Author: Theophila Ellen Tayton
Author: Theophila Ellen Tayton (1855–1900)
Alternate Name(s): Dora Vere (pseudonym); Ayliff (maiden name)
Biography: Theophila Ellen Tayton was born on 10 June 1855 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, the daughter of solicitor Edward George Ayliff and his wife Theophila (née Yeatman). in 1879, she married solicitor James Seppings Tayton and the couple had two daughters. Her husband suffered financial reverses due to an errant partner which led to his bankruptcy. Under the pseudonym "Dora Vere," Tayton wrote serials for newspapers as well as two published novels in an effort to help the family. She died due to a brain tumor on 5 October 1900 in Banbury. Note: authorship established through her family.
References: British Census (1871, 1881, 1891); Northampton Mercury (12 October 1900); pers inf (Paula Allen)
Fiction Titles:
- My True Knight: A Novel. 2 vol. London: Remington, 1882.
- Haunted!: A Novel. 1 vol. London: John Maxwell, 1886.