The Enid Blyton Society

New to the forum.........sorry if this has been covered before.

If Julian, Dick, George and Anne all have the surnam 'Kirrin', and Uncle Quentin is brother to the father of J,D and A, can anyone explain how George's mother's family owned Kirrin Cottage, Farm and Island?

Sure, it just so happens that by a complete freak of nature, both families (Quentins and Fanny's) did at one time in history have the same surname (without being related)... erm, or alternatively poetic licence....

It puzzled me too until I dreamt up the explanation above

Couldn't Quentin and Fanny have been cousins, or second cousins? Some relationship far enough for marriage and close enough to have the same name anyway. That's what I've always thought.

(I've also just been reading yet another book about Europe's Royal families in the 19th century - so the idea of relations marrying is fresh in my mind )

Pretty sure that in one book at least another surname is given for Julian, Dick and Anne - not Kirrin. Something like Holland.

Incidently I picked up a Naughtiest Girl book at the EB day and it once belonged to a Julian Holland! (Think that was a character in one of these books from memory)?

In Five get into a fix, their mother was called 'Mrs Barnard' which has now been changed to 'the childrens' mother' (no surname given).

Yes, that's it, Barnard.

I know Quentin is a brother to Julian's father but in one book Quentin says to Fanny "i thought the children were going to stay at your sisters".
So this must mean that two brothers married two sisters as well as maybe being cousins. What do you think?

George@Kirrin wrote:Sure, it just so happens that by a complete freak of nature, both families (Quentins and Fanny's) did at one time in history have the same surname (without being related)... erm, or alternatively poetic licence....

It puzzled me too until I dreamt up the explanation above

I think that is the best explanation. The cousins stuff gets muddled up because of the way they would be related etc. but I think George@Kirrin has got the best answer. For example, there ar plenty of Khans in my class, not related to me!

gareth jones wrote:I know Quentin is a brother to Julian's father but in one book Quentin says to Fanny "i thought the children were going to stay at your sisters".
So this must mean that two brothers married two sisters as well as maybe being cousins. What do you think?

Sounds like they must all come from Tasmania to me!

(My husband's from Tasmania and you should see his family tree! )

lizarfau wrote:(My husband's from Tasmania and you should see his family tree! )

What's it like?

Ming wrote:

lizarfau wrote:(My husband's from Tasmania and you should see his family tree! )

What's it like?

Well ...

The same surnames (I won't say what they are as they're unusual names) keep appearing in the family tree, with a lot of incidents of cousins marrying cousins and someone marrying her uncle. They're a very closely bred family, to say the least.

But only one head?

Sorry, I know with him being from Tassie you probably hear that all the time. Just let me have my moment of childish amusement....

I have an aunt who married her uncle and that amde everything so confusing!

I knew a vicar who married his daughter, in the UK, and all quite legal!

Haha


I didn't realise it was actually legal to marry one's aunt and uncle though - that's a bit too close for comfort .

Kirrin is a very uncommon name. I've never met anyone who has it.