William Stuart Long’s Followers (37)

William Stuart Long

Born

in Berkshire, England, The United Kingdom

January 02, 1914

Died

August 01, 1986

Genre

Historical Fiction

edit data

Violet Vivian Finlay was born on 2 January 1914 in Berkshire, England, UK, the daughter of Alice Kathleen (née Norton) and Sir Campbell Kirkman Finlay. Her father was the owner and director of Burmah Oil Company Ltd., whose Scottish family also owned James Finlay and Company Ltd. The majority of her childhood and youth was spent in Rangoon, Burma (now also known as Myanmar), where her father worked. During her life, she frequently journeyed between India, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.

Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.

Following the dissolution of her fi Violet Vivian Finlay was born on 2 January 1914 in Berkshire, England, UK, the daughter of Alice Kathleen (née Norton) and Sir Campbell Kirkman Finlay. Her father was the owner and director of Burmah Oil Company Ltd., whose Scottish family also owned James Finlay and Company Ltd. The majority of her childhood and youth was spent in Rangoon, Burma (now also known as Myanmar), where her father worked. During her life, she frequently journeyed between India, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.

Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.

Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she studied for a time Law in London in the mid 1930s, before decided studied Medicine at the University of London. Later she spent time in Hungary in the capacity of private tutor in English, while she obtained a pathologist qualification at the University of Budapest in 1938. In 1939, she emigrated to Australia with her second husband, a Hungarian Doctor Geza Santow with whom she worked. In 1942, she obtained a diploma in industrial chemistry and laboratory technique at Technical Institute of Newcastle. Having earned an ambulance driver's certificate, she joined the Australian Forces at the Women's Auxiliary Service during World War II. She was attached to the IVth Army, and raised to the rank of sergeant, she was posted to British XIV Army in Rangoon, Burma in October 1945, and was then transferred to Sumatra in December. After the WWII, she returned to England. On 24 October 1958, she married her fourth and last husband, Cyril William Mann, a bank manager.

She was a prolific writer from 1953 to 1986 under diferent pseudonyms: Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V. A. Stuart, William Stuart Long and Robyn Stuart. Many of her novels were protagonized by doctors or nurses, and set in Asia, Australia or other places she had visited. Her romance novel, Gay Cavalier published in 1955 as Alex Stuart got her into trouble with her Mills & Boon editors when she featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry. This so-called "mixed marriage" touched nerves in the United Kingdom.

In 1960, she was a founder of the Romantic Novelists' Association, along with Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, and others; she was elected the first Chairman (1961-1963). In 1970, she became the first woman to chair Swanwick Writers' Summer School.

Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann passed away on August 1986 in Yorkshire, at age 72. She continued writing until her death. ...more

Combine Editions
William Stuart Long’s books

Average rating: 4.16 · 3,053 ratings · 170 reviews · 39 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Exiles (The Australians, #1) 4.03 avg rating — 672 ratings — published 1979 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Settlers (The Australians, #2) 4.09 avg rating — 363 ratings — published 1980 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Traitors (The Australians, #3) 4.16 avg rating — 298 ratings — published 1981 — 23 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Explorers (The Australians, #4) 4.25 avg rating — 270 ratings — published 1982 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Adventurers (The Australians, #5) 4.22 avg rating — 241 ratings — published 1983 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Colonists (The Australians, #6) 4.14 avg rating — 238 ratings — published 1984 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gold Seekers (The Australians, #7) 4.18 avg rating — 200 ratings — published 1985 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gallant (The Australians, #8) 4.20 avg rating — 180 ratings — published 1986 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Empire Builders (The Australians, #9) 4.20 avg rating — 169 ratings — published 1987 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Seafarers (The Australians, #10) 4.27 avg rating — 154 ratings — published 1988 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by William Stuart Long…

Series by William Stuart Long

The Australians (12 books)
by

William Stuart Long

4.16 avg rating — 4,144 ratings

Polls

What is your favorite pseudonym by Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann?

Vivian Stuart

5 votes 21.7%

Alex Stuart

5 votes 21.7%

William Stuart Long

5 votes 21.7%

Barbara Allen

3 votes 13.0%

All

3 votes 13.0%

Fiona Finlay

2 votes 8.7%

V.A. Stuart

0 votes 0.0%

Robyn Stuart

0 votes 0.0%

23 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Sweeping Sagas: List your favorites here!	84	129	May 31, 2011 09:58AM
Book Snails Book ...: Dee’s Remaining Reading Months 2018	2	15	Oct 01, 2018 07:35AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Adult Historical Romance about a young girl falsely accused by her father, being sent to prison on a ship, fall in love with the captain and later become his wife. [s]	4	35	Oct 25, 2022 01:04PM
Turn of a Page: Bobbi & Dea~Country Girl At Heart "The Gruesome Twosome" (COMPLETED!!)	156	36	Mar 26, 2023 10:13AM
Around the World ...: Australia	64	1179	Jan 08, 2025 10:04PM

More…