Chapter I
Date: 29 November, 1642
Location: Oxford
Killigrew of Gleys, a Puritan and Parliamentarian, dies in July 1642, leaving the estate to his son, Sir Deakin Killigrew of Morlaix in Brittany. Charles I, the Prince of Wales, Princes Rupert and Maurice and a company of lords and gentlemen are returning to Oxford from Reading, following the Royalist rebuff outside of London. Hannibal Tingcomb, steward of Gleys, travels to Oxford to arrange for the assassinations of Sir Deakin Killigrew, his son Anthony and his daughter Delia. Anthony Killigrew has been losing money to Luke Settle, a captain in the Royalist forces, and his associates, in an upper room of the Crown tavern. Hannibal Tingcomb meets Luke Settle, alias Lucius Higgs, by the bowling green of the tavern to arrange for the assassination of the Killigrew family so as to preserve the Puritan and Parliamentary nature of Gleys. They are overheard by Jack Marvel of Cumberland, a student at Oxford University and a Royalist.
Chapter II
Date: 30 November, 1642, am
Location: Oxford
Jack Marvel befriends Anthony Killigrew. Killigrew, who is serving Lord Bernard Stewart in His Majesty's troop of guards, is given a letter from the King for Sir Ralph Hopton, the commander of the King's western forces, ordering him to march eastwards and unite with the forces of Prince Maurice on Somerset. Jack Marvel warns Anthony Killigrew of the plot to murder him. Killigrew is determined to win back his losses of the previous evening before departing with the letter and Marvel promises to support him at the Crown.
Chapter III
Date: 30 November, 1642, approx. 7 pm
Location: The Crown, Oxford
Anthony Killigrew is killed by Luke Settle but passes the King's letter to Jack Marvel. Marvel escapes from the Crown to the house of Timothy Carter, a kinsman and lawyer, where he meets Prince Rupert and Maurice. At 10 pm. the Princes effect Marvel's exit from Oxford via the South Gate. His aim is to carry the letter to Hopton in Bodmin. Captain Luke Settle leaves Oxford for an outpost at Abingdon with the aim of intercepting Sir Deakin and Delia Killigrew at the 'Three Cups' inn beyond Hungerford.
Chapter IV
Date: 1 December, 1642
Location: Wantage Road to Hungerford
Leaving Oxford's South Gate at 10.30 pm, Marvel fails to locate the Swindon – Bath road west of Besselsleigh, and travels south to Wantage, arriving at daybreak. He lodges at the 'Boot' inn, waking at 3 pm. In the evening he saves the life of Peter the Jackman, a pick-pocket. He sleeps at the 'Boot'. Date: 2 December Location: The Boot to the the Horn at Hungerford Marvel leaves the Boot at noon. He meets Peter the Jackman. They are passed by the Killigrew coach. Jack Marvel and Peter the Jackman lodge at the Horn where their fellow guests are the Killigrews. Date: 3 December Location: The Horn in Hungerford to Savernake forest Jack Marvel wakes in the Horn to discover that Peter the Jackman has stolen his valuables. 10 am Jack Marvel leaves the Horn. He goes south of the Bath road so as to avoid the Parliamentary patrols in the Marlborough area. 5 pm Jack Marvel is held up by Luke Settle, who has deserted the Royalist cause but has not yet joined the Parliamentarians. Marvels escapes with 'Molly', the horse Settle stole from Anthony Killigrew.
Chapter V
Date: 3 December, 1642 (evening)
Location: The Three Cups inn, Savernake
Jack Marvel arrives at the Three Cups in Savernake pine forest whose landlord is 'Black Dick', an associate of Luke Settle. The Assassination of the Killigrews is being planned. Upstairs Marvel meets Sir Deakin and Delia Killigrew, and Jacques their guard.
Chapter VI
Date: 3 December (night) to 4 December (early morning)
Location: The Three Cups inn, Savernake forest
The Killigrews are attacked by Settle. Jacques is killed. Sir Deakin escapes mortally wounded and is accompanied by Delia and Jack Marvel. Sir Deakin expires in the wood while Marvel is away exploring.
Chapter VII
Date: 4 December (night & early morning & late evening)
Location: Savernake forest
Marvel's exploration: discovers Settle and associates in wood-cutter's hut; returns to find Sir Deakin dead; returns with food from hut. Settle deserts hut as Royalist cavalry pass by on their way to Marlborough. Marvel and Delia occupy the hut. Marvel lies 4 nights and 4 days with a fever. Date: 8 December The fever passes. Date: 9 December Marvel now fully recovered informs Delia of Anthony's murder. Date: 9 to 10 December (night) Sleeps in hut.
Chapter VIII
Date: 10 December, 1642
Location: Valley of the River Kennet
Jack Marvel and Delia Killigrew leave the hut and descend to the Kennet, but have to travel south of Marlborough owing to the battle. They sleep in the woods to the sound of fighting.
Date: 11 December Beyond Marlborough they turn north-west across the Kennet into the area of retreating Parliamentarians. In the late evening they are taken prisoner. They are brought before Captain Stubbs and the King's letter is discovered. The night is spent by Marvel and Killigrew amongst Puritan soldiers.
Date: 12 December At 6 am they march for Chippenham.
Date: 13 December They march from Chippenham to Bristol, arriving at 5 pm. In Bristol Castle they are brought before Col. Essex and an individual who is possibly Nathaniel Fiennes.
Chapter IX
Date: 13 January, 1643
Location: Bristol Castle
Delia Killigrew has been placed with Mistress Finch in St. Thomas Street, Redcliff. The jailer's daughter brings a secret letter from Delia to Marvel, informing him of her address and the preparations for his hanging on the following morning. A file is enclosed. At approx. 5 pm Marvel exits from the window of his cell and arrives in the room where the Earl of Stamford is discussing the military situation with Col. Essex: The Earl of Stamford, with 15,000 men at Taunton, is hoping to obtain 1,000 men from the garrison of the castle. He intends to advance to Bodmin, where he believes Hopton and Mohun to be in dispute, with Ruthen advancing from Plymouth, so catching the Royalists in a pincer movement. Essex is reluctant as he fears the growing influence of Nat. Fiennes and the sectaries. The King's letter is shown to Stamford, but is subsequently repossessed by Marvel, who escapes from the castle, rescues Delia and arrives at the harbour sometime after 9 pm.
Chapter X
Date: 13 January (night)
Location: The Godsend
At approx. 10 pm Jack Marvel and Delia Killigrew board the Godsend, captained by Royalist Billy Pottery, in Bristol harbour. Date: 14 January Jack Marvel declares his love for Delia Killigrew. 5 am The Godsend leaves Bristol for Plymouth and Brittany. Duration of the journey: 'four days'.
Date: 17 January Marvel and Killigrew are put ashore in Bude Bay on the 'fourth afternoon'. They journey all night, presumably along the B3254, arriving at Launceston about sunrise, but skirting along a side-road to bring them out at a tavern on the Launceston – Bodmin road.
Date: 18 January Location: The Launceston – Bodmin road. The tavern is occupied by a Parliamentary outpost under Captain Luke Settle. Delia is taken prisoner but Marvel escapes along the road seriously wounded.
Chapter XI
Date: 18 January, 1643
Location: Bodmin Moor
Marvel is pursued along the Launceston – Bodmin road by the Parliamentarians until he reaches Temple, where he is taken into the kitchen of Temple Tor Farm by Joan of the Tor.
Chapter XII
Date: 18 January, 1643
Location: Temple Tor on Bodmin Moor
At approx. 2pm: Jack Marvel faints in Joan's kitchen. Joan of the Tor carries Jack Marvel to the safety of the 'Jew's kitchen'. As Joan leads Molly away the Parliamentarians arrive. They search the farm for three hours and then leave to unite with Ruthen's forces at Braddock, travelling down to Warleggan valley at about 5 pm Jack Marvel is returned to the farmhouse kitchen where Joan's father lies drunk. He regains consciousness four hours after sundown, approx. 9 pm. He wants to carry the King's letter, along with news of Stamford's arrival at Launceston and Ruthen's advance, to Hopton at Bodmin. He is informed of the transfer of Hopton's forces from Bodmin to Boconnoc. At approx. 10 pm Joan leaves Temple for Boconnoc, a journey by horse of about one hour, leaving Marvel delirious.
Date: 19 January
Location: Temple Tor Farm
Jack Marvel rises at 12 noon and goes to the door. Eventually he hears the sound of battle from the south. In mid-afternoon defeated Parliamentarians stream across Redhill Down and Cardinham Moor, passing to the east of the farm and retreating along the Launceston road. One trooper tries to shoot Marvel but is killed by Joan's father. Joan returns at nightfall.
Chapter XIII
Date: 19 January, 1643
Location: Braddock Down
An account of the battle of Braddock Down Date: 20 January Location: Temple Tor Farm The Royalist captains thank Joan for her services. Jack Marvel lies delirious for three weeks.
Date: 29 February Jack Marvel hears of the Truce agreed by the warring parties on the 28 Feb. The Truce ends on 22 April
Date: 13 May Location: Temple Tor Marvel and Joan climb Temple Tor and decide to attend Bodmin Fair. Marvel recognises a man in a coach and is informed by Joan that it is Hannibal Tingcomb, the steward of Gleys.
Chapter XIV
Date: 15 May
Location: Temple and Gleys
Marvel rides sixteen miles due south from Temple to Gleys, a coastal location, passing over the battlefield of Braddock Down. Route: Warleggan valley – Braddock – probably Lanreath – Pencarrow Head (Gleys). A journey of about two hours by horse. Marvel enters Gleys and recognises Hannibal Tingcomb as the figure by the bowling green in Oxford who arranged for the murder of Anthony Killigrew. Tingcomb writes a confession but informs Marvel of the advance of Stamford to Stratton with overwhelming forces.
Chapter XV
Date: 15 May
Location: Temple In the late afternoon
Marvel arrives back at Temple and discovers Joan's love for him. Standing on Temple Tor in the early evening Marvel and Joan see the dragoons of Sir George Chudleigh advancing along the Launceston – Bodmin road. Behind them comes Billy Pottery with news of the Royalists' march from Launceston to Stratton, the Earl of Stamford's army on Stratton Hill and Chudleigh's raid on Bodmin. Marvel and Pottery leave Temple for Launceston.
Chapter XVI
Date: 15 May, 1643
Location: Temple to Launceston
Billy Pottery recounts what happened to him after landing Marvel and Killigrew in Bude Bay on 17 January. Pottery's journey: Bude Bay to Plymouth, where all vessels were being seized by the Parliamentary authorities, and west to Looe, where the cargo of the Godsend was sold. From Looe, on foot, to Liskeard and Launceston, where he hears of Stamford's advance to Stratton and sees Chudleigh's horse, and then after visiting a cousin at Alternun to Temple, to see Marvel.
Date: 16 May (night & early morning)
Location: Launceston to Stratton
Marvel and Pottery travel from Launceston to Stratton, via Marham Church, arriving at about 4 am, to find Royalist troops gathering for battle. They find Sir Ralph Hopton and Lord Mohun at the Tree inn and are assigned to the regiment of Sir Bevil Grenville. 8 am to 4 pm Location: Hill or Stamford Heath etc. The battle opens at about 8 am and ends at about 4 pm in a Royalist victory. The Royalists gather at the top of the hill while the Parliamentarians retreat to the north and east.
Chapter XVII
Date: 16 May, 1643 (4 pm to midnight)
Location: Stamford Heath to a headland on Bude Bay.
Marvel and Pottery take part in the pursuit of the Parliamentarians, travelling north-east until they reach the coast and see the sloop carrying Delia in the bay being signalled to by Luke Settle and his gang. Delia is freed and Settle is taken off by Royalist troops. The reader is informed that Marvel survives the war.
Chapter XVIII
Date: 16 May (midnight) to 17 May (morning).
Location: From Stow or Stowe House in Kilkhampton to Launceston
Delia and Marvel spend the night at Stowe House courtesy of Sir Bevil Grenville and leave with a warrant for the arrest of Hannibal Tingcomb. Marvel, Killigrew and Pottery set out at 11 am along the present B3254 with Delia recounting her experiences of imprisonment. At Launceston Pottery continues south to Looe, promising to have the Godsend under the cliffs of Gleys in 48 hours. Marvel and Killigrew ride west from Launceston to Temple where they encounter the dragoons of Sir George Chudleigh returning from Bodmin. They are saved by Joan who disguises herself as Marvel and gives her life to save theirs.
Chapter XIX
Date: 18 May, 1643
Location: Temple to Gleys
After burying Joan, Marvel and Killigrew travel south to Gleys, which they enter in the late afternoon with theGodsend anchored below the headland. They are informed by a servitor and a groom posing as a minister that Hannibal Tingcomb is dead, with his funeral the following morning. 11 pm: Marvel and Matthew Soames rise and see a hearse, supposedly containing the body of Tingcomb, leaving Gleys. They follow it only to find the coffin empty of the body but filled with silverware. They turn back to see Gleys on fire.
Chapter XX
Date: 19 May, 1643
Location: Gleys
Jack Marvel and Matthew Soames return to find Tingcomb escaping down a ladder in the cliff. Marvel follows, Tingcomb falls to his death and Marvel is carried semi-conscious to the Great Court of Gleys. He lies there delirious until 4 pm but then rises recovered. As the sun is setting, Delia Killigrew boards the Godsend for Brittany and Jack Marvel mounts his horse to return to the regiment of Sir Bevil Grenville. This follows a declaration of undying love.