Remember the Abbey Girls? Online Quiz | Kid Lit Authors L - Z

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Joan and Joy Shirley become the main characters of the series although the first book focuses mainly on Cicely Hobart. Cicely is president of the "Hamlet Club", through which eventually the members learn folk dancing. Where does Cicely meet Joan and Joy?

Answer: At the Abbey, where Joan is the guide who shows her round the ruins

Cicely is very impressed by how well Joan acts as tour guide. They meet when members of the "Hamlet Club" visit the ruins of the Abbey, not too far from their school. Cicely returns on her own to see the Abbey again and to get to know Joan better. Joan and Cicely become close friends. Cicely marries Dick Everett and Joan marries Jack Raymond. Joan's first daughter, Jansy, and Cicely's first son Dickon are born a day apart. Elsie J. Oxenham hints fairly strongly that these two will "make a match of it" in the future.

2. Many other characters in the series comment on the physical similarities between Joan and Joy Shirley. This likeness is explained by their relationship to each other. How are Joan and Joy related?

Answer: They are cousins

Joan and Joy's fathers are twins. It is through them that the girls have inherited their red hair and similar features. Many of the characters in the books are red-heads. Joan and Joy both produce red-headed daughters as the series progresses. On many occasions throughout the books, other characters think they are seeing double when they see Joan and Joy together.

As adults, Joan's and Joy's hairstyles change which helps acquaintances and strangers tell them apart. Their close friends are well aware, of course, that Joy's hair is bobbed while Joan's plaits are pinned up.

3. Joan and Joy go to school with Cicely and join the "Hamlet Club". As part of their folk dancing they elect a May Queen each year. Both Joy and Joan become May Queens. Do you remember which colour trains Joan and Joy have?

Answer: Violet (Joan) and Green (Joy)

Joan's train is deep violet with white violets decorating the edging and she is known as the Violet Queen. Joy's train is bright green and is dubbed the Green Queen. Joy was crowned queen almost immediately she began at the school as two factions within the school could not decide on a queen so Joy, as the new girl and therefore seen by both factions to be impartial, was elected queen. Joan was crowned the year after Joy and many comments were made on their likeness as Joy led Joan to be crowned.

The Abbey series finishes with Joy's twin daughters being crowned the Daisy and Buttercup queens, which finishes things off rather neatly!

4. When Joan is crowned queen, we meet another character who will become very important in the rest of the series. Janet Robins is several years younger than Joan and Joy but becomes firm friends with them both. What is Janet's nickname?

Answer: Jen

Jen is also known as Jenny-Wren. There is an English nursery rhyme called "Cock Robin and Jenny Wren". This may be the reference from where Elsie J Oxenham has produced the nickname for Janet by linking Robins with Jenny Wren as the rhyme does. Jen marries Kenneth Marchwood, brother of Joy's first husband, Andrew Marchwood. Jen is a loving aunt to Joy's children while producing a large family of her own. Avid readers will remember that Jen produced the only set of twin boys within the immediate family and friends.

5. When we first meet Joan and Joy they are living in the ruined abbey which belongs to Joy's grandfather. The ruins are in the garden of the house he lives in. When Sir Antony passes away he leaves the house to Joy. What does he leave for Joan, although she is not a relative of his?

Answer: The Abbey

Sir Antony leaves the Abbey to Joan as she loves it so much. He is also impressed by the knowledge she shares in her role as tour guide. Fortunately, Sir Antony also leaves some money towards the upkeep of the Abbey as Joan and her mother are not well off.

The Abbey lies in the grounds of Sir Antony's home, Abinger Hall, which he leaves to Joy. Joy, Joan and Joan's mother move into the Hall. The school also comes to live at the Hall for a term - but that's another story!

6. Both Joan and Cicely marry fairly young. In the loneliness after Joan's wedding, Joy "adopts" two school girls who become a very big part of the Abbey stories. Maidlin trains as a singer. Rosamund has a number of adventures before marrying a nobleman. Do you remember her title?

Answer: Countess of Kentisbury

Rosamund marries Geoffrey, a semi-invalid. Her love makes all the difference to his health. They have a large family, including two sets of twins. Twins and red-heads are recurring theme in the Abbey series. Joy manages to have red-headed twins!
Maidlin is officially adopted by Joy when she is orphaned. Maidlin becomes a famous singer and marries Jock Robertson. Maidlin also produces twin girls.

7. There are many lovely legends surrounding the Abbey. As the series unfolds, we learn many new stories of the Abbey and many of its treasures come to light. The most romantic story involves Joy's ancestress, Lady Jehane, and a lay brother of the Abbey. This lay-brother is responsible for saving many of the Abbey treasures. Do you remember his name?

Answer: Ambrose

Ambrose is buried beneath the Abbey. He has lived a long life, unlike his love Jehane who died young. Jen, in particular, is very fond of Ambrose (although he died many years before her birth) and Joan gives her Ambrose's keepsake ring. When the Abbey is desecrated at the instigation of Henry the Eighth, Ambrose hides as many treasures and sacred objects as he can.

These are uncovered over time by the "Abbey girls".

8. Joy marries "the man next door". He is an explorer by the name of Andrew Marchwood. Like Joy, he loves adventures and is definitely not the "stay at home" type. Unfortunately the marriage is short-lived. Why does the marriage end so quickly and abruptly?

Answer: Andrew is killed on safari in Africa.

Joy returns home alone from their honeymoon as she is now pregnant. She is alarmed when there are no letters from Andrew who has stayed behind in Africa to go on safari with some friends. When the news comes that the party has met with disaster, Joy goes into labour and it is a worrying time for all. Two healthy babies arrive - and another set of red headed "Abbey girls" join the series. Babies Margaret and Elizabeth are named for Joan's mother and Andrew's mother.

9. Folk dancing is a common thread throughout the series. The characters even go to vacation schools and London clubs to learn more dances. Two very important teachers become friends to them. By what names do the Abbey Girls call these teachers?

Answer: Madam and the Pixie

The Pixie is so named because she is very tiny. Madam has a lot of dignity and presence (Joan thinks she has the most graceful movement - like a cat)
Both the Pixie and Madam dispense sound advice when required, and are apparently both based on actual people that E.J. Oxenham knew.

10. Joan has always stated her first daughter would be named for a special friend she has made. When Joan has her first child it is indeed a girl and she keeps the promise she has made. What first name is the child known by, and who is she named for?

Answer: Jansy, for Jandy Mac

Jandy Mac, or Janice MacDonald, comes to stay with the school when it lives at the abbey for a term. Joan and Jandy become good friends. At one stage it looks like Jandy should have inherited the Hall and Abbey but fortunately this turns out not to be the case. Jandy marries and lives with her husband on a South Sea Island. Jandy names her first daughter for Joan, but Joan the second is known as Littlejan.

By the end of the series, Littlejan is married and living near the Abbey.

Source: Author ellabell

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Remember the Abbey Girls? Trivia Quiz

Do you remember Joy, Joan and friends who starred in the "Abbey Girls" series? Reminisce with me about these characters created by E.J. Oxenham as we travel to a gentler time in England, visit a ruined abbey and indulge in some folk dancing.

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