J. Breckenridge Ellis
J. Breckenridge Ellis (1870–1956) was an American writer known for historical romances. He was born February 11, 1870, near Hannibal, Missouri, and spent most of his life in Clinton County. His father, John W. Ellis, PhD, bought Plattsburg College in 1880, and the family moved to Plattsburg, Missouri, where the elementary school later bore his name.
Ellis wrote 26 books of historical romance and many serialized stories for national magazines. His novel Fran was a best seller and was adapted into the 1919 film The Love Hunger. Several other works were turned into films or stage plays. He served as president of the Missouri Writers' Guild. In the 1900s and 1910s he contributed many serials to the Chicago Ledger, often featuring the detective Keeneyes.
His writing is described as part of the Stanley Weyman school—concise, understated romance that avoided pretentious flourishes. He died April 2, 1956, at his home in New Cordell, Oklahoma, and was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Plattsburg.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:47 (CET).