born in abergavenny, monmouthshire, wales, in 1876, the daughter of william white, builder and inventor of the hygeian rock building composition, and ethel c white, both of clifton, bristol. she was one of nine children. white grew up in fairlea grange, which was built in the 1880s by her father, and started writing as a child, contributing essays and poems to children's papers. later she began to write short stories, but it was some years before she wrote books.