The Short Stories Of Agatha Christie's Sister Madge Miller

 

Magaret 'Madge' Frary [Miller] Watts (1879-1950),

 Painted by Nathaniel Hughes John Baird

Off and on for years, I have searched for the short stories written by Agatha Christie's sister, Madge Miller.  I'm always surprised that they have not been printed in one volume, but so far, I have had no luck locating them at all.  Every few years I do a search, and I have to find  the information to start my search each time..  so this post is really just for me, to remind me of what I am looking for.  If you happen to come across them anywhere, please let me know!

"She [Madge] had, before her marriage, begun writing stories herself. Many of her short

stories were accepted for Vanity Fair. To have a Vain Tale in Vanity Fair was

considered quite a literary achievement in those days, and father was extremely

proud of her. She wrote a series of stories all connected with sport–The Sixth

Ball of the Over, A Rub of the Green, Cassie Plays Croquet, and others. They

were amusing and witty. I re-read them about twenty years ago, and I thought

then how well she wrote. I wonder if she would have gone on writing if she had

not married. I don’t think she ever saw herself seriously as a writer, she would

probably have preferred to be a painter. She was one of those people who can do

almost anything they put their mind to. She did not, as far as I remember, write

any more short stories after she married, but about ten or fifteen years later she

began to write for the stage. The Claimant was produced by Basil Dean of the

Royal Theatre with Leon Quartermayne and Fay Compton in it. She wrote one

or two other plays, but they did not have London productions. She was also quite

a good amateur actress herself, and acted with the Manchester Amateur Dramatic. There is no doubt that Madge was the talented member of our family."

 - Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

Short Stories  by Madge, Published In Vanity Fair:

(I've searched their online archives to no avail)

•  “The Sixth Ball of the Over”
•  “A Rub of the Green”
•  “Cassie Plays Croquet” 

In 1924 her play, The Claimant, was put on in London’s West End

"Authoress M.F. Watts"

 Her stage drama The Claimant is based on the Tichborne Case from the 1860s and 70s and enjoyed a short run in the West End at the Queen's Theatre from September 11 to October 18 of 1924.  It was produced by Basil Dean of the Royal Theatre and starred Leon Quartermaine and Fay Compton.

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Margaret 'Madge' Frary Miller (1879 - 1950)

Oil painting on canvas, Margaret 'Madge' Frary Miller (1879 - 1950) by Nathaniel Hughes John Baird (Scotland 1865 - Reading 1936), signed, top right, in red, with monogram and dated ‘95 [1895]. A portrait of Madge Miller, Agatha Christie's older sister, wearing a white frilly dress, holding a bunch of pink/purple flowers at her waist, with short reddish hair.