Crown and Sceptre
A West Country Story
By George Manville Fenn
Illustrations by J Nash
Published by Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London.
Crown and Sceptre, a West Country Story, by George Manville Fenn.
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I groaned a bit when I saw that this story was about the Civil War in
England, in the mid-seventeenth century. But I soon realised that it
was a very good story, told in the tension-laden Fenn style.
We start off in the Devon coombes (valleys near the sea) with two
families that are close friends. The Markhams live at The Hall, while
the Forresters live at The Manor. There are two teenage boys: Scarlett
Markham and Fred Forrester. The boys come upon secret passages and
secret chambers in the Hall, and also some other long-forgotten shafts
and wells leading to the outside.
Then came the Civil War, in which the Roundheads fought for a country
subservient to Parliament, while the Cavaliers fought for the King.
The Markhams and their household became Cavaliers, while the Forresters
were Roundheads. Thus the two families became, at least in theory,
deadly enemies. Needless to say, it didn't always work out exactly like
that, and the boys at least, now young officers, and the family
retainers, sometimes helped one another in ways the fathers would not
approve of.
The manor is burnt down, and Sir Godfrey Markham very seriously wounded.
It is only by Scarlett's knowledge of the secret passages that he is
saved. We will not spoil the rest of the story for you by telling you
the rest of it, but we assure you that it very well written, and did not
at all merit my initial groans. Another very good read, or listen.
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