babyboomerbooks

......stories that endure......

 

 

catalogue of Elsie Jeanette Oxenham books
 updated 18th January 2012

Joan, Jen and Joy by Frank Varty in Collins Girls' Annual

The first generation Abbey Girls are Joy, Joan, Jen, Rosamund and Maidlin and they live next door to a ruined Abbey which has a great hold on their lives and imaginations as they strive to live up to the ideals of the long-ago monks.
There's plenty of fun in their lives with school and the Hamlet Club where they learn country dancing and each becomes May Queen.
50 books in the Abbey series, some very rare and impossible to find, leave room for many unforgettable characters and each of us has her own favourite.


I have ransacked op-shops for Abbey books, bid for them on eBay and bought some on my trip to the UK last year.
Some are good, some look a bit old and tired - well, they are over 50 years old!

(I don't have any of the ubiquitous Children's Press versions with their abridged text which removes all the interesting philosophical bits and the dancing.)

If they've got a dust jacket I have given them protective plastic sleeves:
those without djs have gained a scanned dust jacket copied from my own collection and a protective sleeve, so they will look good on your shelf.
(The scanned dj doesn't always match the book eg. a Seagull jacket on an Abbey School book and vice-versa - but they look smart.)

Now they're ready for adoption!

Listed in the reading order suggested by Pat Mayfield and Monica Godfrey:




#02 The Abbey Girls: The Hamlet Girls meet Joan and Joy who are living in a ruined Abbey with Joan's mother. Joan is offered a scholarship to attend Miss Macy's school, but thinks Joy needs it more. A pivotal Abbey story which makes the succeeding books more enjoyable.

OX02/1: Collins 'fat red' no date, looks 1930s, hb with dj GD/GD, small name on fep, foxing on first few pages and closed page edges, clean red boards, clipped dj has some creasing and a small chunk missing top of spine. Coloured frontispiece same as the dj: 'There stood the Abbey Girl'. $200


#04 Schooldays at the Abbey: Jen is new at Miss Macy's school and soon becomes friends with the Abbey Girls and Jandy Mac, who is very interested to see Joan crowned as May Queen - but maybe Jandy Mac is the real owner of the Hall...

OX04/1 Collins Seagull 1961 hb with dj GD/GD, not ex-library. There are no names, foxing on front and back end-papers, clean cream pages with darker edges, tight binding and clean red boards with black Abbey stamping.
One b&w drawing for frontispiece: "The four girls stared at the stones."
The unclipped dust jacket has chipping at top and bottom of spine, some tears mended on the reverse with acid-free tape, and edgewear. $20

2 copies

(frontispiece from first edition)


OX06/1

OX06/2


#06 Stowaways in the Abbey: Jen helps Timothy who is facing a false accusation and finds out the truth about her locket.

OX06/1: Abbey School 1959 hb with dj GD/GD, Susie with pink coat, coloured frontispiece, birthday inscription on fep, beige pages, edgewear on dj. $8
OX06/2: Abbey School 1958 hb with dj GD/GD, Jen in green dressinggown, coloured frontispiece, inscription on fep and foxing, beige pages with tanned edges, chunk missing top rh corner of front dj and 2 cm tear at bottom. $8

multiple copies

#07 Schoolgirl Jen at the Abbey: Jen at 14, spending an exciting holiday at the Hall with Joan and Joy - discoveries in the Abbey and helping the villagers.

OX07/1: Seagull 1957 hb with scanned dj for the front, rest original GD/--, name and 1957 date on fep, clean cream pages and clean blue boards. Coloured frontispiece: "It was a small metal box, rusted and discoloured." $10

multiple copies

 


OX08/1


#08 Strangers at the Abbey: Joan's cousin Rykie comes to stay at the Hall and secretly brings her half-brother Angus to steal Jehane's jewels.

OX08/2: Abbey School 1960 hb with dj VG/VG, coloured frontispiece, cream pages, dj has slightest chipping top and bottom of spine. $8
multiple copies

OX09/1


#09 Selma at the Abbey: Angus brings his girlfriend to stay at the Hall with Joy, Joan and Jen.

OX09/1: Abbey School 1961 hb with scanned dj GD/--, name, few spots of foxing, tanned page edges, red boards. Coloured frontispiece "Dark daughter of the Vikings!" $10
OX09/2: Seagull 1957 hb woth scanned dj GD/--, name, slight foxing on closed page edges, clean white pages, blue boards. Coloured frontispiece "Dark daughter of the Vikings!" $10

OX10/1


#10 Tomboys at the Abbey: Jen and Jack spend a wonderful term at the Hall with Joy and Joan. There's prep and cricket, midnight pillowfights, secret tunnels to discover and Gudrun to be groomed for stardom.

OX10/1: Abbey School 1960 hb with dj VG/VG, coloured frontispiece, cream pages, dj has slightest chipping top and bottom of spine. $30


OX11/1

OX11/2


OX11/3


#11: The Abbey Girls Go Back to School: "We're doing it all wrong" shrieks Jen and all of them have a wonderful time at the Cheltenham folk-dance school where they learn to do it right and meet the Pixie. There's romance for Joan and Cicely and tragedy for Joy and Jen.

illustrated by Elsie Wood
OX11/1: Collins Clear-Type Press no date, looks 1920s, blue boards show Joy riding Belinda with Jen in the sidecar, fep has been removed exposing the webbing, very clean cream pages, tight binding, clean covers with slight insect damage at edges. One b&w plate: "Jack and Jen were assaulting Joy with pillows." $80
OX11/2: Collins Seagull 1951 hb without dj GD/--, whited-out name on fep, clean cream pages, v slight foxing on closed page edges. $15
OX11/3: Collins no date probably 1930s, red boards, fep has been removed, clean cream pages with slight foxing on closed page edges, tight binding, clean red boards. Beautiful coloured frontispiece featuring Jen teaching the children. $20


#14 The New Abbey Girls: Joan is married and Joy is alone - but not for long. Jen is staying at the Hall when Joy adopts two very different girls, Rosamund and Maidlin - and a whole new world of friends, fun and belonging opens out for Maidlin.

OX14/1: Girls Gone By Publishers UK 2008 New paperback, reprint of 1923 edition with coloured frontispiece of Jen dancing a morris jig in the orchard and b&w plates illustrated by Elsie Wood, a lovely edition. Extras include publishing history and the popularity of folk dancing. $30

Note that if you have the Children's Press edition of this story you have a heavily cut version: this is the full story.



OX16/2


OX16/5


#16 The Abbey Girls in Town: Ruth visits her cousins Mary and Biddy and finds them deeply involved in country dancing and their new friendship with the Abbey girls. Joy has a proposal from "the man next door".

OX16/1: Collins "fat red" 1947 hb with photocopied dj GD/--, coloured, frontispiece "they had tea by the fireside", clean cream pages, inscription and browning on fep, clean red boards. $25
OX16/2: Collins "fat blue" 1947 hb with scanned dj GD/--, coloured, frontispiece "they had tea by the fireside", a presentation plate on the fep, browning on both endpapers, slight foxing on closed page edges, clean blue boards. $25 2




 

#17 Queen of the Abbey Girls: Jen is crowned Queen Brownie and fights her attraction for Ken - good faithful Ken playing cricket with her and waiting to be a support when Jen's father is taken ill. Joy is engaged, Mary is living at the Hall.

 

no stock at present

 


#18 The Abbey Girls Win Through: Jen is engaged but devastated by news of her mother's death just four months after her father has died. Joy comes home from her honeymoon having left Andrew to go on one last safari - but he doesn't return.

OX18/1: Collins "fat red" 1947 hb with photocopied dj GD/--, coloured frontispiece "The girls entered quickly", no names, browning on both end-papers, clean cream pages, clean red boards with a faded strip at the top front now covered by photo-copied dj. $20


OX19/1

OX19/2
#19 The Abbey Girls at Home: Betty comes to visit Jen at the Hall but is injured and is nursed by Jen and Rosamund. Joy's demands place a strain on everyone and eventually she pulls herself together. Maidlin decides to become her friend rather than her "daughter". Joan comes home from overseas.

OX19/1: Collins "fat beige" 1947 hb with dj GD/GD, coloured frontispiece "the brakes screamed wildly", presentation plate on fep, clean beige boards . $45
OX19/2: Collins Seagull 1948 hb with dj GD/GD, Sunday School pres. plate dated 1949 on fep, very clean smooth pages, top 2cm missing form spine of clipped dj. $20
OX19/3: Collins 1949 hb with scanned dj GDS/--, inscription on fep, very clean smooth pages, $10


OX22a/1

#22a The Girls of Squirrel House: very rare. This is the first part of The Abbey Girls on Trial, issued by Collins as a stand-alone with their generic picture of girls which was used to illustrate several books at that time:
Audrey and Elspeth are running a teashop when they learn that their sister has married Geoffrey Kane and they are 'aunt' to Rosamund, whom they have already met without knowing her name.

OX22a: Collins, no date, hardback without dust jacket GD/--, no names, clean cream pages, tight binding and clean orange boards with one small white dot on the front. Coloured frontispiece as above. $120

OX34/1

#34 Maidlin Bears the Torch: Rosamund is getting married, Benedicta stays at the Hall, her brother Jim thinks he is in love with Maidlin but his true love is Gail - who is coming to the wedding - and Margaret falls in a well.

 

no stock at present

OX38/1
#38 Maid of the Abbey: Maidlin's singing career is going well and she still has time to look after the twins while Joy is away. A new nursery governess turns out to have a voice too and becomes Maidlin's protegee. Love waits in the wings for Maidlin!

OX38/1: Seagull 1957 hb with scanned dj VG/--, name on fep, coloured frontispiece 'Lindy flung out one arm' (and once again someone is injured rescuing a twin...) lovely clean cream pages and clean blue boards $10 2 copies


OX39/1


OX39/2


#39 Jandy Mac Comes Back: with her daughter Littlejan who wants to go to school at Miss Macy's. But Joan has just had a baby, so Rosamund whisks them off to stay at the castle where Jandy Mac prevents baby Hugh from being kidnapped.

OX39/1: Abbey School 1959 hb with dj GD/GD, coloured frontispiece, "Tansy looking troubled, said goodnight and crept away to bed", name and slight foxing on fep, also on closed page edges and bep, dj has chipping at top and bottom of spine and slight edgewear, distinctive 1950s art-work with jaunty scarf on dj. $10
OX39/4: Seagull 1948 hb with scanned horse dj GD/--, Sunday School pres. plate dated 1952 on fep, clean cream pages, clean blue boards. $6
multiple copies


OXE040


#40 Two Joans at The Abbey: Jandy Mac and Littlejan come to stay at the Hall and Littlejan and Jansy make an important discovery for the Abbey but are injured in the process. Maidlin is shopping for her trousseau.

OX40/1: Seagull 1956 hb with scanned Margaret Horder dj, GD/--, name, clean cream pages, tight binding and clean blue boards. Coloured frontispiece: 'On the sunny green lawn a "square of four" was being danced.' $15 2 copies

OX42/1

OX42/4


#42 Robins at the Abbey: Joy is annoyed that Robin has inherited Plas Quellyn in Wales instead of it coming to one of her sons, but when Robin is in trouble, Joy is the first to help her.

OX42/1: Seagull 1951 hb with scanned dj FAIR/--, inscription on fep, crack in binding at fep, clean cream pages and clean blue boards with a 2cm tear at bottom spine. $6
OX42/4: Abbey School 1951 hb with dj GD/GD, pale foxing on fep, clean cream pages, tight binding, clean blue boards, unclipped dust jacket with edgewear and a small chunk missing top front near spine. $8



OX48/1

OX48/2


#48 A Dancer From the Abbey: Damaris plans to return to dancing to Rachel's disappointment and after 6 months therapy she has a triumphant return to the stage. But love intervenes and she decides to marry Brian.

OX48/1: Seagull 1956 hb with scanned dj GD/--, coloured frontispiece "they climbed the stony track", a written name on the fep, clean beige pages and clean blue boards. Scanned dust jacket . $12
OX48/2: Abbey School 1958 hb with dj GD/VG, coloured frontispiece "they climbed the stony track", a written name on the fep, tape ghosts on both end-apers from the plastic cover that kept the dj so good, clean cream pages and clean red boards. Unclipped dust jacket is beautiful with a sticker on the spine covering EJO's name. $15



OX49/1

#49 The Song of the Abbey: Nanta stays on at school to help the Hamlet Club and finds her musical talent - and true love.

OX49/1: Abbey School 1958 hb with dj GD/VG, name on fep, clean cream pages, tight binding, clean red boards, beautiful unclipped dust jacket with remains of a small sticker on the spine. "They walked through the garden." $25


OX50/1

#50 Two Queens at the Abbey: The Hamlet Club doesn't want the twins as queens, so it's up to Elizabeth and Margaret to grow out of their babyish ways and prove their worth.

 

no stock at present

 
  NON-ABBEY


A Princess in Tatters: one of EJO's Scottish series and featuring Eilidh who also appears in Schoolgirls and Scouts.

OXE052: Collins, no date, hardback without dust jacket GD/--, name and 1930 date inside front cover, clean cream pages, tight binding and clean orange cloth-covered boards with slight corner bumping. $120

 


Mistress Nanciebel: historical, set in the Restoration

OXE051: Humphrey Milford OUP 1924 reprint, hardback without dust jacket GD/--, no names, foxing on closed page edges and first few pages, binding cracked at half-title page but tight binding and clean red boards with gilt tiles on the spine. One coloured plate frontispiece. $120

OXSS: Schoolgirls and Scouts: We meet characters from "A Holiday Queen" as the Buchanan family moves to Scotland to live with cousin Janie.

Collins hardback without original dust jacket, not ex-library, GD/--, no date given, could be 1920s. There is an inscription and a small book-shop stamp on the fep, paper remnants on the inside board covers as if a paper cover was once glued, slight foxing on closed page edges, clean cream pages, tight binding and clean red board covers stamped in black. It comes in a pretty photocopied dustjacket to make the book look nice on your shelf. Colour-plate frontispiece: "Mysie scrambled up the rocks at the side of the glen". $100