Pearsall, Ronald 1927–2005

(Ronald Joseph Pearsall, Ronald Rawlings)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born October 20, 1927, in Birmingham, England; died September 27, 2005, in Truro, Cornwall, England. Author. Pearsall was a prolific writer of nonfiction books best known for his works about Victorian-era culture. For many years, he held a wide variety of careers, among them bank clerk, store detective, soldier, wine waiter, movie theater manager, composer, and dance hall musician. His first venture into publishing began with the thriller novel Scarlet Mask (1941), for which he was cheated by a publisher who paid him nothing. He did not publish again until 1966, when he released the fishing book Is That My Hook in Your Ear? Upon publishing Worm in the Bud (1969), Pears-all gained considerable attention for writing about sexuality in the supposedly staid Victorian era. He would later write other books about the period, including Victorian Popular Music (1973) and Night's Black Angels: The Forms and Faces of Victorian Cruelty (1975), but his first such book remained the most popular. Among his many other interests, Pearsall wrote about painting and antiques in such books as Antique Hunter's Handbook (1978), Practical Painting (1984), Painting Abstract Pictures (1991), and Antique Furniture (1997). In addition, after popular British author Dennis Wheatley died in 1977, he was one of several authors who created new thrillers in Wheatley's name. He also published more fiction, including the novel The Belvedere (1977), as well as children's books under the pen name Ronald Rawlings. Provided a pension by the Royal Literary Fund later in his life, he was able to focus on his writing and in 1999 alone released seven books.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Daily Telegraph (London, England), October 24, 2005.

Guardian (London, England), October 22, 2005, p. 37.

Independent (London, England), October 17, 2005, p. 37.

Times (London, England), October 28, 2005, p. 75.