Irene Mossop

Irene Swatridge, née Irene Maude Mossop (6 December 1904 in Woking, Surrey, England – 26 October 1988 in England) was a British writer of over 175 children's and romance novels, under her maiden and married names as well as under the pseudonyms of Jan Tempeste, Fay Chandos, and Virginia Storm. She also wrote in collaboration with her husband Charles John Swatridge (1896–1964) under the pseudonym Theresa Charles, and after his death under his pseudonym Leslie Lance.

Life and career

Born Irene Maude Mossop on 6 December 1904 in Woking, Surrey, England, UK, she was the elder child of Maude Binford Eyre and Robert Mossop, a solicitor, who later also had a son.^[1] She was educated privately.^[2]

Mossop started writing very young, and after her father's death she started publishing girls' schools novels as Irene Mossop. In 1934, she married ex-RAF officer Charles John Swatridge (1896–1964), they moved to a Devon farm, where she continued writing. After her marriage, she started to write gothic and romance novels, first as Jan Tempest and later as Fay Chandos. In collaboration with her husband, she published as Theresa Charles, years later, her husband published some novels as Leslie Lance, and after his death she continued using the pseudonym.

In the 1950s, Mossop had serious discussions with Alan Boon of Mills & Boon about her novel Without A Honeymoon when she introduced the idea of an illegitimate child, as he felt that she would encounter difficulties with the Irish audience.

Mossop died on 26 October 1988.

Bibliography

References and sources