Jon Godden
Encyclopedia
Winsome Ruth Key Godden (August 1906 – 1984) was an English novelist who wrote under the name Jon Godden. She was born in Assam
, India
, and was the elder sister of the better-known novelist Rumer Godden
.
, and Katherine Norah Hingley, Jon Godden spent almost all of her childhood and much of her adult life in India. She and her sister Rumer were sent to England
for their education at the ages of 7 and 6, but the outbreak of World War I
caused their parents to arrange their travel to Narayanganj
, to which their father had been transferred from Assam while they were abroad. They remained there until Jon was 13, the experience later forming the basis of Two Under the Indian Sun, an autobiographical work jointly written by Jon and her sister Rumer.
Although all four of the Godden daughters were interested in writing, Jon and Rumer were serious about it from an early age. In addition, Jon revealed substantial artistic talent, winning a gold medal intended for adult entrants at an art exhibition in Gulmarg
, in Kashmir
. Her parents were advised by the professional who had judged the exhibition that she had a future as an artist and that they should eventually send her to The Slade in London
. Jon's abilities and good looks, as well as her position as the eldest daughter in the Godden family, meant that she exercised great emotional power over her younger siblings throughout her life and that she was always regarded within the family as the most talented sister, if not the most productive.
In 1920, the Goddens returned to England—Arthur Godden only temporarily, since he had to return to his position in India—and settled in Eastbourne
. The children were enrolled in a series of schools, beginning with a High Anglican convent
boarding school
, where they were not a good fit, having been privately tutored by an aunt in India. They also had difficulty adjusting to a less lavish lifestyle than they had enjoyed under the British Raj
. In 1925, however, now in their late teens (and Jon, though having studied at a provincial art school, apparently having given up on any plans to become a professional artist), Jon and Rumer traveled back to India, where Jon fell in love with Nigel Baughan, an employee of Imperial Tobacco
. She became engaged to Baughan, but he could not immediately marry, owing to the terms of his employment (common for young British bachelors in India at the time). However, the couple married in secret during a leave that Baughan took in England. The marriage was revealed only on his premature death back in India in 1930.
Marriage recorded in the July-September quarter 1929 in the Bridport district (ref 5a 948)
Devastated by Baughan's death, Jon continued to live with her parents in India; at the time, young, unmarried, British women did not normally live on their own, and Jon did not establish an independent career. However, she began to see Calcutta
businessman Roland Oakley. Though she returned to England with her now-retired father and her mother in the spring of 1936 and briefly stayed with them in Totnes
, Devon
, she soon set off back to India with Rumer, who had married and established a Calcutta dancing school. In October 1936, Jon married Roland Oakley in St. Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta
. The couple chose to live in India and, later, to remain there after Indian Independence in 1947.
, to handle it.
Jon's novel, A House by the Sea, was published in the fall of 1948 by Michael Joseph
. As Rumer's biographer Anne Chishom notes, "it was much admired for its psychological insight and morbid, powerful atmosphere. It was, indeed, as Jon's novels continued to be – she published ten in all over the next thirty years – much cooler in style and darker in content than Rumer's later books." As Chisholm further points out, Jon was praised by critics but was little interested in the "market place," since she had no need to earn a living owing to her financially-stable marriage.
However, Jon's life changed drastically when her marriage to Oakley, under strain for some years, suddenly ended. In 1957, she returned to England, inexperienced with handling money and in financial distress. She moved into a cottage on the grounds of the property in Kent
that her parents had purchased with Rumer's assistance and remained there until her death.
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was the elder sister of the better-known novelist Rumer Godden
Rumer Godden
Margaret Rumer Godden OBE was an English author of over 60 fiction and nonfiction books written under the name of Rumer Godden. A few of her works were co-written by her sister, Jon Godden, who wrote several novels on her own...
.
Early life
The eldest of four daughters of Arthur Leigh Godden, an agent for a British Steamer Company in what is now BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, and Katherine Norah Hingley, Jon Godden spent almost all of her childhood and much of her adult life in India. She and her sister Rumer were sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for their education at the ages of 7 and 6, but the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
caused their parents to arrange their travel to Narayanganj
Narayanganj
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh...
, to which their father had been transferred from Assam while they were abroad. They remained there until Jon was 13, the experience later forming the basis of Two Under the Indian Sun, an autobiographical work jointly written by Jon and her sister Rumer.
Although all four of the Godden daughters were interested in writing, Jon and Rumer were serious about it from an early age. In addition, Jon revealed substantial artistic talent, winning a gold medal intended for adult entrants at an art exhibition in Gulmarg
Gulmarg
Gulmarg is a town, a hill station and a notified area committee in Baramula district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.-Geography:Gulmarg is located 52 km from Srinagar. It is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
, in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. Her parents were advised by the professional who had judged the exhibition that she had a future as an artist and that they should eventually send her to The Slade in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Jon's abilities and good looks, as well as her position as the eldest daughter in the Godden family, meant that she exercised great emotional power over her younger siblings throughout her life and that she was always regarded within the family as the most talented sister, if not the most productive.
In 1920, the Goddens returned to England—Arthur Godden only temporarily, since he had to return to his position in India—and settled in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. The children were enrolled in a series of schools, beginning with a High Anglican convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, where they were not a good fit, having been privately tutored by an aunt in India. They also had difficulty adjusting to a less lavish lifestyle than they had enjoyed under the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. In 1925, however, now in their late teens (and Jon, though having studied at a provincial art school, apparently having given up on any plans to become a professional artist), Jon and Rumer traveled back to India, where Jon fell in love with Nigel Baughan, an employee of Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
. She became engaged to Baughan, but he could not immediately marry, owing to the terms of his employment (common for young British bachelors in India at the time). However, the couple married in secret during a leave that Baughan took in England. The marriage was revealed only on his premature death back in India in 1930.
Marriage recorded in the July-September quarter 1929 in the Bridport district (ref 5a 948)
Devastated by Baughan's death, Jon continued to live with her parents in India; at the time, young, unmarried, British women did not normally live on their own, and Jon did not establish an independent career. However, she began to see Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
businessman Roland Oakley. Though she returned to England with her now-retired father and her mother in the spring of 1936 and briefly stayed with them in Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, she soon set off back to India with Rumer, who had married and established a Calcutta dancing school. In October 1936, Jon married Roland Oakley in St. Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India - a united church which is part of the Anglican Communion - in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta, and the incumbent bishop is the Rt. Revd...
. The couple chose to live in India and, later, to remain there after Indian Independence in 1947.
Career
Unlike her sister Rumer, whose first marriage was financially disastrous and required Rumer to work hard at her writing to support herself and her children, Jon Godden had, at least temporarily, a successful husband able and willing to support her, and she was not enthusiastic about competing in the literary world. She did not publish her first novel, The Bird Escaped, until 1947, and it was Rumer who persuaded her own literary agents, Curtis BrownCurtis Brown (literary agents)
Curtis Brown is a literary and talent agency based in London, UK. It was founded in 1899 by Albert Curtis Brown.-History:...
, to handle it.
Jon's novel, A House by the Sea, was published in the fall of 1948 by Michael Joseph
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
. As Rumer's biographer Anne Chishom notes, "it was much admired for its psychological insight and morbid, powerful atmosphere. It was, indeed, as Jon's novels continued to be – she published ten in all over the next thirty years – much cooler in style and darker in content than Rumer's later books." As Chisholm further points out, Jon was praised by critics but was little interested in the "market place," since she had no need to earn a living owing to her financially-stable marriage.
However, Jon's life changed drastically when her marriage to Oakley, under strain for some years, suddenly ended. In 1957, she returned to England, inexperienced with handling money and in financial distress. She moved into a cottage on the grounds of the property in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
that her parents had purchased with Rumer's assistance and remained there until her death.
Later years
In later years, while still producing fiction, Jon collaborated with Rumer on non-fiction books, including the very well-received Two Under the Indian Sun (1966) and Shiva's Pigeons (1972), for which the sisters wrote the text to accompany Stella Snead's black-and-white photographs of Indian life, culture, and landscape.Death
In 1984, after suffering ill-health for an extended period, Jon Godden died at the age of 78. After her death, in 1989, Rumer published Indian Dust, a collection of stories and poems set in India and written by her and by Jon, some as early as 50 years previously.Works
- 1947 The Bird Escaped
- 1948 The House by the Sea
- 1950 The Peacock
- 1954 The City and the Wave
- 1957 The Seven Islands
- 1959 Mrs. Panopoulis
- 1961 Winter's Tale (also published as Told in Winter)
- 1965 In the Sun
- 1966 Two Under the Indian Sun (written with Rumer Godden)
- 1968 Gone: A Thread of Stories (written with Rumer Godden)
- 1971 Mrs. Starr Lives Alone (also published as Kitten with Blue Eyes)
- 1972 Shiva's Pigeons (written with Rumer Godden)
- 1975 Ahmed and the Old Lady (also published as Ahmed's Lady)
- 1981 In Her Garden
- 1989 Indian Dust (written with Rumer Godden)
- 1990 Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love: Stories (written with Rumer Godden)