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At the Circulating Library

A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901

A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901

Author: Nellie Fortescue Harrison

Author: Nellie Fortescue Harrison (1856–1933)

Alternate Name(s): Ellen Fortescue Harrison (alternate name); McMillan (married name); Macmillan (alternate name)

Biography: Ellen "Nellie" Fortescue Harrison was born in 1856 in London, the daughter of barrister James Fortescue Harrison, M.P. and J.P. for Surrey. In her twenties, she wrote two novels, but neither made much of a mark with the public. In addition, she wrote several songs and contributed to periodicals such as The World. In 1888, she married Alec McMillan (or Macmillan) of the Indian Civil Service and himself a poet. The couple lived in India for several years (until 1894), London, and Nice (1902–10)—in the latter, her husband served as British consul for the Alpes Maritimes and Monoco. She wrote two further novels, The Evolution of Daphne (1897) and The Weird Well (1899). Her husband died in 1919 and she died in London in 1933.

References: British Census (1881, 1901); Literary World (21 June 1859); pers inf (Kathryn Fortescue); Who's Who (1903, 1907)

Fiction Titles:

  1. For One Man's Pleasure: A Novel.  2 vol.  London: W. H. Allen, 1883.
  2. So Runs my Dream: A Story.  2 vol.  London: Remington, 1885.
  3. The Evolution of Daphne: A Novel.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1897.
  4. The Weird Well: A Story.  1 vol.  London: Greening and Co., 1899.