MS 450
Reference code
MS 450
Title
Douglas Rutherford literary archive
Level
Sub-fonds
Administrative / Biographical history
McConnell, James Douglas Rutherford (1915-1988)
James Douglas Rutherford McConnell, who used the pen-name Douglas Rutherford was a language teacher and an author.
He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland on14 October 1915. He went to school in Yorkshire, studied at Clare College, Cambridge graduating in 1937, and went on to study for an MA at the University of Reading.
During the Second World War, he served in the British Army Intelligence Corps in North Africa and Italy. After demobilisation, he became a modern languages teacher at Eton College from 1946 until his retirement in 1973.
Rutherford would write on weekends and holidays, and he published his first novel, 'Comes the Blind Fury', in 1950. Many of his works centred on race-tracks or sports cars. With Francis Durbridge, he co-authored two novels in the Paul Temple series: 'The Tyler Mystery' in 1957 and 'East of Algiers' in 1959.
He also published books on learning foreign languages and on Eton, written under the name James McConnell.
He joined the Detection Club in 1970.
He married Margaret Worsley 'Peggy' Gandy (1910–1952) - daughter of Surg.-Cdr. Eric Worsley Gandy OBE. After the death of his first wife he married Laura Margaret Goodwin (1922–2001) in 1953.
He died on 29 April 1988 in Monxton, Hampshire.
James Douglas Rutherford McConnell, who used the pen-name Douglas Rutherford was a language teacher and an author.
He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland on14 October 1915. He went to school in Yorkshire, studied at Clare College, Cambridge graduating in 1937, and went on to study for an MA at the University of Reading.
During the Second World War, he served in the British Army Intelligence Corps in North Africa and Italy. After demobilisation, he became a modern languages teacher at Eton College from 1946 until his retirement in 1973.
Rutherford would write on weekends and holidays, and he published his first novel, 'Comes the Blind Fury', in 1950. Many of his works centred on race-tracks or sports cars. With Francis Durbridge, he co-authored two novels in the Paul Temple series: 'The Tyler Mystery' in 1957 and 'East of Algiers' in 1959.
He also published books on learning foreign languages and on Eton, written under the name James McConnell.
He joined the Detection Club in 1970.
He married Margaret Worsley 'Peggy' Gandy (1910–1952) - daughter of Surg.-Cdr. Eric Worsley Gandy OBE. After the death of his first wife he married Laura Margaret Goodwin (1922–2001) in 1953.
He died on 29 April 1988 in Monxton, Hampshire.
Date
1955-1986
Extent & medium
31 boxes
Content description
The papers in this archive are divided into two collections, based on their respective source of acquisition. The first collection, The Douglas Rutherford collection contains manuscript and typescript for some of his novels, short stories, plays and unpublished works.
The second collection, The Douglas Rutherford (Doreen Ireland collection) contains typescripts typed up by Doreen Ireland.
Further details of each collection are given at a lower level
The second collection, The Douglas Rutherford (Doreen Ireland collection) contains typescripts typed up by Doreen Ireland.
Further details of each collection are given at a lower level
Arrangement
The papers are arranged in two sub-sub-fonds to reflect thier different provenance:
01: The Douglas Rutherford collection
02: The Douglas Rutherford (Doreen Ireland) collection
01: The Douglas Rutherford collection
02: The Douglas Rutherford (Doreen Ireland) collection
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