Characters

Chronology

1798: Born in the Plymouth area

Enters Genevan Foundling Hospital, Plymouth Dock: founder and pastor, Rev Scougall, Scottish Calvinist; matron Miss Amelia Plinlimmon, Welsh; 25 foundlings; charitable and supported by local Calvinists; founded 1780s; porter Mr George, naval pensioner.

1808, July: Harry just ten; climbs spire of Emmanuel's church during marriage of Scougall, who decides a career for Harry as chimney sweep.

September: Interviewed by S. Trapp, chimney sweep and fisherman, Barbican, Plymouth. Joins Trapp after Michaelmas, 29 Sept.

1809, May 1: First meeting of Harry and Amelia Plinlimmon at Tucker's Bun Shop, Bedford Street, Plymouth.

1810, May 1: Second meeting of Harry and Amelia Plinlimmon at Tucker's. Meets Amelia Plinlimmon's nephew Archibald Plinlimmon and Sergeant Letcher (Leicester) of 105^th, the North Wilts Regiment.

1811, May 1: Third meeting of Harry and Amelia Plinlimmon at Tucker's.

June 18:  Rodriguez of Marine Stores requests services of S. Trapp through Harty. 

June 19, 5 am: Harry and Trapp walk to Rodriguez, Southside Street, Plymouth. Sees Letcher outside. Climbs chimney. Sees Archibald Plinlimmon on roof. Sees Rodriguez dead on bedroom floor. Sees Rev Whitmore disappear across landing. Sees Archibald Plinlimmon looking from roof into bedroom.

6 am: Exits onto roof, speaks to Plinlimmon & escapes.

Morning: Taken in funeral cortège with Ben Jope and Rev Whitmore to St Budeaux.

12 noon: Boards Glad Tidings, Capt Onesimus Pengelly of Looe.

Evening: Sails out of Plymouth on Glad Tidings.

10 pm approx: Glad Tidings hailed by excise boat off Cawsand.

11 pm approx: Swims ashore in Cawsand Bay, sees soldiers and climbs cliff.

12 midnight: Sees smugglers surprised by soldiers and meets Jack Rogers.

June 2, 1-2 am: Carried in Jack Rogers' tilbury to house of Lydia Belcher and hides in garden.

2 am  approx: Sees Whitmore and Letcher in garden. 

4 am  approx: Rogers identifies Harry as suspected murderer of Rodriguez.

5 am  approx: Finds refuge in Minden Cottage of I. Brooks.

9 pm  approx: Meeting of Harry, Rogers and Parson Doidge at Whitmore's.

10 pm approx:  Letcher arrives at Whitmore's.

Marriage of Isabel Brooks and Archibald Plinlimmon.

June 21 - July 4: Stays at Minden Cottage.

Joins 52^nd Regiment.

July 28: Flotilla leaves Plymouth for Iberia.

September 3: Disembarks at Figueira, Mondego estuary, Portugal.

December 25: Christmas Day.  Carried with battery of six-pound guns from Figueira to Coimbra, where guns placed in  magazine, and on foot with gunners to Ciudad Rodrigo via Almeida.

1812, January 7: Arrives at Boden and camp with 52^nd Reg. Placed in No 4 Company under Captain Lockhart.

January 8: From Boden, across Agueda river, to a camp near Ciudad Rodrigo.

Harry meets Archibald Plinlimmon .

8 pm: Marched out of camp to hill overlooking Great and Lesser Tesson, by the fort of San Francisco.

January 9: Fort taken by Colborne. Build three counter batteries.

January 10 - 11: In reserve.

January 12: Duty in siege works relieving North Wilts.

Harry meets Letcher/Leicester, news of Whitmore in Ciudad Rodrigo.

January 19: Harry joins assault of Ciudad Rodrigo at 'fausse braye'.

January 20, early morning: Harry sees death of Letcher/Leicester & Whitmore in Ciudad Rodrigo.

Injured, 2 months hospital in Ciudad Rodrigo & Belem.

March-May: Belem to Tagus and boards Cumberland on 2^nd May.

May 29: Arrives Plymouth. 2 months leave. Reunited with Amelia Plinlimmon.

In Harry Revel we learn of Amelia Plinlimmon's descent from Welsh nobility, her matronship of the Geneva Foundling Hospital and her relationship to Archibald Plinlimmon, who married Isabel Brooks and died at Badajoz in 1812.

Just as she secured an apprenticeship for Harry Revel with a chimney sweep in Plymouth, so she arranges for Harry Brooks to have an education – alas at the Copenhagen Academy in Falmouth. Major James Brooks of Minden Cottage has no more interest in Harry Brooks, his only son, than John Rosewarne has of Myra and Clem, his grandchildren, in Shining Ferry, where Aunt Hannah has to step into the breach. It is Amelia Plinlimmon's response to the advert for the Copenhagen Academy in the Falmouth Packet which results in the treasure-seeking adventure on Mortallone – the law of unexpected consequences.

After the opening two chapters of Poison Island she recedes into the background, from where she acts as a sort of Greek chorus through her verses. Yet it is Amelia who effects the decision to enter upon the expedition to Mortalone, at the conclusion of Chapter XX, and who gathers the party together in Chapter XXI.

Amelia Plinlimmon then drops into the background again until she welcomes Beauregard aboard the Espriella when Branscome and Rogers are off exploring the island. She and Lydia Belcher are the ones, when at Beauregard's house, who wish to go off on a treasure hunt, mainly because Branscome can refuse Amelia little. We learn why in the final chapter. Branscome has come under her spell, as Beauregard has come under Lydia's, but with more profitable results, at least romantically. If Beauregard is seeking redemption through love only to be rejected, Branscome is finding acceptance in Amelia. Amelia Plinlimmon is not just a character but a symbol of goodness. It is more than the good heartedness of Goodfellow because she had known disappointment and rejection. It is a goodness triumphing over circumstance. 

Chronology in Harry Revel

177?, May 1: Born. Lives with father. Father dies in debt. Keeps house for Arthur Plinlimmon, brother. Arthur Plinlimmon marries ? Leicester, daughter of  Archibald Leicester, before 1790.

1788-9: Leaves for Genevan Foundling Hospital, Plymouth Dock.

1806, July: Fears French invasion. Harry Revel sleeps in her room. Loves Rev Scougall.

1808, September: Helps arrange apprenticeship for Harry Revel.

1809, April: Writes to Harry Revel.

May 1, Wednesday: First meeting with Harry Revel at Tucker's Bun Shop, Bedford Street, Plymouth.

1810, January: Archibald Plinlimmon transferred to Plymouth.

May 1: Second meeting with Harry Revel at Tucker's. Going grey, probably in her 40s.

Incident with bull.

Archibald forgets her birthday.

1811, May 1: Third meeting with Harry Revel at Tucker's. Archibald steals money from her purse.

1812:  Looks after Major Brooks after death of Isabel Brooks/Plinlimmon at Minden Cottage.

Son of Randall Leicester. Nephew of Sir Charles Leicester and sometime heir to the fortune of Sir Charles.

Chronology 

17??: Joined Navy as George Leicester.

1796: Served under Major-General Ralph Abercromby in the West Indies expedition to counter the revolt in Grenada, St Vincent and St Lucia. Left Portsmouth March 1796. 14,000 lives lost, mainly through sickness.

An affair with a planter's wife.

1798: Probably in Nelson's expedition to Naples, arriving 22 September 1798: Nelson and Lady Hamilton welcomed at court of King Ferdinand. Naples taken by French December 1798. George Leicester lost his uniform through cards and disappeared, possibly deserting to the French. Believed dead by Sir Charles.

????: Returned to Britain as George Letcher and joins the army.

1811: A sergeant in North Wilts Regiment stationed in Plymouth. Lodges Southside St with Archibald Plinlimmon.

May 1: Gored by bull.

Arranges the marriage of Archibald Plinlimmon and Isabel Brooks. Officiating clergyman is (Rev) John Whitmore, a layman posing as a priest.

June 19, 5 am: Goes with Archibald Plinlimmon to rob Isaac Rodriguez, but remains in street. Flees when seen by Harry Revel.

Midnight: With dragoons at smuggling cove on Rame Head. Rides to Lydia Belcher's on smuggler's  pony.

June 20, 2-3 am:  Hides in Belcher's garden and attracts attention of Whitmore who he is blackmailing.

Evening: arrives at Whitmore's lodgings and provides information for Parson Doidge and Jack Rogers.

June 21: North Wilts Regiment travel from Plymouth to Portugal.

Letcher meets Whitmore in Lisbon and blackmails him into the North Wilts.

Travel to Celorico. Whitmore deserts.

North Wilts march to Ciudad Rodrigo.

1812, January 12: Letcher meets Revel outside Ciudad Rodrigo.

January 19-20: Takes part in the assault on Ciudad Rodrigo.

Meets Revel in Ciudad Rodrigo.

Hunts down Whitmore and has him shot.

Letcher stabbed.

Chronology 

1789: Born to Captain Arthur Plinlimmon and ? Leicester.

 Rejected by Sir Charles Leicester, great-uncle.

 Mother dies.

Joins North Wilts Regiment but unable to afford commission.

1808: Nineteen years old.

1809: Quartered in Lancaster and lives with father.

1810, January: Transferred from Lancaster to Plymouth.

Billeted Southside St.

Meets Amelia Plinlimmon.

Introduced to Major and Isabel Brooks of Minden Cottage as the Major served with Captain Arthur Plinlimmon in King's Own.

Falls in love with Isabel Brooks.

May 1: Meets Amelia Plinlimmon and Harry Revel on Plymouth Hoe. Incident of Bull and Sergeant Letcher.

1811, May 1: Steals from purse of Amelia Plinlimmon.

June 19: Attempts to break into residence of Isaac Rodriguez and threatens Harry Revel as they escape across the roof.

Is secretly married to Isabel Brooks by (Rev) John Whitmore.

June 20: Properly married by Parson Doidge.

June 21: Leaves with North Wilts for Portugal.

1812, January 22: Meets Harry Revel outside of Ciudad Rodrigo.

News of death of wife and child.

Factual Basis of Character

(Rev) John Whitmore is based on the (Rev) Mr Whitmore, an imposter, who was supposedly in holy orders in Ireland before coming to Talland as curate to Parson Kendall. He officiated at a number of weddings before decamping in 1812. He was hanged in Gloucester in 1814.

Couch, J. History of Polperro, 1871. (See pp. 74,75)

Chronology

1770-75: Born (p 76).

Educated Trinity College, Dublin.

1810, February: Becomes curate of ? Parish, under Parson Doidge.

Not in holy orders.

June 1: Hears from Jack Rogers that Isaac Rodriguez is purchasing guineas.

Marries Isabel Brooks and Archibald Plinlimmon secretly at the instigation of Leicester/Letcher.

June 10: Books into Royal Hotel, Plymouth, and visits Parson Doidge.

June 19, 4 am: Walks from Royal Hotel to Southside Street, effects entry through front door and murders Rodriguez for guineas.

5.15 am: Leaves by landing door but hand and ring seen by Revel.  

6 am: Returns to Royal Hotel. Pays bill in guineas taken from Rodriguez.

Makes for Plymouth Dock and Torpoint ferry. Is given a lift by Ben Jope (with Revel).

Evening: Arrives at house of Lydia Belcher.

June 20, 2 am: In Belcher's garden, Letcher demands money. Is paid in guineas.

9 pm: Jack Rogers & Parson Doidge call at Whitmore's residence as he is preparing to elope with Lydia Belcher. Accused of impersonating a clergyman and murder. Lydia Belcher effects escape.

1811: Seen by Letcher in Lisbon & forced to join North Wilts Reg.

Deserts at Celorico and hides in Ciudad Rodrigo.

1812, January 19, night: Letcher has him shot in Ciudad Rodrigo.

Lydia's grandparents were tenants of a local Earl. Their attractive daughter married, through choice or inducement, Sam Belcher, the Earl's gamekeeper. At the Earl's death Lydia was left £1,000, leading to speculation that the Earl was her actual father. With this she acquired a small estate from where she lives in a state of equality with the local gentry. These include Jack Rogers of Brynn, Justice of the Peace , and Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall.

Lydia runs a smuggling syndicate from her house, with sufficient indifference to the law to tie her roses with French rope. Because of her wealth she draws the attraction of Whitmore, who aims to elope with her so as to obtain it. Lydia Belcher is intelligent, educated and sophisticated, but in certain respects naïve. Major Brooks is the only one able to see through Whitmore. Her age is given as over forty.