All She Wrote: The Living Legacy of Inglis Fletcher in Edenton

Wandering around upstairs in the Barker House among the displays on Edenton’s famous writer Inglis Fletcher, I began to inexplicably feel the presence of this formidable woman. From the photographs of her you might surmise that this was a prim and proper Victorian lady, long gone. And you’d be half right. She was refined and cultured, but also feisty with a surprising, inexorable sense of humor. Why should you know and care about Inglis Fletcher? There are myriad reasons, but foremost is that she had a tremendous role in making Edenton what it is today, and she continues to influence and sojourn among us.

Mrs. Fletcher was not an Edentonian by birth. According to her memoir, Pay, Pack and Follow(Henry Holt and Company, 1959), she was born in Illinois and raised in the Midwest (which somehow made her a “Yankee”). She and her husband John (Jack) a mining engineer, moved from San Francisco to Edenton in 1944 to be close to the source of the subject matter of her writing. She also had kin and connections here and in Tyrell County. She recalled how San Francisco society people thought they’d gone absolutely mad for moving to Edenton! But she loved it immediately and fiercely.

Her writing career began in 1929 when she traveled alone to Africa (unheard of for a woman at that time). When she came back, she published White Leopard a work of juvenile fiction about the adventures of a young English official, and Red Jasmine. These weren’t huge commercial successes but launched her into the literary world. She was often asked why she was led to write books, and she reflected that the creative impulse had always been strong within her. She recalled writing plays as a child for fun. A writer friend once told her that her own secret was to go to the country or place she was writing about and lie down in a quiet spot to absorb the spirit of the place and its past, and so it seems Mrs. Fletcher adopted that practice.

When they first came to Edenton, Jack and Inglis Fletcher stayed at Greenfield Plantation with their friends, the Woods. They purchased and restored an old house near Arrowhead Beach called Bandon Plantation. There they hosted balls and parties and entertained famous writers, governors, senators and many friends. Mrs. Fletcher began a book series set in North Carolina (The Carolina Series)—the first novel in that twelve-part series was Raleigh’s Eden, about a NC farmer who fought in the Revolutionary War. Her books were considered to be in the romance genre, but they were well researched and historically accurate. Some were translated into several languages. In fact, they were assigned reading in several North Carolina universities in the 1950s. The library of East Carolina University houses her papers, letters and photographs. As one might expect, her novels reflected the ideas of her time on race and class.

Mrs. Fletcher was an advocate for education and literacy, inspired book clubs and other writers in Edenton and elsewhere. She was well-respected, almost sanctified, in town and quite the “fashionista” of her day, known for her love of hats. She led a full life, having a hand in many community efforts, including the Iredell House, The Lost Colony outdoor drama, and the restoration of Tryon Palace. The Pilgrimage (tour of historic homes) was begun in 1949 at her suggestion and continues today.

Sadly, Bandon Plantation burned in 1963. Mrs. Fletcher was at home with her grandson at the time but escaped the fire. Neighbors gathered to try to rescue some of the beautiful furnishings and antiques. She continued to write until incapacitated by several strokes. Her remarkable story teaches us about the value of embracing life wherever you find yourself and serving the community. We may not all be famous or glamorous, but each of us has something to contribute.

As she once famously wrote:

We are truly a part of the past. Each generation
has something of itself to give us. We are as much a
part of the past as we are of the future. Living is a
continuous story, for no one stands alone.
(Pay, Pack and Follow, 26)

All of Mrs. Fletcher’s works are remembered, cherished and coveted by book collectors. They are not simply nostalgic musings but tell the stories of determination and hard work and fought-for freedoms that built this country. I highly recommend her memoir mentioned above for your reading list. It’s filled with amusing stories of her childhood and entertaining anecdotes about Edenton and North Carolina. You’ll come away knowing how a life well lived is one that gives relentlessly to the place we belong.