Helen Douglas Irvine Explained

Helen Douglas Irvine (born Helen Florence Douglas-Irvine; 29 February 1880 – 22 May 1946) was a Scottish novelist, historian and translator and was one of the Douglases of Grangemuir.

Early life and education

Helen Florence Douglas-Irvine was born in 1880, the daughter of Walter Douglas-Irvine and Anne Frances (née Lloyd), granddaughter of Lord William Robert Keith Douglas (the younger brother of both Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry and John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry).^[1]

She was one of the first female graduates of St Andrews University^[2] having read History, near her family home Grangemuir, near Pittenweem in Fife.

Career

Douglas-Irvine wrote seven novels, four books of history, and at least two book-length translations. She was also a contributing author to the Victoria County History book series,^[3] and contributed poetry to the collection A Scallopshell of Quiet (1917).^[4] She was a clerk with the French Red Cross during World War I.^[5]

Death

Douglas Irvine died on 22 May 1946 from pneumonia in Chile, while researching a book on early Spanish colonial life.^{[6] [7]} She was 66 years old. Her grave is in Dunino, Fife.^[8]

Works

Novels

• Magdalena (1936)^[9]
• Fray Mario (1939)^[10]
• Mirror of a Dead Lady (1940)^[11]
• Angelic Romance (1941)^[12]
• Sweet is the Rose (1944)^[13]
• 77 Willow Road (1945)^[14]
• Torchlight Procession (1946)^[15]

Historical writing

• Royal Palaces of Scotland (1911)^[16]
• Extracts Relating to Mediaeval Markets and Fairs in England (1912)^[17]
• History of London (1912)^[18]
• The Making of Rural Europe (1923)^[19]

Translations

• (with W.D. MacInnes), Emile Legouis and Louis Cazamian, A History of English Literature (1926)^[20]
• (with Charlotte Balfour), Saint Catherine of Genoa, Treatise on Purgatory (1946)^[21]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Person Page: Helen Florence Douglas. 2020-07-24. The Peerage.
2. The New Age: A Weekly Review of Politics, Literature and Art, 17 December 1908. Helen Douglas Irvine MA (St Andrews), "The Case for the Scottish Graduates".
3. Book: Malden, Henry Elliot. The Victoria History of the County of Surrey. 1967. A. Constable, limited. en.
4. Book: Dinnis. Enid Maud. A Scallop shell of quiet. Douglas-Irvine. Helen. Vaughan. Gertrude E. M.. Young. Ruth. 1917. B.H. Blackwell. en.
5. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6085912 National Archives Catalogue
6. Douglas-Irvine. Helen. 1928. The Landholding System of Colonial Chile. The Hispanic American Historical Review. en. 8. 4. 449–495. 10.1215/00182168-8.4.449. 0018-2168. 5548604508. free.
7. Deaths . 29 May 1946 . 1 . 50464 .
8. News: St Andrews Citizen. 6. Dunino - Distingished Author. 10 August 1946.
9. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Magdalena. 1936. Macmillan. New York. en. 6719234.
10. Book: Douglas Irvine, Helen. Fray Mario. 1939. Longmans. Toronto. en. 937627538.
11. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Mirror of a dead lady. 1940. Longmans, Green & Co.. London, New York. en. 654865996.
12. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Angelic romance.. 1941. Longmans, Green and Co.. London; New York. en. 7570733.
13. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Sweet is the rose. 1944. Longmans, Green and Co.. London; New York. en. 63572283.
14. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. ... 77 Willow road.. 1945. Doubleday, Doran and Co.. Garden City, New York. en. 1667874.
15. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Torchlight procession. 1946. Longmans, Green. London; Toronto. en. 952638097.
16. Book: DOUGLAS-IRVINE, HELEN. Royal palaces of scotland (classic reprint).. 2016. FORGOTTEN Books. 978-1-334-05859-2. Place of publication not identified. en. 983112619.
17. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. Extracts Relating to Mediaeval Markets and Fairs in England. 2013-09-08. en.
18. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. History of London. 2009. Read Books. 978-1-4446-1866-2. en.
19. Book: Douglas-Irvine, Helen. The making of rural Europe. 1923. G. Allen & Unwin Ltd.. London. en. 6405727.
20. Book: Legouis. Emile. A history of English literature The Middle Ages and the Renascence (650-1660). Cazamian. Louis François. 1971. Dent. London. 9780460035835. en. 1037856909.
21. Book: Catherine. Treatise on purgatory / The dialogue / Battista Vernazza ; translated [with an introduction] by Charlotte Balfour and Helen Douglas Irvine.. Vernazza. Battistina. Balfour. Charlotte. Douglas Irvine. Helen. 1946. Sheed and Ward. London. en. 779095531.