Cornwall his novels are mainly set in Cornwall. Daphne du Maurier lived at Menabilly near Fowey and many of her novels had Cornish settings, including "Rebecca", "Jamaica Inn", "Frenchman's Creek", "My Cousin Rachel", and "The House on the Strand". She is also noted for writing "Vanishing Cornwall". Cornwall provided the inspiration for "The Birds", one of her terrifying series of short stories, made famous as a film by Alfred Hitchcock. Medieval Cornwall is the setting of the trilogy by Monica Furlong, "Wise Child", "Juniper", and "Colman", as well as part of Charles Kingsley's "Hereward the Wake". Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of
Daphne du Maurier her life in Cornwall, where most of her works are set. As her fame increased, she became more reclusive. Her parents were the actor/manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and stage actress Muriel Beaumont, and her grandfather was the cartoonist and writer George du Maurier. Daphne du Maurier was born in London, the middle of three daughters of prominent actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and actress Muriel Beaumont. Her mother was a maternal niece of journalist, author, and lecturer William Comyns Beaumont. Her grandfather was author and "Punch" cartoonist George du Maurier, who created the character of Svengali in the novel