Verily Anderson
Verily Anderson (12 January 1915 – 16 July 2010) was a British author, best known for writing the screenplay of the film No Kidding,[1] based on her 1958 book Beware of Children, for writing Brownie books and writing genealogical books about the Gurney, Barclay and Buxton families.
Biography
Born as Verily Bruce on 12 January 1915,[2] she was the daughter of Francis Rosslyn Courtenay Bruce and Rachel Gurney.
Verily Bruce was educated at Edgbaston High School for Girls, Birmingham, between the ages of 4 and 7, then she attended Normanhurst School in Battle, Sussex. At 16, she went to Royal College of Music in London. She was in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry between 1938 and 1941.
On 2 August 1940 she married Captain Donald Clive Anderson, son of Frank Anderson, thereafter using the name Verily Anderson for her writing. She was with the BBC in TV and radio between 1946 and 2002 working on Woman's Hour and writing TV Plays.
On 10 August 1971, she married Paul Edward Paget.
She last resided in Northrepps, Norfolk, where she died at home on 16 July 2010, just after completing a book.[3] She is buried with her husband Paul Paget in neighbouring Sidestrand.
Children
Children of Verily Bruce and Captain Donald Clive Anderson.[2]
1. Marian O'Hare designer
2. Rachel Anderson is also a writer mostly of children’s literature
3. Eddie Anderson is a television producer.
4. Janie Anderson (now Janie Hampton) is a writer and radio presenter
5. Alexandra Walker (née Anderson) is a literacy tutor to young people.
Gurney family history and genealogy
Verily Anderson was the author two books about the Gurney, Barclay and Buxton families:
- Northrepps Grandchildren (ISBN 1-898030-67-7)
- Northrepps is a large manor house near Cromer, Norfolk, that has been occupied by the same family for more than eight generations. This family now has thousands of members; many of whom have made their mark on British society. Notable are Thomas Fowell Buxton, of slave emancipation fame, and Elizabeth Fry, the social reformer. For the Buxton, Barclay and Gurney families, Northrepps has been a central focus for many years; Verily Anderson recalls living there, and provides a close-up account of family life through the eyes of the many children who used the house over generations.
- Friends and Relations (ISBN 1-898030-84-7). A detailed family history of the Gurney family, using information from family records.
Books
Brownie books
- Brownies' Day Abroad, published 1984.[2]
- Brownies' Cook-Book, published 1974.[2]
- Towards the Golden Hand. A play for Brownies. Published 1948.[4]
- Magic for the Golden Bar, published 1953.[4]
- Amanda and the Brownies. Illustrated by Joan Milroy. Published 1960.[4]
- The Brownies and the Ponies. Illustrated by Edgar Norfield. Published 1965.
- The Brownies and the Christening, published 1977.[4]
- The Brownies and the Wedding Day, published 1974.[4]
- Brownies on Wheels, published 1966.[4]
- The Brownies and the Golden Hand. Illustrated by Edgar Norfield. Published 1963.[4]
Other children's books
- Vanload to Venice. Illustrated by Margaret Ingram. Published 1961.[4]
- Camp Fire Cook-Book, published 1976.[5]
- Clover Coverdale published 1966.[6]
Autobiography
- Our Square, published 1957.[2]
- Scrambled Egg for Christmas; line drawings by Marian O'Hare, published 1970.[2]
- Spam Tomorrow, published 1956.[2]
- Beware of Children, published 1958.[2]
- Daughters of Divinity, published 1960.[2]
- The Flo Affair, published 1963.[2]
- Nine Times Never. Illustrated by Edward Lewis. Published 1962.[4]
- The Yorks in London. Illustrated by Nathaniel Mayer. Published 1964.
Biography
- The Last of the Eccentrics: A Life of Rosslyn Bruce, published 1972.[2]
- The Northrepps Grandchildren, published 1968.[2]
- 'The De Veres of Castle Hedingham, published 1993.[2]
- Friends and Relations, published 1980.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Obituary London Guardian, 29 July 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Lundy, Darryl. "Verily Bruce". The Peerage.
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- ^ Batson, Richard (20 July 2010). "Tributes paid to Norfolk author Verily Anderson". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich, England: Archant Regional. Retrieved July 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j British Library Catalogue
- ^ www.amazon.co.uk
- ^ [1]