Ernest Protheroe

Born in 1866, Ernest Hanley Protheroe was a British teacher who became a notably prolific author of both fiction and nonfiction. His work ranged widely, from boys' stories to practical and popular books about railways, steamships, aircraft, mining, and the natural world.

During the First World War, he also wrote patriotic biographies, including books on Edith Cavell and Lord Kitchener. Sources found during this search also note that he wrote some girls' stories under pen names including Alys Chatwyn, Phyllis Hanley, P. Nester, and Marjorie Wynne.

Protheroe lived in places including Wimbledon and Hyde, Greater Manchester, and he died in 1929. Although he is not widely known today, his long list of subjects shows a writer with a strong gift for explaining the modern world to younger readers.