Elisabeth Ayrton
Elisabeth Evelyn Ayrton was a British novelist and writer on cookery.
Life
Elisabeth Evelyn Walshe was born in Worplesdon, Surrey, England in 1910. She was the daughter of the novelist Douglas Walshe and the writer Phyllis Sydney. She and her two siblings lived in WorplesdonElisabeth was married twice, firstly in 1933 to the novelist Nigel Balchin. She had met him while she was reading English, Archaeology and Anthropology at Newnham College, Cambridge. Their first child, Prudence Ann, was born in 1934. Penelope Jane Balchin was born in 1937, and later gained fame as childcare expert Dr Penelope Leach. During the war Elisabeth worked for the Special Operations Executive, vetting recruits for secret overseas missions. Their youngest child, Freja Mary Balchin, was born in 1944.
Elisabeth's first marriage ended following an affair with composer Christian Darnton, and later a partner-swapping arrangement between the Balchins, the artist Michael Ayrton and his partner, Joan. Balchin divorced Elisabeth in 1951 and she married Ayrton a year later. After her marriage she started to write. She submitted pieces successfully to various magazines, her poetry was read on BBC radio and she contributed to Woman's Hour. Her first novel, The Cook's Tale was published in 1957. She wrote three further novels: The Cretan in 1963, Two Years in My Afternoon, and Day Eight. Her archaeological book The Doric Temple was published in 1957.
Her second husband, Michael Ayrton, died in 1975 and thereafter she combined writing with travelling, running an antiques business and handling his work.