Ellen Buckingham Mathews (1849–1920) was a popular female English novelist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was also known as Mrs Reeves after her marriage in 1877 to Dr. Henry Albert Reeves (1841–1914) but was best known under her pen name, Helen Mathers. She was born in Misterton, Somerset. Her first novel, "Comin' thro' the Rye" was published in 1875. It was partly based on people in her life and on her own early romantic experiences. She also acknowledged Rhoda Broughton as an early influence. She continued to write until her death.
She was educated at a boarding school in Chantry near Frome in Somerset. In her first novel, "Comin' thro' the Rye" she describes some of her experiences at school. "Mr Russell" in the novel was the Rev. Mr. Fussell in real life, who was the Lord of the manor and founder of the school. In the novel she calls the village Charteris. From 1875 to 1895 the novel sold over 35,000 copies.
Due to a confusion of titles, some sources attribute a number of books by Scottish novelist Anne S. Swan to Mathers. Mathers published a short novel entitled "Land o' the Leal, by the Author of Comin' Thro' the Rye" in 1878. Swan published "The Land o' the Leal" using her male pseudonym David Lyall, in 1896. Conflating the two different novels with the same title has led some people to assume (erroneously) that David Lyall is Mathers's pseudonym. It is not.
Bibliography
Comin’ Thro' the Rye, 1875
The Token of the Silver Lily, 1877. Poetry
Cherry Ripe!: A Romance, 1878
Land o' the Leal, 1878
As He Comes up the Stair, 1878
My Lady Greensleeves, 1879
Story of a Sin, 1882
Eyre's Acquittal, 1883
Sam's Sweetheart, 1883
Jock o' Hazelgreen, 1884 (also contains "The Land o' the Leal" and other stories) Found Out: A Story, 1885 Murder or Manslaughter, 1885 The Fashion of this World, 1886 Blind Justice, 1890 The Mystery of No 13, 1891 My Jo, John: A Novel, 1891 T'other Dear Charmer, 1892 The Fate of Fenella, 1892. Mathers contributed one chapter to this multi-author novel. A Study of a Woman, 1893 What the Glass Told, 1893 A Man of Today, 1894 The Lovely Malincourt: A Novel, 1895 The Rebel, 1896 The Juggler and the Soul, 1896 The Sin of Hagar, 1896 Bam Wildfire: A Character Sketch, 1898 Becky, 1900 Cinders: A Novel, 1901 Honey, 1902 Venus Victrix (What the Glass Told; The Mystery of No. 13; What the Glass Told; My Jo, John), 1902 Dahlia and Other Stories, 1903 Dimples, 1903 Griff of Griffithscourt, 1903 The Face in the Mirror and Other Stories, 1903 The New Lady Teazle and other stories, 1903 Side-shows, 1904 The Ferryman, 1905 Tally, Ho!, 1906 Pigskin and Petticoat, 1907 The Pirouette and Other Stories (2nd edition, 1907) Gay Lawless, 1908 Love the Thief, 1909 Man is Fire, Woman is Tow and Other Stories, 1912