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Charles Major (July 25, 1856 – February 13, 1913) was an American lawyer and novelist.


Biography

Born to an upper-middle class
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
family, Major developed an interest in both law and English history at an early age and attended the University of Michigan from 1872 through 1875, being admitted to the Indiana bar association in 1877. Shortly thereafter he opened his own law practice, which launched a short political career, culminating in a year-long term in the Indiana state legislature. Writing remained an interest of Major, and in 1898, he published his first novel, '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'' under the pseudonym Edwin Caskoden. The novel about England during the reign of
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
was an exhaustively researched historical romance, and became enormously popular, holding a place on bestselling book lists for nearly three years. The novel was adapted into a popular
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
play by
Paul Kester Paul Kester (November 2, 1870 – June 21, 1933) was an American playwright and novelist. He was the younger brother of journalist Vaughan Kester and a cousin of the literary editor and critic William Dean Howells. Life and career Kester was bor ...
in 1901, premiering at the
Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began development ...
that year. The novel also launched relatively successful film adaptations in 1908 and 1922. With a successful writing career, Major gradually lessened his legal obligations, closing his law practice over a year after his first novel, in 1899. Published in 1902, his third novel, '' Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'', another historical romance, this time set in
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personific ...
times, rivaled the success of his first. Once again, the novel was adapted for the theater by Paul Kester, and saw a film release in 1924 starring Mary Pickford. Major continued to write and publish several additional novels, to varying degrees of success, as well as a number of children's adventure stories, most set in and around his native state of Indiana. Charles Major died of liver cancer on February 13, 1913, at his home in
Shelbyville, Indiana Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Indiana and is the county seat. The population was 20,067 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 c ...
. In 2006, Shelbyville, Indiana native Eric Linne wrote and copyrighted a motion picture screenplay adaptation of Major's novel ''The Bears of Blue River''.


Bibliography

* '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'' (1898) * ''The Bears of Blue River'' (1901) * '' Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'' (1902) * ''A Forest Hearth: A Romance of Indiana in the Thirties'' (1903) * ''Yolanda: A Maid of Burgundy'' (1905) * ''Uncle Tom Andy Bill: A Story of Bears and Indian Treasure'' (1908) * ''A Gentle Knight of Old
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squar ...
'' (1909) (about Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia and Margravine, consort of
Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (May 10, 1711 in Weferlingen – February 26, 1763 in Bayreuth), was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. He was the eldest son of Georg Frederick Karl, nom ...
) * ''The Little King: A Story of the Childhood of
King Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...
'' (1910) * ''Sweet Alyssum'' (1911) * ''The Touchstone of Fortune: Being the Memoir of Baron Clyde etc.'' (1912) * ''Rosalie'' (1925)


Filmography

*'' Sweet Alyssum'', directed by Colin Campbell (1915, based on the story ''Sweet Alyssum: A Story of the Indiana Oil Fields'') *'' When Knighthood Was in Flower'', directed by
Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian- American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mo ...
(1922, based on the novel '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'') *'' Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'', directed by
Marshall Neilan Marshall Ambrose "Mickey" Neilan (April 11, 1891 – October 27, 1958) was an American actor. Early life Born in San Bernardino, California, Neilan was known by most as "Mickey." Following the death of his father, the eleven-year-old Mickey N ...
(1924, based on the novel '' Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'') *'' Yolanda'', directed by
Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian- American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mo ...
(1924, based on the novel ''Yolanda'') *'' The Sword and the Rose'', directed by Ken Annakin (1953, based on the novel '' When Knighthood Was in Flower'')


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Charles 1856 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American novelists 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists American historical novelists American male novelists Deaths from cancer in Indiana Deaths from liver cancer Indiana lawyers Members of the Indiana House of Representatives Novelists from Indiana People from Shelbyville, Indiana University of Michigan alumni Writers from Indianapolis Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period