Kathleen Clarice Groom
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Clarice Groom, née Kathleen Clarice Louise Cornwell (b. 11 March 1872 in Melbourne
, Australia
- d. 1954 in Hove
, Sussex
, England
). She wrote short stories and novels under different pseudonyms: Kit Dealtry, C. Groom, Mrs. Sydney Groom and Kathleen Clarice Groom (playing with her different names and surnames).
She started a dynasty of popular writers; her eldest son Adrian Bernard Klein, changed his name to Adrian Cornwell-Clyne, and became an artist, who wrote books on photography and cinematography, her daughter Denise Naomi Klein also followed in her footsteps and became the popular romance writer Denise Robins
, who was the first president of the Romantic Novelists' Association
(1960–1966), and her granddaughter Patricia Robins
(aka Claire Lorrimer), who is Denise Robins' daughter, is also a popular romance writer.
, Australia
She was the daughter of Jemima Ridpath and her husband George Cornwell
, married in 1850.
On 19 February 1890, at 17, Kathleen Clarice became the second wife of Herman Klein
(1856–1934), an English musical author, teacher and critic, who was 16 years older than she was. He had a daughter Sibyl Klein, from a previous marriage, and they had two sons: Adrian Bernard Klein (1892–1969) and Daryl Klein (1894) and a daughter Denise Naomi Klein (1897–1985). During her marriage with Klein, she began an affair with a young man, Herbert Arthur Berkeley Dealtry (1878), who was a Worcestershire Regiment
officer. When Herman Klein became aware of it he filed a petition for divorce, which was granted in December 1901. After the divorce Kathleen Clarice married with Dealtry in 1902. The marriage was going through financial difficulties and Dealtry had to declare bankruptcy in 1905, and they left for America with her daughter, Denise Naomi. Some years later, Kathleen Clarice returned to London, and in 1918, she married for a third time with Sydney H. Groom, while her daughter Denise married for the first time and also started to write.
Kathleen Clarise started a saga of popular writers; her eldest son Adrian Bernard Klein, changed her name to Adrian Cornwell-Clyne, and became an artist, who wrote books on photography and cinematography, her daughter Denise Naomi Klein also followed in her footsteps and became the popular romance writer Denise Robins
, who was the first president of the Romantic Novelists' Association
(1960–1966), and her granddaughter Patricia Robins
(aka Claire Lorrimer), who is Denise Robin's daughter, is also a popular romance writer.
Kathleen Clarise died in the Hove
area, Brighton
, England
in 1954, aged 82.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- d. 1954 in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, 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...
). She wrote short stories and novels under different pseudonyms: Kit Dealtry, C. Groom, Mrs. Sydney Groom and Kathleen Clarice Groom (playing with her different names and surnames).
She started a dynasty of popular writers; her eldest son Adrian Bernard Klein, changed his name to Adrian Cornwell-Clyne, and became an artist, who wrote books on photography and cinematography, her daughter Denise Naomi Klein also followed in her footsteps and became the popular romance writer Denise Robins
Denise Robins
Denise Robins, née Denise Naomi Klein was a prolific British romantic novelist and the first President of the Romantic Novelists' Association...
, who was the first president of the Romantic Novelists' Association
Romantic Novelists' Association
The Romantic Novelists' Association is a writers' association in the UK. Founded in 1960, mainly through the efforts of Denise Robins , Barbara Cartland , Vivian Stuart , and other authors like Elizabeth Goudge, Netta Muskett, Catherine Cookson, Rosamunde Pilcher and Lucilla Andrews.The RNA runs...
(1960–1966), and her granddaughter Patricia Robins
Patricia Robins
Patricia Robins is a British romance novelist, also known as Claire Lorrimer.Robins comes from an artistic family. Her maternal grandfather was Herman Klein, a musician and her maternal grandmother was the writer Kathleen Clarice Groom...
(aka Claire Lorrimer), who is Denise Robins' daughter, is also a popular romance writer.
Personal life
Born Kathleen Clarice Louise Cornwell on 11 March 1872 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
She was the daughter of Jemima Ridpath and her husband George Cornwell
George Cornwell
George Cornwell was a railway engineer and building contractor working in Melbourne, Victoria in the second half of the nineteenth century. Among his prominent works, were the Hawthorn Railway Bridge built in 1861, with a span of about , being one of the last major items of permanent way to be...
, married in 1850.
On 19 February 1890, at 17, Kathleen Clarice became the second wife of Herman Klein
Herman Klein
Herman Klein was an English music critic, author and teacher of singing. Klein's famous brothers included Charles and Manuel Klein...
(1856–1934), an English musical author, teacher and critic, who was 16 years older than she was. He had a daughter Sibyl Klein, from a previous marriage, and they had two sons: Adrian Bernard Klein (1892–1969) and Daryl Klein (1894) and a daughter Denise Naomi Klein (1897–1985). During her marriage with Klein, she began an affair with a young man, Herbert Arthur Berkeley Dealtry (1878), who was a Worcestershire Regiment
Worcestershire Regiment
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th Regiment of Foot and the 36th Regiment of Foot....
officer. When Herman Klein became aware of it he filed a petition for divorce, which was granted in December 1901. After the divorce Kathleen Clarice married with Dealtry in 1902. The marriage was going through financial difficulties and Dealtry had to declare bankruptcy in 1905, and they left for America with her daughter, Denise Naomi. Some years later, Kathleen Clarice returned to London, and in 1918, she married for a third time with Sydney H. Groom, while her daughter Denise married for the first time and also started to write.
Kathleen Clarise started a saga of popular writers; her eldest son Adrian Bernard Klein, changed her name to Adrian Cornwell-Clyne, and became an artist, who wrote books on photography and cinematography, her daughter Denise Naomi Klein also followed in her footsteps and became the popular romance writer Denise Robins
Denise Robins
Denise Robins, née Denise Naomi Klein was a prolific British romantic novelist and the first President of the Romantic Novelists' Association...
, who was the first president of the Romantic Novelists' Association
Romantic Novelists' Association
The Romantic Novelists' Association is a writers' association in the UK. Founded in 1960, mainly through the efforts of Denise Robins , Barbara Cartland , Vivian Stuart , and other authors like Elizabeth Goudge, Netta Muskett, Catherine Cookson, Rosamunde Pilcher and Lucilla Andrews.The RNA runs...
(1960–1966), and her granddaughter Patricia Robins
Patricia Robins
Patricia Robins is a British romance novelist, also known as Claire Lorrimer.Robins comes from an artistic family. Her maternal grandfather was Herman Klein, a musician and her maternal grandmother was the writer Kathleen Clarice Groom...
(aka Claire Lorrimer), who is Denise Robin's daughter, is also a popular romance writer.
Kathleen Clarise died in the Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
area, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, 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...
in 1954, aged 82.
Writing career
Kathleen Clarise started writing very young short stories; later wrote several serial thrillers for a Scottish newspaper. She wrote several short stories in Magazines and novels under different pseudonyms (playing with her different names and surnames). She is known as a prolific writer, but it is difficult to know how many pennames she used and how many books she wrote. She wrote as Kit Dealtry (her second married name) at least four short stories by the The All-Story Magazine (1907–1908) and two novels (1908–1909). As C. Groom (her third married name), she wrote at least two novels (1918–1919). She signed at least four novels as Mrs. Sydney Groom (1920–1924). And some of her latest tree novels was signed as Kathleen Clarice Groom (1947–1952).Short Stories in Magazines
- "The Voice in the Dark" in The All-Story Magazine (1907/May)
- "The Cipher Skull" in The All-Story Magazine (1907/Aug)
- "Shadowed" in The All-Story Magazine (1908/Feb)
- "Pearls and Perfidy" in The All-Story Magazine (1908/Dec)
Novels
- The Mystery of Mr Bernard Brown (1920)
- Greatheart (1921)
- The Knight Errant (1922)
- Sylvia Shale, Detective (1924)