📖 About This Book · Starvecrow Farm · by Stanley J. Weyman
First published in 1905 by LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. NEW YORK LONDON AND BOMBAY
Setting: Lake District, November 1819 – a period of post-war economic depression, political unrest, and radical agitation.
Key Themes: elopement and romantic idealism · class conflict · political radicalism · surveillance and authority · women's independence.
Major Characters: Henrietta (young heroine) · Captain Anthony Clyne (naval officer, conservative, Henrietta's former suitor).
Plot Arc: The novel follows the elopement of Henrietta and Alan Stewart, their flight through the Lake District, and the shadow of pursuit and political conspiracy that hangs over their romance.
Chapter XVIII · Mr. Joseph Nadin
Summary
- Mrs. Gilson insists on remaining in the room during the interrogation of Henrietta.
- The stranger is identified as Mr. Joseph Nadin, the deputy-constable of Manchester, a well-known police officer.
- Mr. Sutton is forced to testify. He admits that he followed Henrietta but confirms that she met no one at the meeting place.
- Nadin threatens Henrietta with Appleby jail if she does not reveal Stewart's hiding place. Henrietta refuses to speak.
- Mrs. Gilson reveals that Captain Clyne's son, a lame boy, has been kidnapped. The child was taken by two men near Newby Bridge and transported by boat to Troutbeck Lane.
- Henrietta is horrified by the news. She weeps at the thought of the child's suffering and the father's grief.
- Nadin and Bishop pressure Henrietta to reveal Stewart's location, believing he is connected to the kidnapping.
- Mr. Hornyold, the justice, arrives and offers to help interrogate Henrietta. He boasts of gathering a mounted search party.
- Henrietta demands proof that Stewart was involved in the kidnapping before she will speak. Nadin cannot provide it.
- Nadin threatens to send Henrietta to prison. She accepts this rather than betray Stewart without evidence.
- Mrs. Gilson criticises Nadin's methods and suggests that Captain Clyne would have been more effective in questioning Henrietta.
📖 Glossary of Period Terms
- Lameter
- A person who is lame or walks with a limp; a cripple.
- Solomon
- A wise person, from the biblical King Solomon, known for his wisdom and judgment.
- Stone Jug
- Slang for a prison or gaol, especially a local lock-up or holding cell.
Analysis
- The Kidnapping as a Turning Point: The abduction of Captain Clyne's son raises the stakes dramatically. The novel shifts from a personal drama of elopement and disgrace to a crime story with a child victim. Henrietta's reaction shows her fundamental decency and compassion.
- Joseph Nadin as a Figure of Authority: Nadin is a historical figure, a real deputy-constable of Manchester known for his harsh methods. His character represents the repressive power of the state in the post-Peterloo period. He is portrayed as brutal, impatient, and lacking in subtlety.
- Henrietta's Moral Stand: Henrietta's refusal to betray Stewart without proof is a significant moment. She is not protecting him out of love but out of a principle against informing. Her demand for evidence shows that she is not naive; she understands the stakes and refuses to be manipulated.
- The Conflict of Duties: Henrietta is torn between her duty to the child (and her sympathy for Captain Clyne) and her refusal to be an informer. The novel presents this as a genuine moral dilemma, not a simple choice between right and wrong.
- Mrs. Gilson's Wisdom: The landlady emerges as a voice of practical wisdom. She criticises Nadin's blundering approach and suggests that a gentler hand might have succeeded.
- Class and Authority: The chapter continues to explore the tension between class and authority. Nadin, a man of humble origins, has power over Henrietta, a woman of higher social standing. His rudeness and threats reflect the changing power dynamics of the period.
Joseph Nadin (c. 1765–1848) was a real historical figure, the deputy-constable of Manchester from 1804 to 1836. He was a controversial figure, praised by the authorities for his effectiveness in suppressing radical movements and hated by reformers for his harsh methods. He was involved in the arrest of many radical leaders, including the participants in the Peterloo Massacre.
The Peterloo Massacre occurred on 16 August 1819, when cavalry charged a peaceful reform meeting in Manchester, killing 18 people and injuring hundreds. In the aftermath, the government passed the Six Acts, which restricted freedom of the press and assembly and increased the powers of magistrates. The period was one of intense political repression, with radicals being arrested and tried for sedition. The novel's setting in November 1819 places it in the immediate aftermath of these events.
Child abduction was a serious crime in the 19th century, often carrying the death penalty. The kidnapping of a child could be motivated by revenge, ransom, or political reasons. In the context of the novel, the abduction of Captain Clyne's son may be an act of political reprisal against a man who has been active in suppressing radical movements.
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