My upcoming book A Bachelor’s Pledge is a work of fiction but there are many elements of the story that actually occurred. I try to fit them in seamlessly, so that it is not too much like a history lesson for the reader.

It is late 1810, and my hero, Phil Cullen, is instructed by the War Office to make all haste to Falmouth. They want him there quickly but even so, ‘he’d known the War Office wasn’t expecting him emulate Lieutenant Lapenotiere’s journey in reverse — two hundred and seventy-one miles in under thirty-eight hours; that would be too much!’

That brief extract refers to the famous dash from Falmouth by Lieutenant John Lapenotiere to bring the news of the victory at Trafalgar and Nelson’s death to the Admiralty in London on the morning of 6th November 1805. An astonishing feat.

Another not so happy reference concerns a packet-ship being held in quarantine in Falmouth harbour. Phil is chatting to his informant and learns that the Princess Augusta, a packet come from the Windward Islands has yellow fever on board. ‘Captain, surgeon, and more ’n ten seamen already dead.’

The Princess Augusta was a real ship and did indeed have a terrible time with yellow fever, losing many of her crew, but this incident actually took place a year previous to the events in my story.
A newspaper of the time reports for 18th September 1809: ‘On Tuesday, the Princess Augusta packet, arrived from the Windward Islands, having lost her Capt, St Aubyn, Mr Melhuish mate, and ten seamen with the yellow fever. Her whole crew consisted of but 32 men and boys. This we believe, is a greater proportion of deaths than any packets crew have experienced from this dreadful disease.’

And there is a person who makes an appearance in my story who really did exist, Governor Melvill, an inspiring individual who was the commander of Pendennis Castle.

I have him taking my characters, Phil and Sophia on an escorted trip round the castle. His real life adventures in India are far more hair-raising. I wrote about him here, and his memoirs are available online. He did so much for the poor and the sick in Falmouth that I could not leave him out.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into my forthcoming book.

If you’re interested, you can discover more at the following:

The Falmouth Packets, by Tony Pawlin, 2003, Truran
News of Nelson John Lapenotiere’s Race from Trafalgar to London, by Derek Allen & Peter Hore, 2005, SEFF édition
Memoirs of the Late Philip Melvill, Esq. Lieut. Gov. Of Pendennis Castle, Cornwall, London, 1812
The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieutenant Governor of Pendennis Castle, by E. J. Joubert de la Ferté, 1920
The Melvill Family and India, by David Williams, 2014 ( https://cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.ucl.ac.uk/dist/1/251/files/2014/05/Melvill-case-study-PDF-Final-19.08.14.pdf)