About Aylmer Hall
Lived 1914 – 1987 (aged 73). Aylmer Hall was a British historian, children's writer and librarian.
Aylmer Hall was the pen name of Norah Eleanor Lyle Cummins (born 24 April 1914). She was the author of adventure stories for children written in the 1950s and 1960s. Her book The Tyrant King - A London Adventure was published by London Transport in 1967 with illustrations by Peter Roberson. The book inspired the TV series of the same name, directed by Mike Hodges.
Biography Hall was educated at St. Hugh's College, Oxford University where she earned a B.A. Honours in modern languages in 1935. She worked as an assistant secretary in 1936, and then went on to become a librarian at the Royal Institute of International Affairs from 1937 to 1939.
Work The Daily Herald in Chicago wrote that The Search for Lancelot's Sword (1960) is a "well told mystery story." Kirkus Reviews wrote that her book about 1765 Ireland, Beware of Moonlight (1970) had stereotyped characters and was "rambling, complicated and filled with hackneyed class-conscious poses." Myles McDowell puts many of Hall's books into the "Boys' Own" era, and writes that these can seem dated to modern readers.
Works Hall wrote ten books, most of them historical adventures, though some had contemporary settings. The Mystery of Torland Manor (1952) The Admiral's Secret (1953) The K.F. Conspiracy (1955) The Sword of Glendower (1960) or The Search for Lancelot's Sword The Devilish Plot (1965) The Marked Man (1967) The Tyrant King (1967) Colonel Bull's Inheritance (1968) Beware of Moonlight (1969 or 70) The Minstrel Boy (1970)
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Important facts
People in Aylmer Hall's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Aylmer Hall's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Aylmer Hall?
British children's writer
When was Aylmer Hall born?
Aylmer Hall was born on 24 April 1914 in Epsom.
When did Aylmer Hall die?
Aylmer Hall died on 14 June 1987.
What was Aylmer Hall's occupation?
Aylmer Hall was a historian, children's writer and librarian.
What nationality was Aylmer Hall?
Aylmer Hall was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Aylmer Hall. https://biography.guide/aylmer-hall/
MLA: "Aylmer Hall." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/aylmer-hall/.
Chicago: "Aylmer Hall." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/aylmer-hall/.
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