being circulated in the district. Myra – never overly popular, is even more unpopular due to her attitude towards the Fourth in particular, and trying to keep them away from the west wing of The Old Priory. The Carnays are forgers, and the Old Priory is the home of their illicit business. The girls begin investigations after a hot wall is discovered during the cold weather. The Carnays become desperate and imprison some of the girls. After Betty, Paula and Madge escape from their room where they have been imprisoned by the Carnays, come across Myra, who is imprisoned in another room. She then confesses her story to the girls. She is the Carnays adopted daughter, and who is an accomplice in their illicit forgery business until she becomes too frightened to be a part of it. Myra comes to Morcove about a year before the Carnays take up residence at the Lodge of The Old Priory. Miss Somerfield takes her in hand after the Carnays are caught, and assists her in getting a suitable job.

Andrew Searle and his wife

Mrs Searle is elegance personified and the mainstay of this partnership. Leonard Shields’ illustration of her on the cover of SO 183 Her Schoolgirl Defenders is quite breathtaking.

SO180-185 Wembley Exhibition

Mrs Vansittart

She has a daughter – Carla, in the Fifth.

SO 247-250 Suspected - Mary Cavendish

Madame Garcio, her son Andro and daughter Jose

Muriel Garth, an orphan, is brought to England by Miss Deborah Aylwin, her Governess, from Mexico where she lived until her Father, (Who, after the death of Muriel’s Mother, married Madame Garcio), passed away. Manuel Garcio, Madame Garcio’s Father, has interests in a silver mine in San Rozel, Mexico. He is a decent and good person, unlike his daughter! Helen Craig’s Father also has interests in the same mine. It looks as though Madame reverted to her name of Garcio, by which Andro and Jose are known. She is out to influence Manuel Garcio in handing over the business to herself.

Madame is exquisitely dressed, and has many exotic evening gowns and jewels, like many of Phillips’ villainesses. She is a hot blooded woman of Spanish extraction, with a terrible temper and who believes in a bit of lawlessness as long as it suits her own ends. Jose and Andro are both extremely overdressed, overbearing, and smoke cigars and cigarettes.

SO 483-487 Jose and Garcio Mexican

Angela Dark

SO 558-560 Angela Dark, the Girl From the Skies

She comes to Morcove at night time, from a bi-plane which lands on Morcove’s games field. Betty has suspicions of her, and Miss Everard isn’t very impressed by her demeanour.

Carl and Annette Hartman

More of Phillips’ mountebanks. He is short, thickset, bulky and bullet headed. Loud and brash. She is tall and lot quieter and is the far more dangerous of the two, with absolutely no compassion at all. They come into the saga for the sole purpose of eliciting certain information from Jack Somerfield which will make them extremely rich. Jack Somerfield has confided in his sister that he has to leave the country on a desperate mission, and gives her some documents for safe keeping if he doesn’t return. He has also arranged to send Zora – his wife, to London to safety. The Hartmans hear that Miss Somerfield has the documents – which they are after. The Hartmans try to cajole and then threaten, all to no avail. To achieve their purpose because Miss Somerfield won’t co-operate, kidnap the baby son of Mabel Eldersen who is staying with Miss Somerfield at Morcove. Mabel’s Mother and Miss Somerfield’s Mother were at school together. Annette’s dispassion surfaces when the baby cries, and she tells ‘Lizette’ to keep the baby quiet – or else. She also threatens harm to the baby if he doesn’t quieten and their demands for Jack Somerfield aren’t met. Even though Carl/Karl (Both spellings exist in this story) is her ally, he baulks at this and says she has gone too far. When Polly and Jack – whom they have also lured away and imprisoned, manage to escape (With the baby), Annette squeals and screams after she is locked in the very room she locked Polly in. Like all such characters, she cannot tolerate it when the treatment she dishes out is returned! They use the abandoned Hunter’s Rock Manor out on the Stormwood Road as their lair. After they are found out, they seem to leave the country as elusively as they appeared. This story’s ending is a little hurried.

SO 588-591 Baby Kidnap

Mr & Mrs Denniker

SO 622-625 Morcove in London.

Mrs Denniker is the villainess in this story, acting on behalf of her husband, whom we never see but who directs the activities from behind the scenes. He is a nervous wreck owing to his heinous criminal activities carried out under cover of leading a scientific expedition into a foreign country. The Dennikers live in a riverside villa on the other side of Richmond in Surrey, and have a pleasure boat, which is Mrs Denniker’s mode of transport between Richmond and an abandoned Thames side warehouse. She enlists the aid of an old harridan named Annie to keep her victim Emily Judson, a prisoner. Leonard Shields has drawn two different versions of Mrs Denniker - SO 622-625 Morcove in London. One of these depicts her as matronly and a little inclined to plumpness, with the other as tall and extremely elegant, with a half veiled hat shading her face.

The Sharrow family

Mrs Sharrow, daughter Ada and son Harold, appear in the Morcove saga during SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow; SO 662-665 Althea Dillon and SO 666-670 Pam’s Protegee Shirley Branson. In SO 662-665 Althea Dillon Ada is just a background figure, and friendly with Ursula Wade. Ada is also mentioned in Naomer’s A Tour of Morcove School in SO Annual 1935, where she is caught smoking.

Mrs Sharrow – initials L.A.S. – we don’t learn her Christian names - is a social climbing speculator who lives off her victims. One of her victims is Muriel Stoddart, who is the main character in SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow. Mrs Sharrow is also extremely petulant and moody. Leonard Shields once again, dresses her with impeccable elegance. Apparently there is a Mr Sharrow, although he is a shadowy figure in the background whom we don’t meet. Phillips describes him as a ‘Pushy money making type’ personality, whom Harold tries to emulate. The Sharrows originate from the west end of London, where they have a townhouse. The formal living apartments are well to do, whilst the domestic living quarters are very poor. An old family retainer, Jane keeps the place. Why Jane has stayed so long with the Sharrows is unknown, although their activities would have kept them away from the home for indefinite periods. Ada starts at Morcove at the beginning of the new term, after having been expelled from her last school. Harold has been at Grangemoor for some time, and is a very unpopular Prefect. He trumps up false charges against the boys and then punishes them severely, whilst all along actually doing the very same things himself. (Ada is cast in a similar mould to the earlier Cissy Norton – Polly’s cousin.)

In SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow – Mrs Sharrow is living by her wits to fund her extravagant lifestyle, and is desperately trying to inveigle herself upon the high class clientele staying at the newly opened Headland Hotel. She is constantly looking over her shoulder, fearing that her many victims are catching up with her. She has lost a lot of money along the way, and her bill at the Headland is increasing. To stay at the Headland for several months would be an extremely costly affair, and Mrs Sharrow is continually carping at Ada and Harold who continually add costly teas to her hotel bill. Her ward – Mabel - whom she is trustee for, and who lives with them, is to eventually come into a lot of money from the death of her Uncle. She learns this from Jane, who looks out for Mabel. (How the relationship between Mabel and Mrs Stoddart comes about isn’t really explained, apart from the fact that she has been with the Sharrows for a long time). Mabel becomes suspicious of Mrs Sharrow due to what Jane has confided in her, and decides to follow the Sharrows to the Headland and keep a watch out on her activities. She poses as Esther Hope, a new maid at the Headland Hotel. (Mrs Sharrow has already broken into the trust fund as she is desperate for money.) ‘Esther’ is given a hard time by the impossible to please Mrs Sharrow. All the while, a ‘Phantom’ is frequently seen around Morcove, which un-nerves but excites the girls. Betty & The Coterie eventually befriend Esther, after they come to her rescue whilst lost on the moor. Betty eventually thinks the Phantom could be Esther, especially after Dolly finds a silver mask somewhere between Morcove and her parents’ small holding. Harold causes mayhem between Morcove and Grangemoor, and pointedly smokes in public, along with his sister Ada. An instance of where this is done deliberately in front of Miss Everard at the Headland Hotel. In her desperation, Mrs Sharrow stages a robbery of her jewels, where she is hoping to claim the insurance money. Just prior to the ‘robbery’, Mabel learns that Mrs Sharrow is leaving unexpectedly for London, and so she has to take flight to be there before Mrs S arrives so as to through off suspicion why she isn’t there. Mabel disappears from the Headland the night the theft becomes known, and not unnaturally the blame is put onto Mabel (Esther). Mabel arrives back in London, where she is comforted by the Sharrows wonderful old retainer, Jane. Jane knows that Mrs Sharrow is desperate for money, and gives Mabel some good guidance. The real ‘culprit’ of course is Ada – set up by Mrs Sharrow, and she is seen by the Coterie and chased across the moor. Mrs Sharrow doesn’t go up to London after all, but wires urgently for a package to be sent down. This is a sealed legal package which has Mabel’s initials on it. Mabel decides to take the package down to the Headland herself with the package. Meanwhile, Betty and the Coterie are out on the moor, close to where they found Esther previously, and find a locket with the name Mabel Stoddart on it. They then deduce that Mabel and Esther could be one and the same person, and the Phantom. Betty sends a note to the Headland for Mabel to meet up with them, however Mrs Sharrow intercepts the note. Not long after, the girls find the jewels whilst out looking for who they think is Mabel. When they excitedly tell Ada they have found the jewels, they are amazed at Ada’s bad reaction. Mrs Sharrow visits Morcove to severely chastise Ada due to her bungling with losing the jewels, which were found by Betty and Polly. She was hoping to claim insurance on her ‘loss’ and then ‘find’ the jewels at a later date. Ada tells her Mother that she has discovered that Betty & Co have sussed out that Mabel and Esther are the same person, which jolts Mrs Sharrow. At the same time – Ada - for all her nasty personality, is shocked to discover that her Mother Mrs Sharrow, is delving into Mabel’s fortune, but goes along with it anyway. She ends up falling into her own trap when she loses a shoe on the moor whilst hiding the jewels. She is out looking for it, and Betty and Polly see her. When Betty, Polly and Pam go to Barncombe for dress shopping for the reward dinner, they run into Mabel, who tells them everything, including the papers which she brought down with her. And so The Coterie discover the truth, and when Mrs Sharrow invites Betty and Polly to dinner as a ‘thank you’ for finding the jewels, she is exposed most cleverly by Betty, along with Mabel. Ada remains on at Morcove, as she is an innocent party to her Mother’s wrongdoings. But she is still just as nasty!

In SO 666-670 Pam’s Protegee Shirley Branson Mrs Sharrow is still at the Headland. Shirley Branson and her brother Tom, have been taken on by the Willoughbys. Shirley is enrolled at Morcove, and Tom at Grangemoor. Pam is asked to keep Shirley under her wing. The night before Shirley goes to Morcove, she has a ‘vision’ of her Mother standing at the foot of her bed (It is her Mother, although we don’t know this yet, and the question must be asked – how she got into Swanlake?). On the day Pam brings Shirley to Morcove, Mrs Sharrow is visiting Ada, and so for politeness sake, Pam introduces Shirley to Mrs Sharrow. Mrs Sharrow becomes un-nerved at the introduction, which Ada notices. Later, Mrs Sharrow urges Ada to keep an eye on Shirley and to make things as hot as possible to blacken Shirley’s name. Ada naturally, doesn’t understand why, however she notices her Mother seems to be upset. The reader isn’t kept up to speed with whys, whats and wherefores. SO 666: There had been so much living by the wits on the part of Mrs Sharrow, she was a woman who had always had so many irons in the fire, and that sort of hand-to-mouth existence is not lived without risk. The risk of exposure over some bit of trickery, of sudden utter disgrace through the popping up of victims who had been thought to be out of the way for ever. Yes, the schoolgirl daughter of Mrs Sharrow could understand – it might be something like that, in this case. Nor could Ada Sharrow be blind to the fact that her own future was bound up with her mother’s security. If, for some mysterious reason, the presence of Shirley Branson at Morcove School, as a protegee of the Willoughbys, really was a menace, then one must not be idle in the attempt to remove the menace.

Shirley herself also recognises the name Sharrow, when introduced by Pam to Ada. A woman is seen at the gates of Morcove by Ada Sharrow, who asks her if there is a new girl at Morcove by the name of Shirley Branson. It is soon revealed to the reader only that she is indeed Shirley Branson’s long lost Mother. Shirley sees a woman in Barncombe who appears upset, and traces her to a humble dwelling somewhere in a side street in Barncombe. As Morcove’s Matron has to go on urgent leave, Shirley persuades her to apply for the job. Mrs Thirlwell, as she is known, is offered the temporary job. Shirley doesn’t connect her with the woman who watched over her at Swanlake and the woman who is seen by Ada waiting at the gates of Morcove. Ada Sharrow is thrown into panic mode about this, and goes to tell her Mother, Mrs Sharrow. Mrs Sharrow goes into overdrive, and takes Ada into her full confidence – but the reader is not. Ada makes life unbearable for Shirley, although Pam is steadfastly standing by her. Further pressure is brought to bear on Shirley by Ada, who reveals to Shirley that her Father was a prisoner and was shot whilst trying to escape from prison on the Devon moors. SO 667 One Girl Against Her reveals in part the type of girl Ada is, with all her hypocrisy, when she can’t wait to hurt Shirley: “Then there you are! You weren’t allowed to know, and I wouldn’t be the one to tell you now,” Ada panted on. “But you come butting in at this school, a school intended for the daughters of honest people. The same as your brother Tom has started to swank about at Grangemoor, only my brother Harold soon put him in his proper place.”

The new temporary Matron – Mrs Thirlwell, comforts Shirley after several occasions at Morcove cause her much unpopularity. She then confides in Shirley, asking her to look out for certain signs in a tumble down cottage whilst she is out roaming. Shirley and Tom come across the signs – a stone set in a wall with scratched initials - whilst they shelter from rain on the moors, and Shirley tells Tom about Mrs Thirlwell, and suddenly decides that Mrs Thirlwell and the mystery woman could be one and the same, with a wild theory that she could be their Mother. Upon returning to Morcove, Shirley finds that Mrs Thirlwell has been dismissed, due to a poison pen letter written by Mrs Sharrow. Things come to a boiling point between Shirley and the Fourth, due to the machinations of Ada Sharrow. Pam’s unswerving loyalty to Shirley also causes problems between herself and the Fourth. Meanwhile over at Grangemoor, Harold Sharrow is making life impossible for Tom Branson, thus ending in a gating for Tom, just when they want to discover the meaning of the stone at the ruined cottage on the moors where they think their Father scratched his initials years ago. Shirley offends the Form when she backs out of an arranged match between the Fourth and Fifth. She gets a letter from Tom, saying that he has been gated by Harold Sharrow and cannot get away to search the ruined cottage where the initialled stone in the wall is. Shirley manages to prise the stone out of the wall, where she finds a heavy box. Ada following, gives chase, Shirley manages to hide the box. She arrives back at Morcove, to an expulsion threat, and Pam is beside herself because she feels that she has let Shirley down, and then Polly gets a letter from Jack saying that Tom has run away from Grangemoor, and that he and Dave are gated. Ada Sharrow is ecstatic, because she is the bearer of the news of Shirley, and because she hurts Pam. Ada tells her Mother that Tom Branson is missing from Grangemoor, and so she is told that her Father – Mr Sharrow, was responsible for the crime that Mr Branson paid the ultimate penalty for, and that the trial itself was a huge sensation at the time. Mrs Sharrow is running scared and also tells Ada that if evidence comes to light proving Mr Branson’s innocence, that they will be ruined. Even though Mrs Sharrow is in dire straits, Phillips states that she is dressed to kill!

Shirley breaks detention, and Pam is sent after her. The weather is foggy and cold. Just prior to this, Pam discovers a note to Shirley from Tom, and lets her know about it. The note is destroyed unread, as Shirley won’t promise to Pam that she won’t do anything silly to put Morcove in disrepute. Shirley is glad but aghast to see Pam following her, and starts a confidence in part when they reach the disused cottage and discover that the Sharrows are looking for the box hidden by Shirley the day before. Suddenly, just after finding the box, Mrs Thirlwell looms in front of them. Shirley, after firstly thinking the woman is Mrs Sharrow, and realising she is Mrs Thirlwell collapses with the box at her feet and shouts out Mother. Meanwhile Morcove is in uproar due to Shirley and Pam having disappeared, and then their subsequent return to school with celebration and explanation. The Sharrows hurriedly pack up and flee the district. There are a couple of loose ends to this story. What happens to Mrs Thirlwell-Branson during the years of her husband’s death and the death of the Grandmother who brought up Shirley and Tom? Why did it take so long for the search to begin for Mr Branson’s innocence? Did the Willoughbys know of the existence of Mrs Thirlwell Branson as is conjectured, and did they let her in the night before Shirley came to Morcove, so that she could look at Shirley? Shirley’s name doesn’t appear to be mentioned again, even though the relationship between her and the Willoughbys is so strong. Apart from these questions, it is a fabulous story.

Agatha Drew

Ethel Courtway, on her way back to Morcove after the holidays, is run down by a car in Shrewston, outside the home of a Miss Marjorie Rosely. She is injured and loses her memory, so Miss Rosely takes her in. (Ethel’s family are in South Africa, and so she has been staying with friends.) Agatha, an employee of Miss Rosely but who is under notice due to unseemly and poor behaviour, bears an uncanny resemblance to Ethel and so, seeing a way out of her predicament of no job and nowhere to go, takes on the identity of Ethel. She arrives at Morcove, where it isn’t long before her opportunistic bent sets its sights on the Fourth Form’s money collected by Betty for an upcoming pageant at Barncombe Castle. Polly has written a play on the history of Morcove School, and ‘Ethel’ keeps on baulking the Fourth in their endeavours to purchase the necessaries for holding the play, and destroys the copy of the play. Betty and Polly are aghast at ‘Ethel’s behaviour and actions. The real Ethel’s Aunt is on her way to Morcove, and not having seen Ethel for a long time, is thinking of taking her on a cruise to South Africa. Agatha thinks that if she can keep up her charade until then, she will be safe and can just ‘disappear’ when the liner arrives in South Africa. In the meantime, she decides to have as good a time as she can at Morcove, until then. ‘Ethel’ realises that Valerie Floyd can provide her with this good time, having seen her come back from an illicit outing when she hides some clothing in a hut at the chalk quarry. So she befriends Valerie instead of giving her away as Valerie expected, and also fleeces her. Valerie is a totally undesirable Sixth Former, whom the real Ethel would never befriend, and soon tumbles to the impostor when she growls about Lady Evelyn Knight. She doesn’t give ‘Ethel’ away though, realising that she can continue to have a good time without being reported. They have some sprees, including an outing to Gorselands, where one of the regular soirees are being held, and Grangemoor is in attendance. They are seen by Jack Linton, who reports onto Polly. ‘Ethel’ manages to deceive everyone apart from Valerie, and the Fourth are hauled over the carpet by Miss Merrick for unseemly behaviour towards ‘Ethel’. But the Fourth are angry, and take matters into their own hands, which really scares ‘Ethel’. The Study 12 Coterie or ‘Chummery’ as Phillips now calls them, are increasingly worried and puzzled by ‘Ethel’, especially now that she went to Gorselands, and that the Denver sisters who were also there, were bragging about it all. Betty has had enough, and goes to ‘Ethel’, demanding all their money back, which ‘Ethel’ reluctantly returns. Unfortunately for Agatha, Miss Rosely turns out to be a very good friend of Lady Lundy – both ladies went to school together! She brings ‘Jennifer Rosely’ – the girl with no memory – to stay at Barncombe Castle. Ethel’s Aunt Marjorie has also arrived in Barncombe, previously having visited Morcove School, and is at the castle on a visit. She is extremely disappointed to hear about Ethel’s unreliable behaviour, and that she hasn’t accompanied the girls to the castle as arranged. ‘Jennifer’ is introduced to everybody, and she is puzzled as she seems to think she has seen her somewhere before a long time ago. Agatha’s nerves are starting to get the better of her and so she prepares for flight, by hiding supplies at the hut in the disused gravel quarry. On the way back she encounters Valerie Floyd, who wants her money so that she can go on a spree with Daisy Marshall, Joyce Marshall’s cousin. She has a go at Valerie, and says she won’t get it back. Valerie says that she is safe for the moment, but ‘Ethel’ pushes her and Valerie falls over the edge of the quarry, unconscious. Agatha panics and decides to leave Morcove that night. Meanwhile, Betty is thinking hard about events, and thinks that ‘Ethel’ could be an impostor, and she and the girls decide to go and check on ‘Ethel’ that night as well, to see if she has a little birth mark on her shoulder. They discover ‘Ethel’ on the prowl in their studies – stealing the money for the pageant, and then they follow her to the kitchen region, where they watch her arm herself with supplies. She then leaves Morcove – followed by the Coterie of course, and heads to the gravel quarry, where she is shut in the shed by the girls, who then come across the injured Valerie Floyd calling out for help. Betty goes back to Morcove for help – and then the real Ethel Courtway arrives at Morcove late at night with Miss Rosely. Ethel woke up earlier in the night, with her memory restored so she wanted to come at once to Morcove. Miss Rosely, realising that Agatha must have taken Ethel’s place, wanted things righted. and Agatha is taken away by the Police, Valerie soon recovers, and is chastened……for a while. She then goes on to feature in The Schoolgirls’ Own Annual, 1937.

Mr & Mrs Hardacre, and daughter Althea - SO 379-382 Called Back to Morcove (SGOL 627 Pam Willoughby Makes Good)

Mrs Hardacre is described as short and plump, and Mr Hardacre has a head like a bullet. Althea is just awful.

More Heroes and Heroines

Rosalie and Madeleine Duval

Champferie, in the South of France - SO 335-340 Holiday in France (SGOL 587 Morcove’s Holiday in France). Sunshine, pines, orchards, vineyards and olive groves, and not very far from Deauville. The Coterie come to Champferie on holiday where Trixie Sharp is being educated at Sainte Marie School, having won her French Scholarship. An exchange student, Rosalie Duval, comes to Morcove a few weeks beforehand. Morcove aid the Duvals in regaining their fortune and their rightful home, Chateau Champferie, after being cheated by the Lafarge family. The chateau is quite close to Sainte Marie School. Rosalie has a sister, Madeleine, and they have a cousin – Hortense Lafarge. Hortense, along with her parents are trying to cheat Rosalie and Madeleine out of their inheritance, Chateau Champferie. Other players in this story are Jeanne and Jacques Cardell, retainers of the Lafarge family. The Study 12 Coterie save the day for the Duval girls.

The Morcove Magazine

This magazine appears in various SO’s. Some feature characters – be they pupils, heroes, heroines or just plain troublemakers who have come into the Morcove saga, and some listings are below: Frequently throughout the saga, Polly is mentioned as busily writing for the Morcove Magazine, however it just seems to be published around the era below.

Schoolgirls’ Own No	Morcove Magazine No	Character Profile
*SO 341 Her Misdeeds at Morcove*	No 17,	No profile
*SO 449 The Shadow Over Morcove!*	No 34,	Audrey Blain
*SO 477 Who Wins the Election?*	No 38,	Josanne Craven
*SO 481 Backed Up By Study 12:*	No 39,	Muriel Lane
*SO 485 Morcove’s Midnight Intruder!*	No 40,	Monica Munro
*SO 489 For the Outcast’s* Sake!	No 41,	Shulama Ben Jezrel
*SO 493 In Defiance of Morcove*	No 42,	Roza the Ring Rider
*SO 527 What More Could Polly Do?*	No 48	No profile

An updated list on the re-use of names

Surnames and Place Names

Campbell

Captain Campbell SO 598-602 Santa Rita

Donald Campbell – SO 619-621 Glenlochry Castle

Craven

Squire Craven and his daughter, Josanne SO 131-134 Holiday on the Farm (SGOL 201 Morcove on the Farm)

Craven Court SO 561-563 Polly Linton on the Stage Miss Lily Lambert – Playwright and friend of the Lintons, lives in Craven Court, Curzon Street, London.

Curzon

Hetty Curzon and her family

Curzon Street (See above)

Darrell

SO 741-744 Hiking Holiday at Brighampton

SO 773-775 Biddy Loveland Millionairess

Despard

SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France

Fairfax

Dot Fairfax – Third Form

Beatrix, Peggy and Till Fairfax – friends of Violet Vane SO 111-115 Loneliest Girl at Morcove (SGOL 178 The Loneliest Girl at Morcove)

Forbes

Diana Forbes – Fourth Form

Vera Forbes – Diana’s sister

Miss Agnes Forbes – Diana and Vera’s Aunt

Alva Forbes – a girl whom Madge Minden helped. SO 20-24 Madge Minden Outcast (SGOL 58 The Girl Morcove Misjudged)

Kindal

Mrs Kindal SO 164-169 Linda Fayre (SGOL 259 A Morcove Girl No Longer!)

Kindal, Bokes & Co. SGOL Annual 1929

Marchmont

Enid Marchmont - SO 265-269 Ethel Courtway’s Rival (SGOL 471 Ethel Courtway’s Rival)

Ralph Marchmont - SO 607-610 Dolly Delane’s Mysterious Boy Friend

Morland

Hilda Morland - SO 324-328 Girl From the Wreck Hilda Morland (SGOL 571 Wrecked Near Morcove)

Hetty Morland – SO 754-766 Grangemoor to Guard Her (SGOL 563 Grangemoor to Guard Her)

Norton

Philip and Rachel Norton SO 174-179 Return of the Girl Queen (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret)

Cissy Norton and her parents, Uncle George and Aunt Jessie Norton (Polly’s cousin, Uncle and Aunt)

Morgan

Detective Inspector Morgan of the Barncombe Police SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved)

Tom and Edna Morgan - SO 445-452 Pam’s Problem With the Morgan Family (SGOL 685 When Pam Made Morcove Wonder)

Morgan – Gardener at Morcove SO 699-702 Spanish Treasure; SO 715-720 Miss Kitten’s Secret

Morgan family, old retainers from Swanlake. Mr Morgan is now deceased. His wife and two sons still live in a cottage on the estate - SO 710-714 Pam New Form Captain

Christian Names

Ada

Ada ? – A Stormwood girl.

Ada (Polly disguised as a servant) - SG 409-421 The Madcap Remains Loyal!

Ada Adderley - SO 509-514 Morcove on the Films

Ada Addison (Dolly Delane’s Aunt) - SO 607-610 Dolly Delane’s Mysterious Boy Friend

Ada Fontayne – SO 741-745 Brighampton

Ada Sharrow - SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow; SO 666-670 Shirley Branson; SGOL Annual

1935

Agatha

Agatha Ainley – SO 94-98 Madge Minden’s Search (SGOL 151 Madge Minden’s Secret)

Agatha Drew - SO 746-750 Agatha Drew and Head Girl

Agatha - Tess Trelawney’s very unpleasant cousin, SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed

Agatha - SO 724-726 Christmas at Cromlech Manor

Agnes

Miss Agnes Forbes – Diana Forbes’ Aunt

Agnes Green – Fifth Former, SO 645-649 Etta’s Brother in Disgrace

Agnes - SO 737-740 Bunny Trevor, Livewire New Girl

Alfred

Alf – One of the Headland Hotel construction workers SO 640-644 Headland Hotel

Alf Turner – SO 751-754 Bunny Trevor and Befriended Girl

Alf – a figment of Polly’s imagination in her impromptu play SO 619-621 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle

Anna

Anna Silke – Fifth Former

Aunt Anna – An Aunt of Madge Minden’s

Brenda

Brenda Garth SO 558-560 Angela Dark, the Schoolgirl From the Skies

Brenda Fordyce SO 640-644 Headland Hotel

Clarice

Clarice Berkely – Sixth Form

Clarice Monk – Sixth Form

Clarice Marlowe - Sixth Form

Clarice Linton – a cousin of Polly’s. SGOL Annual 1939

Cyril

Cyril Dudley Rivals of Morcove

Cyril Elswick SO 540-543 Madge Minden’s Father’s Secret

Daisy

Daisy Harper – A Rosemount girl

Daisy Loveland - SO 574-576 Judy Cardew and Hetty Curzon

Daisy Morrison – SO 519-523 The Morrison Sisters

Daisy Darrell - SO 741-744 Hiking Holiday at Brighampton

Daisy Marshall – cousin of Joyce Marshall of Gorselands

Diana

Diana Forbes – Fourth Form

Diana West – Barncombe House Fifth Former

Dick

Dick Cherrol - Jimmy’s dastardly cousin SO 635-639 Easter Caravan Tour

Dick Burnaby - Miss Redgrave’s fiance and husband SO 414-419 The Morcove Wedding (SGOL 653 The Wedding at Morcove)

Dick Loring - SO 430-434 Hilda Fawley From Betty’s Hometown (SGOL 665 Not Fit For Morcove)

Dick Merrow - Ivy Merrow’s Uncle SO 696-698 Madge Minden’s Accident

Dick Marshall - SO 468-472, Althea Marshall the Lonely New Girl (SGOL 689)

Dicky - Amy Judson’s canary. He sadly perishes in the fire which damages the Judson’s shop in Camberwell. SO 622-625 Morcove in London

Dorothy

Dorothy Trelawney – Tess’ Mother

Dorothy (Dolly) Delane SO 607-610 Mike the Mysterious

Eddie

Eddie Duncan SO 741-745 Hiking Holiday at Brighampton

Edith

Edith Allardyce – Temporary Mistress, loved by the Fourth.

Edith Enson SO 180-185 Wembley Exhibition

Elizabeth (Liz)

Liz Robins, the Broker Man’s wife - SO 363-366 Cora Grandways Disgraced (SGOL 617 The Girl Who Fooled Morcove)

Gypsy Liz SO 498-502 Miss Everard New Mistress (SGOL 730 On Trial at Morcove)

Gypsy Liz - SO 635-639 Easter Caravan Tour

(The above two Gypsy Liz’ do not appear to be the same person)

Ellen

Ellen – Morcove’s favourite parlourmaid

Ellen, a maid at the Callowby’s summer rental - SO 121-125 From Council School to Morcove (SGOL 191 From Council School to Morcove)

Ellen Mansfield – Fifth Form

Elsie

Elsie Ashby – Fourth Form

Elsie Askew - SO 741-745 Hiking Holiday at Brighampton

Elsie Drake, a Barncombe girl whom Paula befriends - SO 384-388 Paula Captain (SGOL 631 When Paula Captained the Fourth)

Elsie Drew – Fourth Form

Elsie Eastman - SO 630-634 Pam and the Strange Secret of Swanlake

Elsie, Mrs Daunt’s maid - SO 312-317 Madge Misjudged (Lena Daunt) (SGOL 546 When Morcove Misjudged Madge)

Elsie Harper – SO 111-115 Violet Vane’s Vendetta (SGOL 178 The Loneliest Girl at Morcove)

Elsie Headlam - SO 724-726 Xmas at Cromlech Manor

Elsie Hudson – Tess Trelawney’s masquerade in The Schoolgirls’ Own Annual, 1937

Elsie Jackson, (Myra, daughter of the bogus Dr Trouncer) – SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out

Elsie Mordaunt, a Morcove Girl - SO Annual 1925

Elsie Maud Mullins - a maid at Swanlake

Elsa Jetza - SO 655-657 Morcove in Turania

Emma

Emma Grandways

Emma – a maid at Old Priory SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved).

Emily

Miss Emily Anstruther, aunt of Anne Sheridan - SO 536-539 Anne Sheridan New Girl (Monica Hope)

Emily Judson - SO 622-625 Morcove in London

Emily Banks in SO 715-720 Miss Kitten’s Secret

Enid

Enid ? – A Combe House girl

Enid Marchmont - SO 265-269 Ethel Courtway’s Rival (SGOL 471 Ethel Courtway’s Rival)

Enid Hekler - SO 675-678 Morcove Girls in Africa

Enid Delane (Thelma Curtis), Laura Delane’s daughter - SO 687-690 Cromlech Manor House

Esther

Esther Somerfield – Morcove’s Headmistress

Esther Hone – SO 26-30 Heron’s Haunt (SGOL 66 The Mystery of Heron’s Haunt)

Esther Hope - SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow

Esther Carlow – SO Annual 1928

Ethel

Ethel Courtway – Sixth Former and Morcove’s Head Girl

Ethel Wilbut – Barncombe House Fifth Former

Fay

Fay Flaxwell – SO Annual 1929

Fay Denver – Fourth Form

George

George Froomby – SO 519-523 The Morrison Sisters

George Barton – An Uncle of Betty Barton.

George Norton – An Uncle of Polly Linton, Cissy’s Father

George Barker – Another Uncle of Polly Linton

George Marlowe - SO 295-303, Freda Blair New Girl, (SGOL 529 The Girl Who Didn’t Like Morcove

George Amberley – Brenda Fordyce’s Uncle. SO 640-644 Headland Hotel

Grace/Gracie

Grace Garfield

Gracie, Mrs Creel’s maid

Gracie Grayson SO 557 When a Prefect Plotted!

Harry

Harry Curzon – Hetty Curzon’s Father

Harry Hargrove – Etta Hargrove’s brother

Hetty

Hetty Curzon - Fourth Form

Hetty Kitten, sister of the impostor Fourth Form Mistress, Julia Kitten - SO 715-720 Miss Kitten’s Secret)

Hetty Grover, a Rosemount Fourth Former - SO 397-404, Rebels of Rosemount School (SGOL 639); SO 405-407, Etta Returns to Morcove (SGOL 643)

Hetty Maynard, a Stormwood Fourth Former - SO 351-357 Ella Elgood and Minnie Maitland (SGOL 607 The Girl She Kept From Morcove)

Hetty Morland SO 754-766 Grangemoor to Guard Her (SGOL 563 Grangemoor to Guard Her)

Hortense

Hortense – a servant at Chateau Dumont SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

Hortense Lafarge SO 335-340 Holiday in France - Rosalie Duval (SGOL 587 Morcove’s Holiday in France)

Hortense Despard SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France

Inez

Princess Inez SO 76-81 Turania Holiday (SGOL 133 Morcove in Turania)

Inez Enderby SO 135-139 Mystery Of Inez Enderby (SGOL 209 Whilst Morcove Slept)

Jane

Jane Blair

Jane – good and faithful retainer of the dreadful Sharrow family SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow

Jane Possoms The Girls’ Favourite - The Rivals of Morcove

Janet

Janet – Dave Lawder (Cardew)’s old nurse

Janet Trent – Monica’s young sister The Girls’ Favourite - The Rivals of Morcove

John

John Burton – SO180-185 Wembley Exhibition

John Craig – Father of Helen

Colonel John Creel, JP – Father of Paula

John Trelawney – Father of Tess (Although known as Arthur in SO 488-491 Tess’s Brother Framed)

John Hargrove – Father of Etta and Harry

John Garfield – Grace Garfield’s wealthy Uncle

John Delane – Father of Dolly

John Linton – Father of Polly and Jack

John Willoughby, JP – Father of Pam

John – a Hall Porter at the Headland Hotel

Jose

Jose Lupina SO 241-246 Turned Out of Morcove (SGOL 415 Turned Out of Morcove)

Jose Garcio SO 483-487 Jose and Garcio Mexican

Joyce

Joyce Allinson - SO 397-407 Rosemount School (SGOL 639 Driven From Morcove) and (SGOL 643 That ‘Meddler’ From Morcove)

Joyce Marshall – of Gorselands Manor

Jules / Julian

Jules Dumont SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

Jules Lessard SO 755-758 Morcove in North Africa

Julian Jenner SO 26-30 Heron’s Haunt (SGOL 66 The Mystery of Heron’s Haunt)

Julian ? SO 8-10 First Spanish Treasure (SGOL 46 The Morcove Mysteries)

Kate

Katey Barnby SO 200-206

Katey Murray – Fourth Former

Laura

Laura Turner – Sixth Form - SO 52-56 A Disgrace to Morcove (SGOL 103 A Disgrace to Morcove)

Laura Harper - SO 200-206 Cheat at Morcove Babs Harper (SGOL 342 At Morcove to Cheat Another)

Laura Dorland - SO 626-629 Hazel Baynard New Girl v Betty Barton

Laura Sheridan - SO Annual 1932

Aunt Laura Trelawney, Tess Trelawney’s Aunt - SO 488-491 Tess’ Brother Tom Framed

Laura Dillon - SO 235-240 Schoolgirl Pierrettes (SGOL 403 The Morcove Pierrettes)

Laura Delane (Mrs Curtis), a distant relative by marriage to the Delane family - SO 687-690 Cromlech Manor House

Princess Laurina SO 731-733 Betty Barton v the Denver Sisters

Lena

Lena Grayson SO 557 When a Prefect Plotted

Mabel

Mabel Rivers – Fourth Form

Mabel Stoddart - SO 658-661 Ada Sharrow

Mabel Venniker - SO 509-514, Morcove on the Films

Mabel Cunliffe - SO 347-350 Boarded Out in Barncombe (SGOL 603 The Scheming Mistress of Morcove)

Mabel Carden - SO 479-482 Crosby Sisters

Mabel Eldersen SO 580-583 Calmani’s Circus and SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap

Mabel Webb – Fifth Form

Margaret

Margaret (Maggie) Shaw - SO 94-98 Madge Minden’s Search (SGOL 151 Madge Minden’s Secret)

Margaret (Maggie) Wade - SO 379-382 Pam Willoughby Makes Good (SGOL 627 Called Back to Morcove)

Margaret (Meg) Marshall - SO 468-472 Althea Marshall the Lonely New Girl (SGOL 689 Alone at Morcove)

Margaret Matthews - SO 290-294, Miss Danvers Headmistress (SGOL 521 When Morcove Changed Mistresses)

Mad Meg – a figment in Polly’s imagination in her impromptu play SO 619-621 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle

Maurice

Maurice Hekler

Maurice Despard SO 492-497 Treasure Hunting Holiday in France

Michael

Michael Heriot – A Grangemoor boy

Mike the Mysterious – SO 607-610 Dolly Delane’s Mysterious Boy Friend

Michael Carnay SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved)

Monica

Monica Hope - SO 536-539 Anne Sheridan New Girl (Monica Hope)

Monica Grey - SO 727-730 Pam Willoughby Masquerade in London

Monica Holden – SO 260-264 Morcove’s Shop in Barncombe (SGOL 463 When Morcove Started a Shop)

Monica Munro – A Stormwood girl, SO 170-173 Return of Cora and Judith (SGOL 279 A Second Chance at Morcove)

Monica Merlin - SO 52-56 A Disgrace to Morcove (SGOL 103 A Disgrace to Morcove)

Monica Trent – Sixth Former The Girls’ Favourite - The Rivals of Morcove

Myra

Myra Marshall SO 88-93 Old Priory (SGOL 145 When Morcove Moved)

Myra, daughter of the bogus Dr Trouncer – SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out

Percy

Percy Linton SO 420-425 Polly Linton Circus (SGOL 651The Circus Girl Morcove Helped).

Percy Nemo – Dave’s stage name in SO 645-649 Etta’s Brother in Disgrace

Rachel / Rachael

Rachel Ravel SO 82-87 Paula’s Cousin (SGOL 139 Paula Creel’s Cousin)

Rachel Norton SO 174-179 Return of the Girl Queen (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret)

Ralph

Ralph Marchmont - SO 607-610 Dolly Delane’s Mysterious Boy Friend

Ralph Fender SG 396-408 Tess v. Gold-Smuggling Maisie And Ralph Fender

Rose / Rosa / Roza / Rosalie

Rose of the Desert

Rosa – the code name of Mr Linton’s safe SO 62-65 Second Morocco (SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove)

Rosa - SO 363-366 Cora Grandways Disgraced (SGOL 617 The Girl Who Fooled Morcove); SO 367-372 Cora Grandways Reformation (SGOL 623 The Girl Morcove Pitied)

Roza - SO 420-425 (SGOL 651 The Circus Girl Morcove Helped)

Rozella Danton SO 270-274 Hildegarde Astovel (SGOL 487 At Morcove Under Guard)

Rosemount School

Rosemount Apartments

Rosalie Duval - SO 335-340 Holiday in France (SGOL 587 Morcove’s Holiday in France)

Rosalie Garland SO Annual 1936

Rosalie – a Maid at Grangemoor SO 580-583 Grangemoor Barring Out

Sheila

Sheila Drood – A Stormwood girl

Sheila Garrett - SO

Stephen/Steven

Steve Hope – Trixie’s cousin

Steve Marshall – cousin of Joyce Marshall of Gorselands

Steve Jaffry – the impostor Donald Campbell SO 619-621 Christmas at Glenlochry Castle

Thomas

Tommy Baxter SO 567-569 Priors Wold Christmas

Tommy Waldron – a little boy Billy Charters befriends in SO 458-462 Pam’s Unruly Cousin Billy

Tom Trelawney – brother of Tess Trelawney

Tom Trevor – brother of Bunny Trevor

Vera

Vera Forbes – Sister of Diana Forbes SO 561-563 Polly Linton on the Stage

Vera Kain – Sixth Former expelled in SO 679-682 Marriage of Miss Everard

Vera Darrell - SO 773-775 Biddy Loveland Millionairess

Similar sounding names

Braunton

Daunton

Mrs Seldon, her daughter Laura and Babs Harper come from Daunton. Babs flees back to Daunton after she is framed by Laura for the theft of Lady Evelyn’s brooch - SO 200-206 Cheat at Morcove Babs Harper (SGOL 342 At Morcove to Cheat Another).

Polly’s Uncle George Barker who lives in Daunton, features in several stories including SO 614-618 Polly Linton at Fallowfield School.

Burnaby – Miss Redgrave’s married name.

Dr Barnaby SO 724-726 Christmas at Cromlech Manor

Barlow

Garlow – Beth and Granny

SO 580-583 Calmani’s Circus and SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap

More Again on Observations

Helen, Paula and Cora share a study at the start of SO 174-179 Return of the Girl Queen (SGOL 295 To Morcove in Secret). This is around the time that Helen comes to Morcove. See SO 170-173 Arrival of Helen Craig (SGOL 279 A Second Chance at Morcove)

Cora requests a move, and so she, Judy - and to Cora’s chagrin, Ursula is also placed in Study 18. SO 175 The Girl Who Could Have Told : It was round the corner, past the Form captain’s famous den, and then to the right again – an awkwardly placed, badly-lit room, its door the very last one of all.

Naomer’style of speech alters during the saga. In the early stories, she doesn’t use the word ‘Ze”.

There’s a theory that in some cases Phillips made up some characters to fit a particular story at a particular time, and an instance of this is the Wade family. During SO 445-452 Pam’s Problem With the Morgan Family (SGOL 685 When Pam Made Morcove Wonder) it is mentioned that Philip Wade is a brother of the type that Ursula would be expected to have. In SO 379-382 Called Back to Morcove (SGOL 627 Pam Willoughby Makes Good) the first class Maggie Wade is a major character. No mention of these characters again in the saga.

Another instance is in SO 458 Pam’s Unruly Cousin Billy, where Polly states that she has no cousins. In the early story SO 131-134 Holiday on the Farm (SGOL 201 Morcove on the Farm), she has cousin Gladys James. And of course there is Cissy Norton, and a later story features SO 420-425 Polly Linton Circus (SGOL 651 The Circus Girl Morcove Helped), and later again there is cousin Clarice in SGOL Annual 1939. Perhaps she means there are no suitable boy cousins to visit her at Morcove!

Jennings is the Morcove chauffeur. Phillips also names the Willoughby family’s chauffeur Jennings.

John is the Christian name of most of the girls’ Fathers – see names above.

Horace Phillips names Lena Grayson, Clarice Berkely and Daphne Merrow as Bright Young Things, and Jack and Polly Linton as Bright Young People.

Shields has drawn an illustration of Pat Lawrence in SO 584-591 Calmani’s Circus and Baby Kidnap without her distinctive hairstyle. This story could not be published today due to censorship. (A charming black man by the name of Darkie appears in this story.) Jack and Zora Somerfield feature in the baby kidnap section of the story – they have moved to Barncombe, somewhere on the outskirts. Also in this story – in SO 584 From Schoolroom to Showground – My Dear Readers, is a letter from ‘Naomer’ of Lockerbie, Scotland. Did ‘Naomer’ or her family later endure troubles from the crashed Pan-Am jet all those years later?

Alice is Jack and Polly’s old Nanny, and she stays with the family. She goes to Cliff Edge Bungalow to take care of Jack and Polly during SO 580-583 Calmani’s Circus and SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap after they are both suspended. Linton Lodge is let for a period of time in when Mr Linton goes abroad for work to try and recover major losses after the fire

Leonard Shields’ illustration on page 401 of SO 64 The Desert Girl’s Devotion is repeated although in a different format for the cover of SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove.

SO 62-65 Second Morocco (SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove)

Yes, well – that famous saying of Pam’s is used by Jack Somerfield in SGOL 115 From Desert to Morcove.

There is a map of Santa Rita in SO 577 Their Secret From the Sea!

In SO Annual 1935 (Morcove Confessions) it states that Etta Hargrove’s home is in Northumberland. This is incorrect, as her home is in Droverton.

Grangemoor House is mentioned in SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence. It is also mentioned in SO 498-502 Miss Everard New Mistress (SGOL 730 On Trial at Morcove). The owners are ‘high art’ types – of the modern art variety. Grangemoor House is located ‘A couple of stops along the line’.

The Crosby sisters – Norah and Lillian (Their Father marries Pat Lawrence’s Aunt Jessica), ride motorbikes. An illustration appears in SO 479 When Bridesmaids Couldn’t Agree.

There is a farmer named Mr Honeywell who farms near Droverton. He buys the van occupied by Beth Garlow and her Granny.

SO 580-583 Calmani’s Circus and SO 584-587 Baby Kidnap

Lucille Lafarge – at the beginning of SO 671-674 Chateau Dumont for Christmas

has Pam’s hair style. Shields alters this style in subsequent illustrations of Lucille.

Leonard Shields’ illustration on the cover of SO 479 When Bridesmaids Couldn’t Agree depicts Pam’s hairstyle on Pat, instead of her own blonde hair.

He illustrates Paula’s bridesmaid’s dress a little differently after Miss Redgrave’s wedding when she is upset and Naomer goes to comfort her. SO 414-419 The Morcove Wedding (SGOL 653 The Wedding at Morcove).

Pat Lawrence is briefly known as Pat Loring in SO 479-482 Pat Lawrence. The name of Loring is featured in SO 430-434 Hilda Fawley From Betty’s Hometown (SGOL 665 Not Fit For Morcove)

Hurstbourne School is thirty five miles from Morcove, over some very rough country and an almost mountain pass. This is close to Brown Tor, about five miles from Hurstbourne.

Polly is Form Captain during Betty’s illness and recovery after saving Paula, at the beginning of the saga. She worries frantically about Madge, who spends a weekend at Barncombe Castle at Lady Evelyn’s invitation. The famous composer Madame Levillier is to be a guest, and Madge being music mad, wants to meet her. Madge, in the early saga, has a wilful streak about her, however this seems to dissipate later on and she becomes calm and mature. But she has deceived Miss Somerfield who is under the impression she is at home in Exeter because her Aunt Anna is visiting. Miss Somerfield originally approved the Barncombe Castle visit until Madge’s Mother writes, asking her home. As earlier written, we don’t know what happens to Mrs Minden. It is about the only time Polly captains the Fourth, realising early on that she is not leadership material.

Miss Allardyce’s Christian name is Edith. In SGOL Annual 1928 Miss Somerfield is named as Alice Edith Somerfield, whereas her first Christian name is Esther.

SO 592-597 Pam and Hetty Inter Sports: Miss Everard encourages the girls – “Never give in and never give up.” And Miss Somerfields: “I’m so glad you feel confident, anyhow,” smiled the headmistress. “In this life it is always worth while to sing, if only to keep up your spirits!” Such wise words, although they don’t know that at this stage that Hetty Curzon is responsible for the dreadful injury that threatens Pam’s life. Betty shrewdly, realises that something is wrong with Hetty.

In SO 498-502 Miss Everard New Mistress (SGOL 730 On Trial at Morcove), mention is made of a train running for the bay. Which bay - Sandton Bay? There seems to be no rail to Sandton Bay, only a bus service.

Cora’s attempt at being decent lasts until SO 498-502 Miss Everard New Mistress (SGOL 730 On Trial at Morcove) where she finally joins Diana and Ursula in an illicit dormitory feast, and further shenanigans. Miss Somerfield is quickly onto her. Previously it seemed that she was fine right up until the next story, SO 503-508 The Morcove Peeress, Ursula Wade (SGOL 701 The Morcove Peeress). To give Cora her due though, although she is reverting to her wild and restless old self, at this stage she doesn’t really want to cause any difficulty between herself and Betty. And she genuinely doesn’t want to upset Judy, but of course in her endless seeking of high times, (Like addiction), she crosses her own boundaries. And then of course the downward spiral.

Morcove’s kitchen region has white floor tiles.

On the subject of motorbikes, Grace Garfield is given one by her wealthy Uncle John who has come home from Australia. He is the one who injects wealth into Rosemount School.

Bunny Trevor very quickly gains popularity, and she is put in Study 12 with Betty, Polly, Paula and Naomer.

Billy Charters takes a punt out at Swanlake, and he capsizes. He is wearing fairly heavy clothing and gets into a panic, and so Pam saves him. This is a bit inconsistent, as one would think he would be a good swimmer and a good boatman, coming from a South Pacific island.

Shirley Branson also shares with Pam when she comes to Morcove in SO 666-670 Pam’s Protegee Shirley Branson. Helen is happy to make way for Shirley, and goes in with Madge and Tess.

Leonard Shields has drawn two different versions of Mrs Denniker - SO 622-625 Morcove in London

Her Strange Secret of Swanlake – SG 383-395 appears to be either written a fair while before it was published in The Schoolgirl, as Miss Everard is in charge of the Fourth. Or, Phillips is confused, as Miss Everard had left Morcove when she married Tony Challenor and went onto Grangemoor. This is ages prior to Bunny coming to Morcove, and Bunny features in this story.

SO 200-206 Cheat at Morcove Babs Harper severely edited towards the end of the story in the SGOL version.

SO 719 – Betty is recuperating at the Headland Hotel with her Mother, during Miss Kitten’s reign. Shields depicts her in her school uniform, whereas she wouldn’t be wearing it at the Headland!.

The Majestic Hotel is in Mayfair, telephone no 6600 Mayfair.

Lilian Marlowe – SGOL Annual 1930 is a pupil of Barncombe House. Obviously no relation of the high standing Marlowe family of Barncombe House, and a friend of Diana Forbes.

The Fifth Form’s publication is known as the Morcove Magpie.

SO 111-115 Loneliest Girl at Morcove (SGOL 178 The Loneliest Girl at Morcove): Phillips get mixed up with the names of Ruby Maydew and Millie Hapgood more than once. Or is it printer error?

Elsie Harper, adopted daughter of Mrs Vane, owns a black Spaniel named Rex - SO 111-115 Loneliest Girl at Morcove (SGOL 178 The Loneliest Girl at Morcove)

Another of the Willoughby’s dogs – a Spaniel, is named Scamp.

Another Morcove Magazine inconsistency is in No 38 – SO 477 Who Wins the Election? Where Etta Hargrove is known as Etta Hargreaves.

The World of Morcove As Seen Through Other Eyes

This is brought to us in The Rivals of Morcove, a story featured in The Girls Favourite late 1922, early 1923. There is conjecture as to who actually wrote this story, and below are some theories - firstly by Keith Bates, and secondly Gary.

Here is a personal view of this story, by Keith Bates:

I felt that it was a privilege to read this rare serial. Far too lazy nowadays to go to the British Library, I never thought that I would get the opportunity to do so. This early Morcove serial (from 1922) is rare for several reasons. Firstly, the Girls' Favourite story paper in which it appears seems to be rare (although I doubt that there is much demand for it either!). Secondly, this serial is the only known Morcove work not published in the Schoolgirl's Own (and Annual and Library) or Schoolgirl. Thirdly, although some Morcove stories do quite heavily feature Sixth Formers, this appears to be the only Morcove work which concentrates more or less entirely on them - and thus is probably the only Morcove work which might concentrate more on adult issues and thus give an idea of how good Phillips was as an adult romantic novelist, as indeed was his profession before he took up Morcove. Gary has recently read this serial and kindly emailed me his findings. Having now just read the serial myself, I markedly agree with Gary but perhaps rate it a little higher than he does. I certainly agree that it is rather average but I think that it is a competent enough melodrama and I have read much worse. It seems to me to be an interesting and ploddingly worthy - but hardly outstandingly enjoyable addition to the Morcove canon. Gary surprised me by saying that he doubted that this serial was written by Phillips. Having read it, I agree - although I have some slight nagging doubts that it might just have been. As I have written before, I think that Phillips - unlike Hamilton and Brooks - may well be a fairly easy writer for a talented sub to imitate. His style (particularly his prose) is solid and undistinguished - sometimes a little pompous. He gets most of his effect from his overall - often gloomy and foreboding - vision rather from the nature of his prose. His prose ought to be not too difficult to imitate, thus making "sub spotting" more difficult than it might otherwise be. Parts of the latter half of this serial - for example, Ethel Courtway dangerously trudging through the deep snow at night - achieve a Phillipsian feel which most of the rest of the serial narrowly but consistently, I think, misses. However, the main point of contact which made me wonder if this serial was just possibly by Phillips is that the nexus of its plot is the invention of a machine which will provide unlimited amounts of electricity - exactly the same type of invention which Mr. Minden is inventing in the later SO 540-543 serial which is undoubtedly by Phillips. Furthermore, headgirl Ethel Courtway - who is rarely centre stage for long in Morcove serials - is again centre stage in another later serial by Phillips which also centres on the attempts of villains to steal an invention (SO 683-686). So, was Phillips later re-using aspects of his plot from the Rivals of Morcove? Where Phillips nearly always succeeds in his writing is by his successful investment of convincing emotion into the heroical protagonists of his melodramas. Here I think he is only surpassed amongst boarding school writers by Elsie J. Oxenham. There is plenty of opportunity for the author of this serial to do likewise in the traumas of Ethel and her adopted brother Cyril - and he certainly attempts to do so but doesn't particularly succeed in my view. Ethel and Cyril rise some way above the romanticised and wordy heroical stereotypes of melodrama - but not very far, in my view. Their conversations, in particular, sometimes seem rather stilted. There are some other pointers which jar with the idea of Phillips writing this serial. For example, the Barncombe Creamery features quite heavily throughout the Morcove saga but here is repeatedly called the Creameries - which I've never seen it called before. Betty & Co. have very minor cameo roles in this serial but don't seem particularly convincing: Ursula Wade does, however, read like Ursula Wade. Also, if this serial was written by Phillips why didn't he re-use some of the characters later on in the Schoolgirls' Own and why is Prior's School never, I think, again mentioned? Ethel's nasty and snobbish Sixth Form rival Stella Hawkes is very well drawn in this serial but I don't think that either her or her allies (Jane Possoms and Ruby Swan) reappear again in the Morcove saga; and neither, I think, does Ethel's promisingly well-written Sixth Form friend, Monica Trent. It's true that many of the characters in the Morcove stories in the Schoolgirls' Own Annual appear only once and do not carry on into the Schoolgirls' Own, However, Stella, at least, features in this serial as the long-term rival to Morcove's head girl no less and is an engaging - although not masterly - creation which deserves or even demands re-use. So, if this is a substitute author - and substitute work is very rare in the Morcove canon compared to all the other long running AP boarding school sagas except St. Frank's - who is he? Well, the main suspect must be Rosman. He is the only other known Morcove sub. Indeed, towards the end of this serial, the Girls' Favourite announces the publication of what is actually one of his original subs in the SGOLs (The Mystery Girl of Morcove), so he certainly appears to be involved with Morcove at more or less this precise time. I haven't been able to read that SGOL but have read most other of Rosman's few Morcove sub writings. They seem much lighter and less heavy in style - less commitedly melodramatic - than this serial. I've never thoroughly got to grips with Rosman - who had a very lengthy and productive career with the AP - but he's always struck me as a clever but perhaps rather facile jack of all trades. He doesn't greatly remind me of the author of this work. In fact, this serial reminds me more of Phillips than of Rosman! Still, Rosman is a slippery customer and this serial could well be written by him for all I know. Gary suggests the possibility of a "third man" as the writer of this serial and I think that he is right. I would like to suggest Reginald S. Kirkham as a possible author. Only a couple of years or so earlier, Kirkham and Phillips had taken over from Hamilton in writing the Cliff House stories in the School Friend. Perhaps they were even active collaborators: it's not too impossible to imagine them both attending emergency Cliff House meetings at the AP after the departure of Hamilton! Phillips soon himself departed from Cliff House to found Morcove but Kirkham stayed on for quite a while on School Friend and created some - often rather fine - melodramas which in their ponderous heaviness and intricate plotting remind me of the Rivals Of Morcove, even indeed in his masterly Augusta Anstruther-Browne mega-serial (SF 1 68-84 of 1920). Gary wrote to me wondering about Shields' absence as illustrator of this serial. I have nothing to add to that except - although none of the interior illustrations of the Rivals of Morcove seem to be by Shields - some of the covers (eg. GF 49) look Shieldsian whilst the faces in particular on many of the other covers certainly aren't. However, most of the covers do not illustrate the Morcove serial and I haven't checked if any of the Shieldsian looking covers do so.Thanks very much indeed to Gary for the Friardale scans

And Gary’s thoughts on the subject:

My turn to thank you for another great dissection Keith! I thought the series was too clumsily constructed for Phillips and too wordy for Rosman, but as you very wisely point out Rosman was indeed a "slippery customer"! Anyone who could continually alternate between human adventure serials and doggy soap operas could also easily turn out a straight melodrama too. The main reason why I personally plump for a third man is because the story just didn't engage me in the way one of Phillips or Rosman's usually does and failed on both emotion and action levels. So unless one of them was not writing up to his usual standard it would mean Kirkman or possibly someone else wrote it.I know you regard Kirkham highly, however apart from his excellent early SF series I never completely got to grips with his style, some of his "intricate plotting" seeming to be often characters going pointlessly backwards and forwards over the same ground to almost grind plots to standstills. The Cliff House tales I've read from 1923/5 (not complete) seem pretty dire to me, no wonder Rosman was moved in to try to save the SF. I'll see if I can dig out a few of these unreadable examples for Friardale! Also as Shields was indeed illustrating some stories/ front covers for the GF, surely in 1922 if the series had been from Phillips (or Rosman's) pen he would have been asked to do the honours for "Morcove" as usual?

Hi Sylvia,

Hope you're OK, and immersed in some aspect of Morcove!

Just a quick email about the Girls Favourite series: Keith was being kind calling my email to him about it "my findings"! I literally passed a few comments which as you can see on the yahoo group, he has expanded enormously into an essay! What we could do with are your expert opinions after you've read it as you probably could point out many things we've missed. Personally I don't think the "Morcove" story is very good, but it's certainly fascinating and worth the time.

After Keith's and your comments on the group I'm now re-reading the 1st Turanian series - the difference in writing style between that and the Rivals of Morcove make me even more convinced it's not by Phillips!

At this point in time, I haven’t read this story yet, however it is on my ‘to do’ list in the future!