Catherine Cookson Trivia

1. What was Bridget Patterson's maiden name?

From Quiz Colour Blind

Answer: McQueen

The book begins as the McQueen family learn that Bridget is coming home a married woman. But when she arrives on the doorstep they are horrified to find that her husband, James Patterson, is a black man. It makes no difference that he is educated and has a good job as a sailor - Bridget has overstepped the acceptable boundaries.

From Quiz Feathers in the Fire

Answer: Angus McBain

Angus BcBain owned the farm on which Davey an Molly worked; he tried to force Davey into marrying Molly as he was the likeliest 'culprit' where her pregnancy was concerned, but Davey was not to be bullied. McBain then asked Will Curran, who agreed, although Molly was not happy with the master's choice and remained unmarried.

From Quiz The Gambling Man

Answer: Lizzie O'Dowd

Nellie was Rory's sister, and Ruth was married to Rory's father. Lizzie was Paddy's cousin, who came over from Ireland, and was forced into a relationship with Paddy - Rory being the result. Unwilling to leave her son, she remained with the family, but Rory had great difficulty coming to terms with the fact that she was his mother and blamed her for the sexual relationship which had taken place.

From Quiz The Man who Cried

Answer: Florrie

Alice was murdered by her husband because Abel's wife wrote and told him about the affair she was having. This was the final straw for Abel, and he took Dick away from her abuse.

From Quiz 'The Cinder Path'

Answer: to the burn

William MacFell instigated the path, and soon showed that he intended to use it as a punishment area for those under the age of 15 on his farm - to be whipped was punishment enough, but kneeling on the cinders of the path whilst being whipped would make it even more painful.

From Quiz The Thursday Friend

Answer: London

This was a big change for Catherine Cookson; she and her husband went to London on their honeymoon, and in her telling of an episode in Hannah's life visited many different places in the nation's capital.

From Quiz The Tinker's Girl

Answer: a seamstress at the workhouse

Miss Caplin is to appear throughout the book; she is seen as a mother-figure in Jinnie's eyes, and is never known by her given name, Jane. Max also grew up in the workhouse, and was to play an important part in Jinnie's life as a father-figure.

From Quiz 'The Girl'

Answer: Nancy

The book starts with Nancy bringing her daughter to Elmholm to her father, Matthew Thorndale. On the way they meet Ned and his grandfather, and rest for a short while in their home; Nancy is in the last hours of her life, dying from consumption.

From Quiz 'The Mallen Litter'

Answer: Brigie

This was short for 'Brigadier', the 'behind-her-back' nickname the Bensham children and Barbara used for their governess when they were growing up. It was based on her maiden surname of 'Brigmore' and the fact that she liked things to be done just-so.

From Quiz The Mallen Girl

Answer: Mary Peel & Mary Peal & Peel & Peal & Mary

Mary Peel was a common woman who added a touch of reality into the lives of firstly the sisters Barbara and Constance, and then to Barbara's daughter Barbara.

From Quiz The Mallen Streak

Answer: High Banks

High Banks was later sold to cover debts while Thomas Mallen, his son and his two nieces went to live in the cottage which had been left to the two girls.

From Quiz 'The Glass Virgin'

Answer: Tommy McLaughlin

Annabella was feeling very low because of her roots, and Manuel told her about himself to assure her that she was not alone in being 'shaken up in the breeding bag'.

From Quiz Colour Blind

Answer: she wanted to have the baby killed at birth

James had gone back to sea, and Bridget arranged for the doctor to see to her confinement. Her mother tried to get the 'fixer', Nellie Milligan, to arrange to have the child stillborn. It was the doctor who scuppered their plans and the baby was born safely.

From Quiz The Man who Cried

Answer: a barge

Daphne and her mother (who was never named) employed Abel for their two week holiday to handle the barge, but after three days the mother made advances towards Abel, and they left the next morning. They were to see Daphne later in the story.

From Quiz 'The Cinder Path'

Answer: Nellie

They were both drunk at the time, and when Nellie's father found them he was angry as the plan was for Charlie to marry Nellie's older sister, Victoria. By the end of the book, Charlie and Nellie were together.

From Quiz The Thursday Friend

Answer: 23 Buttermere Close

The book opens when Hannah visits her sister to unburden herself about the terrible state of her marriage; her husband slept in a different room, went out every Thursday night without fail, and disappeared to visit his elderly relatives every weekend.

From Quiz The Tinker's Girl

Answer: a cutlery set

The cutlery set had belonged to Jinnie's father, and Max had saved it by hiding it behind some loose bricks in the boiler house. Later Jinnie was to defend herself with the knife, and the wound had to be burnt as the blade was rusty near the handle.

From Quiz 'The Girl'

Answer: she whipped her

The whipping was so intense that Hannah was bedridden for days, and showed the marks on her back and legs for years afterwards. When her father discovered what happened, he whipped Ann in turn, and forced her to accept Hannah into the household as his child. Ann was to do this, but she was never to speak to her, and always referred to her as 'the Girl'.

From Quiz 'The Mallen Litter'

Answer: France

Barbara went happily to France with her new husband, because she wanted to get away from her childhood home and all the misery she left there - Sarah's loss of a leg due to her jealous rage and the hatred she felt for Anna.

From Quiz The Mallen Girl

Answer: first cousins

Michael's real father was Matthew Radlet, not his mother's husband, Donald. This meant that Michael was not Thomas Mallen's grandson. Barbara was Thomas Mallen's daughter by his wife's niece, Barbara, who was Michael's mother's sister. This made Michael and Barbara first cousins. While this relationship is too close for marriage in some parts of the USA, it is perfectly permissible in the UK.

From Quiz 'The Glass Virgin'

Answer: a penny

It was when Annabella asked her Mama for pennies for the poor children that Rosina realised what was going on and she was very angry with Cook as a result.

From Quiz Colour Blind

Answer: Matt

Matt was pathologically devoted to Bridget, to the extent that he wanted no one to have any hold on her at all. That included James - and would have included any man in her life, whatever his colour - and her daughter Rose Angela.

From Quiz Feathers in the Fire

Answer: Biddy

Biddy was only a little younger than her half-brother, Amos, who grew up in the attic rooms in the farmhouse, because his parents could not bear to look at him. He would look out at Biddy running around the farm yard and yearn to be free.

From Quiz The Gambling Man

Answer: five pounds

John George was in the habit of 'borrowing' ten shillings on a Saturday and replacing it on the Monday morning after pawning his suit. This was so he could travel to see his girlfriend each weekend. When the £5 was not replaced because Rory was in hospital, John George was accused of stealing all the money and was consequently jailed.

From Quiz The Man who Cried

Answer: she ignored Dick

Abel worked for an entire day in the pouring rain for one ration of food and drink - this he shared with his son. Tilda never even appeared to notice that Dick was there at all. She saw Abel as an answer to prayer for her farm, which was badly run down, even though the house was pristine. In escaping from the chains, Dick and Abel hurt her, and reported the incident to a doctor as soon as they were able. This doctor was a relative of hers, and soon assured them, on returning to the farm, that she would be well. They were to meet the doctor later in the story.

From Quiz 'The Cinder Path'

Answer: 15

Edward had been bedding Arthur's mother, big Polly, for some years, and she had permitted it as to refuse would have meant the entire family would have been turned out of their cottage as her husband was an invalid and the children were not old enough to warrant a tied cottage anywhere. When Edward decided that young Polly was to provide his son Charlie with a similar service, her brother Arthur misunderstood and believed that Polly was to replace his mother; incensed, he lay in wait to teach Edward a lesson, but the fall from his horse caused his death. Charlie witnessed the event, as did Ginger Slater, who was to blackmail the boys for the rest of his life.

From Quiz The Thursday Friend

Answer: Natasha Gillyman

Natasha was Gilly's wife, while Janie was Hannah's elder sister, and George was Humphrey's uncle. Peter was David's manservant/friend whose support throughout the story was invaluable to both David and Hannah, especially to the last when their lives were in danger.

From Quiz The Tinker's Girl

Answer: she would not be handled

This expression was repeated throughout the book - her reaction to Pug and Hal warned Bruce away from approaching her, until it was almost too late.

From Quiz 'The Girl'

Answer: Betsy

Hannah was hated with intensity by her father's wife, and Betsy (short for Beatrice), a miniature of her mother, imitated Anne in her dislike. A spiteful girl, she was to add to Hannah's unhappiness in the house, almost cancelling out the love and companionship between Hannah and the other three children.

From Quiz 'The Mallen Litter'

Answer: he had a white streak in his hair

Ben Bensham carried the 'mark' which had shown on generations of Mallen males, including Donald Radlet, Thomas Mallen and Dick Mallen (all three characters from the first book in the Trilogy, 'The Mallen Streak'). The fact that her son had this pigment in his hair was a source of great distress to Barbara who preferred to forget that Thomas Mallen raped her mother.

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