The Vampyre: The True Life Story of Varney the Vampyre
- ISBN-10
- ISBN-13
- 9798739939876
- Series
- The Vampyre
- Pages
- 244
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2021-05-14
- Publisher
- Independently Published
- Author
- J B Varney
Description
Sir Francis Varney. For those intimate with Vampyre Lore & History the name conjures up a complex, troubled man, with an equally confusing history. Although his mother was a Scot, he was England's first Vampire, being born in Berkshire, England, in 1672. He was over 200 years old when Bram Stoker used the stories of him as the inspiration for his novel, "Dracula". Unlike Stoker's Dracula, the real Francis Varney was not bothered by sunlight or garlic, and wore a silver cross. He was noted for his superhuman strength yet felt a deep compassion for his fellow beings. When James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest appeared at the door of Valentina Varney-Collier, at 86 Old Montague Street, Whitechapel, London, in June of 1843, they were not looking for Gothic Horror stories to sell to the Penny Dreadfuls. The men were aspiring authors at the time, involved in investigating the real-life Sir Francis Varney, and they found his Great-Great Granddaughter. She would receive little for her time and knowledge but she was willing to share much of what she knew. Rymer & Prest could interest no serious publishers with their true life historical narrative about England's first Vampire, and turned, in time, to the Penny Dreadfuls in order to generate an income. Thus, "Varney the Vampire" was born. Their fictionalized works have enthralled millions over the intervening centuries, but critics pointed to the confusing timeline, repetitive story lines, and inconsistencies with settings, names, and dates. Few alive today, at least outside our family, know that Rymer & Prest condensed the original historical work they developed from Valentina's information, by combining the actual lives of three generations of Varney men, Sir Francis, his sons, and grandsons, the Vampire Bloodline, into their one, extended fictional work centered only on Sir Francis himself. Sir Francis Varney was a real man and since 1843, when Valentina shared her inner knowledge with Messrs. Rymer & Prest, an act many family members never forgave, this is the first time the true story of Sir Francis Varney and the Vampire Bloodline has ever been told.
