Elleston Trevor Papers

English-born writer of mystery, suspense and historical novels Elleston Trevor (1920-1995) wrote under his own name and under the pseudonyms Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Roger Fitzalan, Simon Rattray, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith, Howard North, Jack Tango, and Adam Hall. Under this last pen name he began a series of spy thrillers featuring Quiller, who is now known worldwide. The themes of adventure, espionage, and war are prevalent in Trevor's works and he is considered a master of mystery and suspense.

Elleston Trevor was born Trevor Dudley-Smith in 1920 in England. He served in the Royal Air Force from 1939 to 1946, during which time he began writing. He became a full time writer after 1946.

In 1947, Elleston Trevor married Jonquil (born Iris) Burgess, who served as a WAAF in England during World II. Jonquil Trevor had been a literary manager and after their marriage she became her husband's agent. They lived in London until 1958 when they relocated to the South of France and resided on the French Riviera for fifteen years. The Trevors had one son, Peregrine Scott, who changed his name to Jean-Pierre after the family left England and went to France. Jean-Pierre Trevor is an accomplished artist who has created cover art for some of his father's books.

Elleston Trevor came to Arizona in the summer of 1965 to work as technical director on the filming of his novel The Flight of the Phoenix. He was quickly enchanted by Americans, the Arizona desert, and the Southwestern way of life. Moving from the French Riviera, Trevor felt as though he had come home to the Arizona desert in 1973. Once settled in the Valley just 30 miles from Phoenix, Jonquil Trevor returned to school. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from Arizona State University and had plans to study for her Ph.D. when she died in October of 1986.

Among Elleston Trevor's awards and honors is the Edgar award, presented by his fellow professionals in the Mystery Writers Association of America for The Quiller Memorandum, which he wrote under the pen name Adam Hall. Many of Trevor's titles have been translated into over a dozen foreign languages.

Elleston Trevor contributed generously to Arizona State University and was presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award from the A.S.U. College of Liberal Arts in 1983 in recognition of his service. Trevor died on July 21, 1995 in Arizona.

Chaille Groom Trevor (d. 1995), Elleston Trevor's second wife, was a national champion on horseback who also trained Arabian horses. She brought the Arabian horse to life on canvas and in sketchbooks and had notable exhibits of her paintings in local galleries.