Shirley Byron Jevons was an old family friend, and, in 1910, Editor of "The Sportsman" magazine. JF had sent the manuscript of The Broad Highway to his mother in England, and she in turn passed it on to Jevons, who was instrumental in bringing it to the attention of Sampson Low, Marston & Co, the publishers.

Dorothy Farnol, JF’s only sister, was born in 1888 and lived to the age of 96. She married Ronald Oakeshott (in 1915?); many years later, after her husband died, she became even closer to her brother Jack. Her sons Ewart and Lawrence were often at his house. Surpisingly, Edward Farnol, in his reminiscences, makes no mention of her existence.

Frederick Hughson Hawley, the acclaimed American architectural illustrator, was JF’s father-in-law; while staying in his home in Englewood, New Jersey, Farnol would often write all night, and would share with Hawley some of his stories.

This, of course, was JF’s first wife, Blanche Victoria Wilhemina Hawley, whom he married in June 1903 - a short three months before the birth if their child.

JF’s mother, Kate (Jeffery) Farnol, who died in 1921, was always supportive of her oldest son’s ambitions.

In his foreword to this book of previously published articles, Farnol pre-shadows the call for the cooperation of the "two English-speaking peoples" that Winston Churchill would make some twenty-five years later.

Gillian was Farnol’s only child from his first marriage, born in 1903. At the time of publication of The Geste of Duke Jocelyn, she would have been 16. She died in 1978

Anna Maria Marriott was Kate Farnol’s older sister; her son, Jack, was said to be the model for the character of Beltane. He was killed in France in 1917. Keziah Jeffery, another of Kate’s sisters, lived in King’s Heath near Birmingham with her mother, and JF lived with them for six months during his brief career at the iron foundry.

This, although it sounds like a quotation from the classics, was presumably written by JF; I can find no reference for it in either Bartlett or the Oxford.

Bertie Pope was JF’s secretary for a number of years. Sadly, he died shortly after this dedication

Bill Milnes and Gillian Farnol were married in 1921, and divorced in 1936.

This may be a reference to the woman who was to become Farnol’s second wife, Phyllis Clarke, although ‘Phil’ is usually short for ‘Philip’ rather than ‘Phyllis’. She was certainly very much a part of his life at this time.

Ernest Vivian Chandler, born 1891, was a former Amateur Middleweight (later Heavyweight) boxing champion in England and the U.S., and served in the Royal Field Artillery in the later stages of the War. He became JF’s secretary and literary agent. Although he was disliked and mistrusted by members of Farnol’s family, he and Farnol remained good friends until his death in 1936.

This was the second book dedicated by JF to his first wife, Blanche. They would be divorced a little more than five years later.

Sir Harry Preston was the owner of several hotels in Brighton, including the "Albion" opposite the pier, which was frequented by many of the leading stage and sporting stars of the time. He was a boxing promoter, and accompanied JF to the Dempsey/Carpentier fight in the U.S. Robert Ellenwood, in his "Farnol-Ellenwood Connection" on this website, mentions having received several JF books from Sir Harry.

Charmian Jane Farnol, whom JF adopted when he married his second wife, Phyllis, was born about this time.

Nydia - called Nan by the family - was the younger sister of JF’s wife Blanche. In 1935 she came to Sunnyside to join her parents, F. Hughson and Jennifer Hawley, who were living with JF and his wife. One might imagine that, with a houseful of in-laws, he needed all the sympathy he could get. However, this dedication most likely refers to the tensions that must have existed in the household leading up to JF and Blanche’s divorce in 1936. She died in 1951, and is buried in the family grave at Patcham.

Charmian Jane was JF’s daughter of his second marriage. At the time this book was written, she was "growed five and a bit". Jane is now married to Brian Curtis and lives in New South Wales, Australia.

Ronald Oakeshott was the husband of JF’s sister Dorothy, and had helped his brother-in-law to pack up all his belongings and move them from Brighton to his new home in Eastbourne. The ‘brother of the pen’ reference is to Oakeshott’s authorship of his book "A Merchant at Arms".

JF had married Phyllis Clarke after his divorce from Blanche became final in 1938. She has said that she first met him "when she was 16", and she had moved to Hove to be near him when he bought his estate outside Brighton; their daughter Jane, was born there. After he and his wife separated in 1936, they set up house in Eastbourne. She died on July 8, 1997.

Dudley Seymour-Nichols was a ‘great friend’ of JF’s. He owned an antique store in the Croydon area, and formed a friendship with Farnol over their love of antique weaponry. He had only one hand, and, like JF, was short and stocky and a great raconteur. He and his wife were frequent

visitors to the Eastbourne house.

Arthur Catling was a retired Scotland Yard detective whose name appears as witness on

several of JF’s legal documents. The Farnols entertained a number of Metropolitan police superintendents to lunch on several occasions, and Catling, although not of the same rank,

was one of the group. He was severely disabled from a crash when testing a ‘plane during the war, but returned to work with the police. He was uncomplaining, hence JF’s reference to him as "The Unconquered"

Ron Hill was an Australian soldier, who had been a prisoner of war. Before being repatriated to Australia, he spent a period of time at a former Naval training camp in a converted school adjacent to the Farnol property in Eastbourne, and they became friends. After his return, he would send food parcels to the Farnols in still-rationed Britain.

It is interesting that JF, himself nearing the end of his life, should have dedicated this book to his younger brother, who had died all those years ago in the last of the "gallant" wars.

David Baird Murray was a director of Sampson Low, Marston, and he and JF had been friends for many years. Here, again, JF is remembering someone who had already passed on - Murray died in 1944.

Jane Farnol, now living in New South Wales, is Farnol’s daughter by his second wife, Phyllis, and is the owner of many of Farnol’s copyrights and of a great deal of his early papers and unpublished work, as well as a great deal of memorabilia