Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey

Born Jessie Bell in Liverpool in 1857, she published under the name Mrs George de Horne Vaizey and became a well-known English author of fiction for girls. She also wrote earlier as Mrs Henry Mansergh and Jessie Mansergh, reflecting different periods of her life.

Her novels drew on personal experience, including life in a large family, illness, and the ups and downs of marriage. Readers especially remember books such as A Houseful of Girls, Pixie O'Shaughnessy, and Tom and Some Other Girls, which helped make her a familiar name in early 20th-century juvenile fiction.

She spent many years in poor health before her death on January 23, 1917. Even so, her stories remained energetic and approachable, with a gift for capturing family chatter, friendship, and the ambitions of young women.