What's Inside
Hugh Peters, the regicide, starts this assembly of seventy-six accounts that map the stubborn, eccentric, and often violent edges of the English west. The volume gathers local scientists, actors, and outlaws, shifting from the botanical meticulousness of John Ralfs to the chaotic property disputes of the Rogers family at Skewis. Rather than a singular history, it operates as a gallery of regional outliers: inventors like Henry Trengrouse share space with giants like Anthony Payne and the sharp-tongued actress Mary Ann Davenport. The writing focuses on the friction between these specific Cornish lives and the national events — wars, scientific leaps, and religious shifts — that they occasionally disrupted.
Works & figures
- John Pollard
Midshipman on the Victory who suggested changing 'confides' to 'expects' at Trafalgar. (in “COMMANDER JOHN POLLARD”)
- Henry Rogers
Pewterer who barricaded his family home against the law after a disinheritance. (in “THE SIEGE OF SKEWIS”)
- John Ralfs
Botanist who turned to science after his health and marriage failed. (in “TWO NATURALISTS IN CORNWALL”)
- Mary Ann Harvey
Lively and satirical actress known for her exuberant spirits and pointed voice. (in “MARY ANN DAVENPORT, ACTRESS”)
- Hugh Peters
Regicide and preacher of debated character born to a Fowey merchant. (in “HUGH PETERS, THE REGICIDE”)
- Dr. Daniel Lombard
Huguenot pastor's son who became the chaplain to the Princess of Wales. (in “DR. DANIEL LOMBARD”)
What it's really about
- Regional Isolation
- Lives shaped by the bleak, treeless, and wind-swept Cornish landscape.
- Contested Legacy
- Frequent disputes over family names, wills, and historical reputations.
Why it's memorable
- A young midshipman correcting Admiral Nelson's signal code just before the battle begins.
- The desolate moorlands of Week S. Mary serving as the wealth-generating sheep pastures of history.
Where to start
Start with COMMANDER JOHN POLLARD to see how a teenager from Kingsand accidentally improved the most famous sentence in British naval history.
For your book club
- How does the Cornish landscape dictate the professional successes of its residents?
- Why does the author prioritize local eccentricities over standard national historical narratives?