Charles Major (July 25, 1856 – February 13, 1913) was an American lawyer and novelist.

Biography

Born to an upper-middle class

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

family, Major developed an interest in both law and English history at an early age and attended the University of Michigan from 1872 through 1875, being admitted to the Indiana bar association in 1877. Shortly thereafter he opened his own law practice, which launched a short political career, culminating in a year-long term in the

Indiana state legislature The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...

. Writing remained an interest of Major, and in 1898, he published his first novel, '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'' under the pseudonym Edwin Caskoden. The novel about England during the reign of

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...

was an exhaustively researched historical romance, and became enormously popular, holding a place on bestselling book lists for nearly three years. The novel was adapted into a popular Broadway play by Paul Kester in 1901, premiering at the Criterion Theatre that year. The novel also launched relatively successful film adaptations in 1908 and 1922. With a successful writing career, Major gradually lessened his legal obligations, closing his law practice over a year after his first novel, in 1899. Published in 1902, his third novel, ''

Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall ''Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'' is a 1902 historical novel written by Charles Major. Following the life and romances of Dorothy Vernon in Elizabethan England, the novel became the year's third most successful novel according to '' The Bookman ...

'', another historical romance, this time set in

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

times, rivaled the success of his first. Once again, the novel was adapted for the theater by Paul Kester, and saw a film release in 1924 starring Mary Pickford. Major continued to write and publish several additional novels, to varying degrees of success, as well as a number of children's adventure stories, most set in and around his native state of Indiana. Charles Major died of

liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...

on February 13, 1913, at his home in Shelbyville, Indiana. In 2006, Shelbyville, Indiana native Eric Linne wrote and copyrighted a motion picture screenplay adaptation of Major's novel ''The Bears of Blue River''.

Bibliography

* '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'' (1898) * ''The Bears of Blue River'' (1901) * ''

'' (1902) * ''A Forest Hearth: A Romance of Indiana in the Thirties'' (1903) * ''Yolanda: A Maid of Burgundy'' (1905) * ''Uncle Tom Andy Bill: A Story of Bears and Indian Treasure'' (1908) * ''A Gentle Knight of Old Brandenburg'' (1909) (about

Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia Princess Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia (3 July 170914 October 1758) was a princess of Prussia (the older sister of Frederick the Great) and composer. She was the eldest daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of H ...

and Margravine, consort of Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth) * ''The Little King: A Story of the Childhood of

King Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

'' (1910) * ''Sweet Alyssum'' (1911) * ''The Touchstone of Fortune: Being the Memoir of Baron Clyde etc.'' (1912) * ''Rosalie'' (1925)

Filmography

*''

Sweet Alyssum ''Lobularia maritima'' ( syn. ''Alyssum maritimum'') is a species of low-growing flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. Its common name is sweet alyssum or , also commonly referred to as just alyssum (from the genus ''Alyssum'' in which it ...

'', directed by

Colin Campbell Colin may refer to: * Colin (given name) * Colin (surname) * ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie * Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse * Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney ...

(1915, based on the story ''Sweet Alyssum: A Story of the Indiana Oil Fields'') *'' When Knighthood Was in Flower'', directed by

Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian-American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mov ...

(1922, based on the novel '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'') *''

'', directed by

Marshall Neilan Marshall Ambrose "Mickey" Neilan (April 11, 1891 – October 27, 1958) was an American actor. Early life Born in San Bernardino, California, Neilan was known by most as "Mickey." Following the death of his father, the eleven-year-old Mickey N ...

(1924, based on the novel ''

'') *'' Yolanda'', directed by

(1924, based on the novel ''Yolanda'') *''

The Sword and the Rose ''The Sword and the Rose'' is a family/adventure film produced by Perce Pearce and Walt Disney and directed by Ken Annakin. The film features the story of Mary Tudor, a younger sister of Henry VIII of England. Based on the 1898 novel '' When Kn ...

'', directed by Ken Annakin (1953, based on the novel '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'')

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Charles 1856 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American novelists 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists American historical novelists American male novelists Deaths from cancer in Indiana Deaths from liver cancer Indiana lawyers Members of the Indiana House of Representatives Novelists from Indiana People from Shelbyville, Indiana University of Michigan alumni Writers from Indianapolis Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period