Ida Julia Pollock ( Crowe; 12 April 1908 – 3 December 2013) was a British writer of several short-stories and over 125

romance novel A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Pre ...

s that were published under her married name, Ida Pollock, and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death. On the occasion of her 105th birthday, Pollock was appointed honorary vice-president of the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuart ...

, having been one of its founding members. Ida and her husband, Lt Colonel

Hugh Alexander Pollock Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollock (29 July 1888 – 6 November 1971) was a British publishing editor, who served as a soldier in the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the First World War and in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in the Sec ...

, DSO (1888–1971), a veteran of war and

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

's collaborator and editor, had a daughter,

Rosemary Pollock Rosemary Pollock (26 July 1943 – 8 July 2022) was a British writer of a dozen romance novels from 1968 to 1981. She was the daughter of the centenarian romance writer and painter Ida Pollock (1908–2013) and Lieut Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollo ...

, who is also a romance writer. Ida's autobiography, ''Starlight'', published in 2009 at 100 years, tells the story of the start of her career, her marriage, and the relation of her husband with his ex-wife

Enid Blyton Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...

. She was also an oil painter, who was selected for inclusion in a national exhibition in 2004, at the age of 96.

Biography

First years

Born Ida Julia Crowe on 12 April 1908 in

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified i ...

, Kent, England, she was the daughter of Fanny Osborn, whose father was an architect in Victorian London, and her husband Arthur Crowe, but Pollock claimed to be illegitimate. Still unmarried, her mother began an affair with a supposed Russian duke, but, after her parents' death, her mother married Arthur Crowe, an old widower with a distant connection to

Lord Nelson Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British people, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strate ...

. A year or so later her mother resumed her affair with her Russian lover and became pregnant, but her daughter obtained her husband's surname. Her mother lived alone when Pollock was born, and she narrowly escaped being smothered with a pillow by the nurse who attended her birth. Her mother had a difficult time raising her and she was almost adopted by a rich uncle. Encouraged by her mother, she began to write while still at school. At 14, she published her first thriller, ''The Hills of Raven's Haunt''. At age 20, she was living with her mother in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

and already had several stories in major magazines and short novels in print. She visited

George Newnes Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet (13 March 1851 – 9 June 1910) was a British publisher and editor and a founding figure in popular journalism. Newnes also served as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for two decades. His company, George Newnes ...

's office in London, to sell her first full-length manuscript; ''Palanquins and Coloured Lanterns'', a novel set in 1920s Shanghai. Six months later, she discovered they had mislaid it. After they found it, she returned to London to meet one of its editors, the 39-year-old

(1888–1971), a distinguished veteran of World War I. Hugh had been married since 1924 to his second wife, the popular children's writer

, and was divorced from his first wife, Marion Atkinson, with whom he had two sons, William Cecil Alexander (1914–16) and Edward Alistair (1915–69). George Newnes bought her manuscript and contracted with her to write two more novels. She became a full-time writer in the 1930s, writing short stories under pseudonyms. Ida decided to travel alone to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, after suffering a mental breakdown.

World War II years and family

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Ida worked at a hostel for girls in London during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

; at this time Hugh, who had left publishing to join the Army, was Commandant of a school for

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

officers. Hugh had two daughters with Enid Blyton, Gillian Mary (later Baverstock; 1931–2007) and Imogen Mary (later Smallwood; born 1935), but his marriage had difficulties and his wife began a series of affairs. He offered Ida a post as civilian secretary at the Army Training Centre in the Surrey Hills. During a bungled firearms training session on a firing range, Hugh was hit by shrapnel and Ida contacted Enid, who declined to visit her husband because she was busy and hated hospitals. In 1941, Enid met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London surgeon with whom she began another relationship, and the marriage had broken down. In May 1942, while Ida was visiting her mother's home in Hastings a bomb destroyed the house. She escaped unhurt, but her mother was in hospital for two weeks. Hugh paid for Ida to stay at

Claridges Claridge's is a 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. It has long-standing connections with royalty that have led to it sometimes being referred to as an "annexe to Buckingham Palace". Claridge's Hote ...

and he said he was divorcing his wife. To get a quick divorce, Hugh blamed himself for adultery at divorce petition. On 26 October 1943 Ida and Hugh were married at London's

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

Register Office A register office or The General Register Office, much more commonly but erroneously registry office (except in official use), is a British government office where births, deaths, marriages, civil partnership, stillbirths and adoptions in England, ...

, six days after Enid's marriage to Darrell Waters. In 1944 they had a daughter

who has also become a romance writer. Enid changed the names of their daughters and Hugh did not see them again, although Enid had promised access as part of his taking the blame for the divorce.

Romance writing career

After World War II, George Newnes, Hugh's old firm, decided not to work with him anymore. They also represented Enid Blyton and were not willing to let her go. After this the marriage experienced financial problems and, in 1950, Hugh had to declare bankruptcy while he struggled with alcoholism. Ida decided to write popular contemporary romances and sold her first novel to

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

in 1952. Being in print with several major international publishers at the same time, she decided to use multiple pseudonyms. In the 1950s she wrote as Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Rose Burghley, and Mary Whistler to Mills & Boon; as Averil Ives and Barbara Rowan to

Ward Lock Ward, Lock & Co. was a publishing house in the United Kingdom that started as a partnership and developed until it was eventually absorbed into the publishing combine of Orion Publishing Group. History Ebenezer Ward and George Lock started a pu ...

; as Anita Charles to

Wright & Brown Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...

; and as Jane Beaufort to

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...

. In 1964, she published under her married name, Ida Pollock, her first historical novel, ''The Gentle Masquerade'', and after the success of it, Mills and Boon's "Masquerade" series of historical romances was launched. Under her last pseudonym, Marguerite Bell, she also wrote historical romances. Most of her novels have been reprinted by Mills & Boon (or

Harlequin Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...

in the United States). During her marriage she travelled widely and lived in many parts of England. It was their daughter's asthma that brought the Pollocks to Cornwall. They also lived in Ireland, France, Italy, Malta and Switzerland, where they successfully obtained a lasting cure for Rosemary's debilitating condition. Hugh died on 8 November 1971 in Malta, where he is buried in the British military cemetery. After her husband's death, Pollock returned with her daughter to England and they lived for several years in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, before moving to

Lanreath Lanreath ( kw, Lannreydhow) is a civil parish and a village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated five miles (8 km) west-northwest of Looe. The name Lanreath (pronounced Lanreth) means 'church (Lann) of Rayd ...

in 1986. In the 1970s she slowed the rhythm of publication, but continued to write. Besides romances, she published – as Barbara Rowan – a suspense novel, and her novel, ''A Distant Drum'' (2005), is based around the Battle of Waterloo. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105. After her death, her medieval story: ''Sir Faintheart'' was published in 2015, and there are still at least two unpublished Regency romances pending publication, including ''The Runaway''. Today many of her old novels are being reedited.

Later years

In addition to writing, Ida constructed model houses, usually scale miniatures of Georgian or Tudor buildings. She was also an oil painter, who was selected for inclusion in a national exhibition in 2004, at the age of 96. But her sight deteriorated and she returned to writing. After her 100th birthday, her autobiography, ''Starlight'', was published on 15 November 2009, and she tells the story of the start of her career, her marriage, and the relation of her husband with his ex-wife

. In 1960 she was a founding member of the

, and in 2010 she helped in its 50th anniversary. On the occasion of her 105th birthday, she was appointed its honorary vice-president. She died 3 December 2013, aged 105.

Bibliography

As Ida Crowe

Single novels

*''The Hills of Raven's Haunt'', 1922

As Joan M. Allen

Single novels

*''Palanquins and coloured lanterns'', 1930? *''Her Chinese Captor'', 1935 *''Indian Love'', 1935

As Susan Barrie

Single novels

*''Mistress of Brown Furrows'', 1952 *''Gates of Dawn'', 1954 *''Marry a Stranger'', 1954 *''Carpet of dreams'', 1955 *''Hotel Stardust = Hotel at Treloan'', 1955 *''Dear Tiberius'' = ''Nurse Nolan'', 1956 *''So Dear to my Heart'', 1956 *''The House of the Laird'', 1956 *''Air Ticket'', 1957 *''Four Roads to Windrush'', 1957 *''Heart Specialist'', 1958 *''Stars of San Cecilio'', 1958 *''The wings of the morning'', 1960 *''Bride in Waiting'', 1961 *''Moon at the Full'', 1961 *''Royal Purple'', 1962 *''A Case of Heart Trouble'', 1963 *''Mountain Magic'', 1964 *''Castle Thunderbird'', 1965 *''No Just Cause'', 1965 *''Master of Melincourt'', 1966 *''Rose in the Bud'', 1966 *''The Quiet Heart'', 1966 *''Accidental Bride'', 1967 *''Victoria and the Nightingale'', 1967 *''Wild Sonata'', 1968 *''The Marriage Wheel'', 1968/12 *''Night of the Singing Birds'', 1970/04

Omnibus collections

*''Marry A Stranger / Rose in the Bud / Marriage Wheel'', 1976 *''House of the Laird / A Case of Heart Trouble / The Quiet Heart'', 1976 *''Return to Tremarth / Night of the Singing Birds / Bride in Waiting'', 1980

Anthologies in collaboration

*''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. X: The Wild Land Isobel Chance / Surgeon for Tonight / Four Roads to Windrush'' (1971) (with

Isobel Chace Isobel, is the Scottish form of the female given name Isabel. It originates from the medieval form of the name Elisabeth (Hebrew Elisheba). Isobel is a feminine given name. People named Isobel include: * Isobel of Huntingdon (1199-1251), Scottish ...

Elizabeth Houghton Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

) *''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. XVII: No Silver Spoon / Nurse Nolan / The Time and the Place'' (1971) (with

Jane Arbor Eileen Norah Owbridge (''née'' Murphy; 8 September 1903 – 4 February 1994) was a British writer who under the pseudonym Jane Arbor wrote 57 romances for Mills & Boon from 1948 to 1985. She wrote doctor-nurse and foreign romances. Many of h ...

and

Essie Summers Essie Summers (born Ethel Snelson Summers, 24 July 1912 – 27 August 1998) was a New Zealand writer whose romance novels sold more than 19 million copies in 105 countries. She was known as New Zealand's "Queen of Romance." Writing Despite th ...

) *''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. XXI: The Doctor's Daughters / Gates of Dawn / The Gift at Snowy River'' (1972) (with

Anne Weale Jay Blakeney (20 June 1929 – 24 October 2007) was a British writer and newspaper reporter, well known as a romance novelist under the pen names Anne Weale and Andrea Blake. She wrote over 88 books for Mills & Boon from 1955 to 2002. She died ...

and

Joyce Dingwell Joyce Dingwell, née ''Enid Joyce Owen Starr'' (1909 in City of Ryde, Sydney, Australia – 2 August 1997 in Kincumber, Sydney), an Australian writer of more than 80 romance novels at Mills & Boon from 1931 to 1986, who also wrote under the pseu ...

) *''Children's Nurse / Heart Specialist / Child Friday'' (1972) (

Sara Seale Sara Seale, was the pseudonym by Mary Jane MacPherson (d. ) and/or A.D.L. MacPherson (d. ), a British writing team of over 45 romance novels as from 1932 to 1971. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Ne ...

and Kathryn Blair) *''Romance Treasury'' (1975) (with

Karin Mutch Karin may refer to: *Karin (given name), a feminine name Fiction * ''Karin'' (manga) or ''Chibi Vampire'', a Japanese media franchise *Karin Hanazono, title character of the manga and anime ''Kamichama Karin'' *Karin Kurosaki, a character in ''Bl ...

and Yvonne Whittal) *''Harlequin Classic Library'' (1980) (with

Elizabeth Hoy Alice Nina Hoysradt, née Conarain (born in Dublin, Ireland) was an Irish writer of over 70 romance novels as her maiden name Nina Conarain and under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Hoy from 1933 to 1980. Biography Alice Nina Conarain was born in Du ...

, Alex Stuart,

Mary Burchell Ida Cook (24 August 190422 December 1986) was a British campaigner for Jewish refugees and a romance novelist as Mary Burchell. Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991) rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters h ...

Juliet Shore Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

, Jean S. MacLeod,

and Jill Tahourdin)

As Pamela Kent

(* Novels reedited as Ida Pollock)

Single novels

*''Moon over Africa''*, 1955 *''Desert Doorway'', 1956 *''City of Palms'', 1957 *''Sweet Barbary'', 1957 *''Meet Me in Istanbul''*, 1958 *''Dawn on the High Mountain'', 1959 *''Flight to the Stars'', 1959 *''The Chateau of Fire'' 1961 *''Bladon's Rock = Doctor Gaston'', 1963 *''The Dawning Splendour'', 1963 *''Enemy Lover'' 1964 *''Gideon Faber's Chance* = Gideon Faber's Choice'', 1965 *''Star Creek'', 1965 *''The Gardenia Tree'', 1965 *''Cuckoo in the Night'', 1966 *''White Heat'', 1966 *''Beloved Enemies'', 1967 *''The Man Who Came Back'', 1967 *''Desert Gold'', 1968 *''Man from the Sea'', 1968 *''Nile Dusk'', 1972/12 *''Night of Stars'', 1975/12

Anthologies in collaboration

*''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. VIII: Choose The One You'll Marry / Sweet Barbary / Senior Surgeon at St. David's'' (1970) (with

and

Elizabeth Gilzean Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS Elizabeth, HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * Elisa ...

)

As Averil Ives

Single novels

*''Haven of the Heart'', 1956 *''The Secret Heart'', 1956 *''Doctor's Desire = Desire for the Star'', 1957 *''The Uncertain Glory = Nurse Linnet's Release'', 1957 *''Island in the Dawn'', 1958 *''Love in Sunlight = Nurse for the Doctor'', 1958 *''Master of Hearts'', 1959

Omnibus collections

*''Island in the Dawn / Fox and His Vixen'', 1975

As Anita Charles

Single novels

*''The Black Benedicts'', 1956 *''My Heart at Your Feet'', 1957 *''One Coin in the Fountain'', 1957 *''Interlude for Love'', 1958 *''The Moon and Bride's Hill'', 1958 *''Autumn Wedding'', 1962 *''The King of the Castle'', 1963 *''White Rose of Love'', 1963

As Barbara Rowan

Single novels

*''Silver Fire = In Care of the Doctor'', 1956 *''Flower for a Bride'', 1957 *''Love is Forever'', 1957 *''Mountain of Dreams'', 1958 *''The Keys of the Castle'', 1959 *''House of Sand'', 1986/08

Anthologies in collaboration

*''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. XXXIII: Flower for a Bride / Bachelors Galore / Hope for the Doctor'' (1970) (with

and

Margaret Malcolm Margaret Lilian Malcolm ( Graham, 17 January 1900 – 11 December 1980) was a British writer of over 100 romance novels published by Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 190 ...

) *''Tuesday's Jillaroo / Fires of Toretta / The Keys of the Castle'' (1985) (with Kerry Allyne and Iris Danbury)

As Jane Beaufort

Single novels

*''A Nightingale in the Sycamore'', 1957 *''Dangerous Lover = Dangerous Love'', 1959 *''Love in High Places'', 1960 *''A Quest for Lovers'', 1963 *''Interlude in Snow'', 1964

As Rose Burghley

Single novels

: (* Novels reedited as Susan Barrie) *''And Be Thy Love'', 1958 *''Love in the Afternoon'', 1959 *''The Sweet Surrender'', 1959 *''Bride by Arrangement'', 1960 *''A Moment in Paris'', 1961 *''Highland Mist'', 1962 *''The Garden of Don Jose''*, 1965/06 *''Man of Destiny'', 1965/10 *''A Quality of Magic'', 1966 *''The Afterglow = Alpine Doctor'', 1966 *''Bride of Alaine'', 1966/10 *''Folly of the Heart'', 1967/04 *''The Bay of Moonlight'', 1968/01 *''Return to Tremarth''*, 1969/08

Anthologies in collaboration

*''Golden Harlequin Library Vol. XXV: And be Thy Love / Doctor Memsahib / Black Charles'' (1962) (with

Juliet S Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

hore and Esther Wyndham)

As Mary Whistler

Single novels

*''Enchanted Autumn'', 1959 *''Escape to Happiness'', 1960 *''Sunshine Yellow'', 1961 *''Pathway of Roses'', 1962 *''The Young Nightingales'', 1967

As Ida Pollock

Single novels

*''The Gentle Masquerade'', 1964 *''The Uneasy Alliance'', 1965 *''Lady in danger'', 1967 *''Summer Conspiracy'' 1969/02 *''Country Air'', 1970/08

Timeline Series

#''Sir Faintheart'', 2015/04

Non fiction

*''Starlight'', 2009

As Marguerite Bell

(* Novels reedited as Ida Pollock)

Single novels

*''A Rose for Danger''*, 1977/05 *''The Devil's Daughter''* 1978/07 *''Bride by Auction'', 1989/11 *''Sea Change'' 2002/07 *''A Distant Drum'', 2005/01

Anthologies in collaboration

*''The Runaways / Eleanor and the Marquis / A Rose for Danger / The Secret of Val Verde'' (1977) (with

Jane Wilby Anne Hampson (28 November 1928 – 25 September 2014) was a British writer of over 125 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1969 to 1998. She published historical romance novels under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. Although she retired in 1998, in 200 ...

, Judith Polley and

Julia Herbert Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e. ...

) *''Eleanor and the Marquis / The Runaways / A Rose for Danger / Puritan Wife'' (1977) (with

, Judith Polley and

Elizabeth De Guise Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (s ...

)

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollock, Ida 1908 births 2013 deaths English centenarians English romantic fiction writers English women novelists 20th-century English painters 21st-century English painters Women romantic fiction writers 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers Women centenarians 21st-century English women