HarGen Publications

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HarGen was established in the UK in 2012 to print and publish family histories and biographies of individuals whose lives were considered to be of particular interest. Current publications are as follows:

2013, a biography of Leonard Bernard Harrop entitled 'Reluctant Romance'. A professor of Spanish, he lived and travelled on three continents during an unusual life.

2014, a biography of the mysterious and romantic Elsie Susanna Preston entitled 'Enigmatic Émigré', with an updated second edition made available in April 2015. Elsie was briefly married to Leonard Bernard Harrop.

2014, a book about Sarah Ann Broadbent entitled 'Lancashire Lass' was published, giving a glimpse into her life, work and journey in 1899 from Lancashire to Salt Lake City.

2015, a biography of Mabel Frances Barlow, an Edwardian actress, entitled 'Leading Lady'.

2016, a biography of John F Preston entitled 'Ardent Actor'. John was a Victorian/Edwardian actor-manager, the father of Elsie Susanna Preston and enjoyed a decade long relationship with Mabel Frances Barlow.

2017, a biography of the actress Grace Susanna Brown entitled 'Intriguing Ingénue'. She was the mother of Elsie Preston from a relationship with John F Preston and was a contemporary of Mabel Barlow.

2018, a biography of the Victorian/Edwardian actress Georgina Fleming aka Georgie Walton entitled 'Abandoned Artiste'. A contemporary of both Mabel Barlow and Grace Brown, she was another actress who became involved with the notorious womaniser, John F Preston, the well known actor-manager and playwright.

2018, a biography of the Edwardian actor Sidney George Goodchild entitled 'Transgressing Thespian'. He was married to the actress Mabel Barlow, the subject of our book 'Leading Lady'.

2018, also saw the publication of our first family history book, 'Their Song Not Forgotten', about Meth Morgan Jones : his UK life and ancestry by Kerris Harrop.

2019 brought 'Mysterious Murder', a biography of the actor Thomas Weldon Anderson, stage name Weldon Atherstone. He was brutally murdered in 1910, a murder which remains unsolved to this day. As well as full details of his life, the book includes previously unpublished information about his four children, three of whom who spent the majority of their lives overseas and his six siblings.

Published in 2020, 'Dublin Darling', is a biography of Monica Kelly, an Irish actress who became a favourite at the Queen's Royal Theatre, Dublin. She was married to Thomas Weldon Anderson, the subject of our 2019 book, 'Mysterious Murder'.

Also published in 2020 is 'Melodrama Master', a biography of James William Whitbread, actor, playwright, theatre manager and lessee who transformed the fortunes of the Queen's Royal Theatre, Dublin between 1884 and 1906, making it the 'Home of Irish Drama'. He also wrote more than 20 plays.

2021 saw 'Stage Struck' published, a biography of Annie Maria Hylton. She was an actress who became a favourite at the Queen's Royal Theatre, Dublin and elsewhere playing for the Kennedy Miller company.

Also published in 2021 was 'Provincial Player', a biography of Rachel Mussett, aka Rubie Maude. An actress who worked for some twenty six years, most of it for her partner's company.

Published in 2022 was 'Touring Trouper', a biography of the actress Maria Amy Elizabeth Dempster, aka Amy Ellam who enjoyed a thirty four year career in the late 1800's early 1900's.

Also published in 2022 was 'Playhouse Performer ', a biography of the actress Minnie Ethel Davis, aka Ethel Vinroy who worked from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Published in 2023 was 'Melodrama Manager', a biography of the actress Ellen Silver, aka Marie Dagmar who was one of the UK's leading actress/manager in Victorian and Edwardian theatre.

Also published in 2023 was 'Dancing Duo', a look at the careers of Nannie Sadie Scofield aka Sadrene Storri and her sister Terry Nana Scofield aka Terri Storri, talented dancers from a theatrical family.

To order a copy of any book, click on the blue title link above which will take you to the publication page and from there you can click on a link which will take you to the order page.