Concordia Merrel (born Mary Phyllis Joan Logan; 10 September 1885 – 18 May 1962) was a British stage and

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

actress, photographer's model and a prolific author of romantic fiction.

Biography

She was born as Mary Phyllis Joan Logan in 1885 at

Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...

in India, one of four children of Thomas Tweddle Logan (1855–1936), in 1880 the Principal of Bellary College in

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...

and an Inspector of Schools in the Indian Educational Service, and Beatrice Maude ''née'' Pattenden (1860–1938). In 1891 Beatrice Logan was suffering ill-health and returned to England with her children while her husband remained in India. Her parents divorced in 1899 following her mother's adultery. Concordia Merrel 1

She married the actor

Franklin Dyall Frank Poole Dyall (3 February 1870– 8 May 1950), professionally known as Franklin Dyall, was an English actor. In his early years he was a member of the companies of the actor-managers George Alexander, Ben Greet, John Martin-Harvey and ...

in 1907 and with him had a son, the actor

Valentine Dyall Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English character actor. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series '' Appointment with Fear'' ...

(1908-1985), who went on to find fame as radio's 'The Man in Black'. She left Dyall in 1929 so he could marry the actress

Mary Merrall Mary Merrall (5 January 1890 – 31 August 1973), born Elsie Lloyd, was an English actress whose career of over 60 years encompassed stage, film and television work. Stage career Merrall's stage career started in her teens, making her first stag ...

. She began a relationship with the actor and photographer Cavendish Morton and married in 1935, giving birth to the twins Cavendish Morton and Concord Morton in 1911. After a period of nomadic wandering the family settled in

Bembridge Bembridge is a village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to the implausible claim by some residents that Bembridge ...

in the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

where the couple home-schooled their sons with an emphasis on the arts. In her youth, she was a photographer's model and in 1910 was the 'Kodak Girl' on a poster in a well-known advertising campaign for that company based on a photograph taken by Morton. In 1913 she played Mrs. Leighton in ''The Cormorant'' opposite her partner Cavendish Morton, and Giulia Verlaine in ''Greater Love Than This!'' at the Little Theatre in London. Her films roles included Pauline in ''

A Smart Set ''A Smart Set'' is a 1919 British silent film, silent crime film directed by A. V. Bramble and starring Concordia Merrill, Arthur M. Cullin and Judd Green. Cast * Concordia Merrel ... Pauline * Arthur M. Cullin ... Sir Philip Trevor * Neville ...

'' (1919), Joan in ''

The Lost Chord "The Lost Chord" is a song composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1877 at the bedside of his brother Fred during Fred's last illness. The manuscript is dated 13 January 1877; Fred Sullivan died five days later. The lyric was written as a poem by Adela ...

'' (1917), Margaret in ''

Ave Maria The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Ann ...

'' (1918) and Mrs. Fleeter in '' My Sweetheart'' (1918). Concordia Merrel and Cavendish Morton remained married until his death in 1939. She began writing romantic fiction in the 1920s, publishing her last novel in 1956. Her works were translated into four languages, with the last reprint occurring in 1999. Concordia Merrel died in May 1962 in

Eye, Suffolk Eye () is a market town and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk, about south of Diss, north of Ipswich and south-west of Norwich. The population in the 2011 Census of 2,154 was estimated to be 2,361 in 2019. It lies cl ...

in England. In her will, she left £739 6s to her sons Concord and Cavendish Morton.

Select publications

*''John Gresham's Girl'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

926 Year 926 ( CMXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The Italian nobles turn against King Rudolph II of Burgundy and request that ...

*''Love's Hazard'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

934 Year 934 ( CMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring and Summer – The Hungarians make an alliance with the Pechenegs ...

*''The Savage'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

931 Year 931 ( CMXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Hugh of Provence, king of Italy, cedes Lower Burgundy to Rudolph II, in ...

*''Two Men and Sally'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

*''The Man without Mercy'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 929*''Julia takes her chance'', London : Selwyn & Blount,

920 __NOTOC__ Year 920 ( CMXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December 17 – Romanos I has himself crowned co-emperor of the Byzan ...

*''The Miracle Merchant'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 928*''Sally among the Stars'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 930*''The Unconquerable Girl'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 927*''The Surprising Marriage'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, (1932) *''The Fanshawe Family'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''The Cads' Party'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

*''The House of Yesterday'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

932 Year 932 ( CMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Alberic II leads an uprising at Rome against his stepfather Hugh of Provenc ...

*''Jacqueline and Love'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''Love in Fetters'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''The Shadow of Red Mason'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, [1930) *''The Marriage of Anne'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 927*''Adam - and some Eves'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

*''Introducing Terry Sloane'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, [1933] *''His Lucky Star'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, [1929] *''Heart's Journey'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, [1924] *''The Girl with No Name'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''Love Courageous'', London : Selwyn & Blount,

922 __NOTOC__ Year 922 ( CMXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Summer – Battle of Constantinople: Emperor Romanos I sends Byzan ...

*''Storm Comes to Stay'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 935*''Love-and Diana'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

*''Married for Money'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''Ragged Robin'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, [1925) *''The Seventh Miss Brown'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 927*''Consequences'', London : Hodder & Stoughton,

*''Ordeal by Marriage'', London : Hodder & Stoughton, 925*''Les Deux fiancés de Lisbeth'', [S.l.] : [s.n.], [1937] *''C'est toi que je cherchais'' - ''The Seventh Miss Brown'', Adapté de l'anglais par Th. & E. de Saint-Segond, Paris; Édimbourg printed 1939 *''In Pursuit of Happiness'', [1956]

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrel, Concordia 1885 births 1962 deaths Actresses from Visakhapatnam English silent film actresses English artists' models English romantic fiction writers 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers English women novelists Women romantic fiction writers 20th-century English actresses English film actresses English stage actresses