THE ANGELA THIRKELL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICACompanion to Mrs. Morland and Son
Four brief stories (published originally by Harper’s Bazaar in the 1930s; republished by the Angela Thirkell Society). Features Laura Morland and her youngest son Tony. Includes a trip to the Pantomime with George Knox, bicycle riding with the Gould girls, an ice-skating party, and some adventures related to electricity. A charming but all-too-brief visit to Barsetshire.
Book Title and Abbreviation
| High Rising | HR |
| Wild Strawberries | WS |
| The Demon in the House | DH |
| Mrs. Morland and Son | MMS |
| August Folly | AF |
| Summer Half | SH |
| Pomfret Towers | PT |
| The Brandons | B |
| Before Lunch | BL |
| Cheerfulness Breaks In | CBI |
| Northbridge Rectory | NR |
| Marling Hall | MH |
| Growing Up | GU |
| The Headmistress | H |
| Miss Bunting | MB |
| Peace Breaks Out | PBO |
| Private Enterprise | PE |
| Love Among the Ruins | LAR |
| The Old Bank House | OBH |
| County Chronicle | CC |
| The Duke’s Daughter | DD |
| Happy Return | HR2 |
| Jutland Cottage | JC |
| What Did It Mean? | WDM |
| Enter Sir Robert | ESR |
| Never Too Late | NTL |
| A Double Affair | DA |
| Close Quarters | CQ |
| Love at All Ages | LAA |
| Three Score and Ten | TST |
Character, Description, and Book Abbreviations
| Amber | Well-broken mare used by Jenkins for children’s riding lessons. | MMS |
| Annie | “Mr. Knox’s Annie.” Housekeeper for George Knox at Low Rising Manor House both before and after his marriage to Anne Todd. Sister of Lord Stoke’s footman, Albert. | HR1, DH, 3S&T, MMS |
| Atkins | Master in lower school at Southbridge when Tony Morland was a student. | MMS |
| Birkett, Amy | Wife of William Birkett, headmaster of Southbridge School. “Ma Birky” to the schoolboys. Daughters Rose and Geraldine. Close friend of Laura Morland, the novelist. | HR1, DH, SH, CBI, NR, GU, MB, PBO, PE, LAR, OBH, CC, HR2, JC, WDIM, 3S&T, MMS |
| Brown, Sid | Worked for railroad as Stationmaster at Stoke Dry. | HR1, LAA, MMS |
| Coates, Adrian | Publisher of Laura Morland’s books. Lived in London and had some “Jewish blood.” Proposed to Mrs. Morland under the influence of a motor wreck and George Knox’s punch, was refused (to his relief), later married Knox’s daughter Sibyl. | HR1, DH, PT, B, CBI, NR, MH, MB, PBO, LAR, CC, DD, HR2, JC, WDIM, ESR, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Coates, Laura | b. 1934. Eldest daughter of Adrian and Sibyl (Knox) Coates | DH, CBI, MMS |
| Dudley, Matron Poppy | Matron at Southbridge School, aunt of George Empson the wireless expert. Frequently at odds with Mr. Ferris, the Housemaster. | HR1, DH, SH, CBI, GU, MB, PBO, PE, CC, HR2, JC, ESR, NTL, CQ, 3S&T, MMS |
| Ford, Dr. James. | Kindly, garrulous and gossipy old G.P. at High Rising. Proposed to Anne Todd and was refused in HR1. Proposed to Sylvia Gould in DH, married her 20 years later after she had a broken engagement in GU. Could be very brusque to those he disliked. | HR1, DH, B, CBI, GU, MB, PE, OBH, CC, DD, JC, WDIM, ESR, NTL, DA, CQ, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Francoise | Very fashionable little French girl who visited the Goulds at High Rising Vicarage. Tony Morland was enamoured of her until she calls him a “clumsy English ” while skating. | MMS |
| Gould, Mrs. | Wife of Vicar of High Rising. Patient, competent and tactful with her often testy husband. | DH, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Gould, Rose | b. 1922. Admired Tony Morland. Great horsewoman. | DH, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Gould, The Rev. Mr. | Vicar of High Rising. Daughters Rose, Dora, Sylvia, and Ruth. Strict, impatient, old-fashioned and High Church. | DH, NTL, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Jenkins | Former groom at Rising Castle, with invalid wife, two children. Taught riding and rented out horses and ponies. | MMS |
| Knox, George | Pompous, verbose historical novelist who could turn a single sentence into a discourse of parenthetical expressions. Widower, lived in High Rising with his daughter Sibyl. Escaped the clutches of his secretary, Una Grey, and became engaged to Anne Todd in HR1. | HR1, DH, B, CBI, MH, GU, MB, PE, CC, DD, HR2, WDIM, ESR, NTL, DA, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Knox, Sibyl | Daughter of widower George Knox of High Rising. Rather silly, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to become a writer, became engaged to Adrian Coates, publisher, in HR1. 3 children by time of CBI, eldest is Laura. | HR1, DH, PT, CBI, GU, MB, DD, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Koska, Madame | Main character in series of romantic suspense-thrillers by Mrs. Morland. Ran a designer dress shop and repeatedly saved the British Empire. | HR1, DH, MH, MB, PBO, PE, LAR, OBH, CC, DD, HR2, JC, WDIM, SR, DA, CQ, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Mallow | Stationmaster at High Rising, nephew by marriage of Dr. Ford’s housekeeper. | DH, MMS |
| Morland, Laura | b. 1891. Widow of Henry Morland, sons Dick, John, Gerald, and Tony. Lived at High Rising. Author of Madame Koska mystery thrillers, which she began writing to support herself and sons. Also wrote two books anonymously. Attractive but rather scatter-brained, tended to lose glasses and hairpins. Acted as unofficial secretary at Southbridge School during war. It is generally thought that she is at least partially based on the author herself, though AT was, by repute, a more sardonic personality than Laura Morland. | HR1, DH, SH,B, CBI, NR, MH,GU, MB, PBO, PE, LAR, OBH, CC, DD, JC, WDIM, ESR, NTL,DA, CQ, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Morland, Tony | b. 1921. Son of Henry and Laura Morland. Student at Southbridge School at first appearance, major interest was model trains. Became Sr. Monitor at Southbridge. Talkative, self-centered, well- intentioned with frequently disastrous results, one-track mind when a child. Attended Oxford. In Army in, Burma during war. Worked for Red Tape and Sealing Wax Office after war. Married with four children. | HR1, WS, DH, SH,B, CBI, NR, MH,GU, MB, PBO, PE, LAR, OBH, CC, DD, JC, WDIM, ESR, NTL, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Pidloe, C.J. St. P. | Contemporary of Tony Morland at Southbridge. Used a hot poker to burn the fender; Tony sat on the fender and burned his trousers. | MMS |
| Stoke, Lord Thomas | b. 1866. Ancient and eccentric antiquarian, half-brother of Lucasta Bond. A bachelor who once loved Edith Thorne (who married Old Lord Pomfret). Traveled by horse and carriage or on horseback in defiance of modern age. Was convinced that everything he dug up was Viking remains. Extremely and conveniently deaf. In NTL, he is called Algernon Courcy Stoke and is said to have been born in 1876. | HR1, DH, PT, B, BL, CBI, MH, GU, MB, PBO, PE, LAR, OBH, CC, DD, JC, WDIM, ESR, NTL, DA, CQ, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Stoker, Mrs. | Housekeeper to Laura Morland at High Rising. Garrulous, irreverent, dictatorial, and easily offended but with a soft spot for Tony Morland. | HR1, DH, CBI, HR2, ESR, NTL, DA, LAA, 3S&T, MMS |
| Wesendonk, Robert | Friend of Tony Morland at Southbridge School. Intelligent but never said anything (only uttered once in several books where appeared.) Interested in model trains and electricity. Had three sisters and was fond of babies. Played harmonica to indicate emotional moods. Later became an Olympic swimmer. | HR1, DH, SH, MB, 3S&T, MMS |