YOU may well have heard of popular TV shows Sharpe and the Last Kingdom, but did you know the man behind them is an “Essex boy through and through”.

International best-selling author Bernard Cornwell grew up in Thundersley. He was born in London in 1944, before being adopted by an Essex family.

They belonged to a strict religious sect called the Peculiar People - which flourished in Essex for more than 100 years.

Mr Cornwell has often spoken out about his experiences in the sect, revealing that the list of prohibitions was endless - including alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics, TV and cinema.

His father, Joe, was said to always be harsh. Described as “a man drunk on God”, he regularly beat him with a 4ft cane.

While he doesn’t look back at his father in disgust - he had previously admitted his upbringing was ghastly.

Reminiscing about his roots, he said: “There are lots of nice things I like about Essex. I have very fond memories of sailing on the Rivers Crouch and Blackwater.”

Mr Cornwell left his Essex home to study theology at London University, which is where he separated from the religious sect. He became a teacher before joining the BBC, where he worked for 10 years.

While working in Belfast, Mr Cornwell met future wife Judy. The couple tried to move to the States, but he was refused a Green Card. It was then he decided to earn a living by writing – something which he didn’t need a permit from the Government for.

He said: “It’s certainly better than working for a living. I love the fact I get paid for doing something I enjoy doing, so I cannot imagine I will be giving it up any time soon.”

It is that decision which led to the Sharpe series hitting our TV screens.

Richard Sharpe, a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars, is undoubtedly his most famous creation. Novels which Mr Cornwell first penned in 1980 were turned into a TV series in the Nineties featuring Sean Bean.

Now hugely successful, Mr Cornwell has written over 50 novels and sold more than 20 million books worldwide.

More recently, his Saxon Stories novels have been turned into a popular BBC series – The Last Kingdom.

The historical drama is set in Anglo-Saxon England and follows Uhtred, a warrior who was raised by Viking Danes after being exiled following the death of his Saxon father.

The first series won impressive reviews, being dubbed “the real-life Game of Thrones”. The books often draw on Mr Cornwell’s Essex roots, with much of the action taking place around the Thames Estuary, especially Benfleet (Beomfleot), which is the home of a Viking stronghold.

The second series is due to start on BBC2 at 9pm tomorrow, with the cast including Alexander Dreymon and David Dawson, who was previously in Luther and Ripper Street.