Mary Edith Nepean
Mary Edith Nepean (née Bellis, 1876–1960) was a Welsh writer who wrote in English.[1] Her 35 romantic novels mainly have Welsh settings or characters.[2]
Biography
Born in 1876 in Llandudno, she was the daughter of John Bellis, a county councillor, and his wife Mary. After being educated at home, she studied painting under Robert Fowler. She was later represented in a number of exhibitions.[2]
In 1899, she married the high-ranking civil servant Molyneux Edward Nepean (1870–1848) with whom she moved to London.[3] Active in public life, she became a commandant of the Red Cross in Kent. She travelled to the Near East and the Balkans, where she developed an interest in the Gypsies of Transylvania.[2]
Literary career
Nepean's first novel Gwyneth of the Welsh Hills was published in 1917. It was somewhat influenced by the writings of Allen Raine and Caradoc Evans. In addition to a further 34 novels, she wrote Romance and Realism in the Near East (1933), based on her travels. She also contributed to popular journalism.[2]
Death
Mary Nepean died in Llandudno on 23 March 1960 and was buried in the Great Orme Cemetery.
Selected works
All were published by Stanley Paul of London.
- Gwyneth of the Welsh Hills (1917)
- Welsh Love (1919)
- Cambria's Fair Daughter (1923)
- Bryn Came to the Valley (1946)[4]
- Starlit Folly (1955)
References
- Who was who among English and European authors, 1931-1949: based on entries which first appeared in The Author's & writer's who's who & reference guide originally compiled by Edward Martell and L. G. Pine and in Who's who among living authors of older nations, originally compiled by Alberta Lawrence. Gale Research Co. 1978.
- "Nepean (née Bellis), Mary Edith". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- "Molyneux Edward Nepean". Ancestry. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- Retrieved 5 August 2018.