I was recently talking to someone whose surname was Henzell, and wondered if anyone knew how EBD's brother came to be given that name. I don't think I've ever come across it as a first name anywhere else, so maybe it was the maiden name of their mum or one of their grandmas? I don't think Behind the CS mentions it - just wondered if anyone knew .

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Just had a quick look on Ancestry for names of grandparents, didn't find any Henzells, but I did find something I hadn't known. Someone has put a family tree on Ancestry which as well as including both EBD's half-brothers - Charles Arnold Dyer from father's first marriage and from his third "marriage" (don't think they actually did marry) Morris Stephen Dyer - also includes two girls from the last who died very young - Winifred Hilda (1904-1910) and Millicent Mildred (1906-1909).

I also had a look on Ancestry and Henzell's grandfather was Isaac Henzell Major Rutherford. According to Isaac's christening record, his father also had Henzell as a second name.

Ah, thank you - that makes sense .

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Well done - I only got as far as her father's family, and was surprised to find
two little half-sisters and didn't then look at mother'side.

Helen McClelland does mention it, in fact, on p 4 of Behind the Chalet School after mentioning that his birth on 28th June 1895 was registered by his mother, rather than his father: "...the choice of the baby's two names - he was called HENZELL WATSON - was significant, as both were closely and exclusively associated with his mother's family: Watson was the second of Nelly's [EMBD's mother, nee Eleanor Watson Rutherford] own names, having been her mother Hannah's maiden surname; Henzell was the favourite and the most frequently used name in the Rutherford family. Clearly the Rutherfords were proud of their connections with the Henzells: a family of Huguenot origin who had fled from France and had come to carry on their craft of glass-manufacture in and around Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and Elinor herself was always pleased to claim her French ancestry.)"

Helen's feeling is that this was done to emphasise the fact that Henzell belonged to his mother's family and to exclude the paternal side - EMBD's father appears to have left by 1897.

PS There's a character in Summer Term called Jacquetta de Henezell...

Ah, I must have forgotten that . I remembered her mum's maiden name being Rutherford, which I think is a name found mainly in the NE - it's nice that she used that for Nina's family. It's surprising that she never mentions anyone having Huguenot ancestry (that reminds me, must watch last night's episode of Versailles!) then.

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Isn't it? (And I can't recall any, either). Working in Bethnal Green for so many years I was forever meeting people who had Huguenot (or Huggernaut, as one chap pronounced it) ancestors, and they were all immensely proud of them. Though Helen did say that EMBD was always pleased to claim her French ancestors (French fingers and all, presumably), maybe she was slightly less keen on their being Protestant rebels? I feel mean even mooting the idea, but I know well how people's minds sometimes work when it comes to ancestors.

Do other names from EBD's family appear in the books?

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Her dad was Charles ... I can't imagine Charles Maynard leaving his wife, if he ever married, and running off with another woman. There's a Madge Watson, but she's only a minor character.

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We really must stop eating like this ...

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And the trouble with names like Stephen and Charles, and Watson and Dyer, and even the Winifred Hilda and Millicent Mildred that ivohenry mentioned, is that they're in widespread use at various times, if not constantly. It's only when you happen upon less usual names like Rutherford and de Henezell, or Len and Mariquita, in the books, that you can really give credence to the influence of the personal background - though it is something that many authors do.

Looking at A-Z, there are 6 unrelated Watson pupils (+ sister of one) and Evadne's husband and his children, so the name was very much n her mind.