The Cornish Rebel<\/h1>\nCornwall, 1801.<\/h3>\n
In the wake of her mother’s death, Pandora Woodville has finally escaped her domineering father and returned to Falmouth. Bright with the dream of working at her Aunt Harriet’s school for young women, Pandora is shocked to learn the school is facing imminent closure after a series of sinister events has threatened its reputation.<\/p>\n
Acclaimed chemist Benedict Aubyn has also recently returned to Cornwall, to take up a new role as Turnpike Trust Surveyor. Pandora’s arrival has been a strange one, so she is grateful when he shows her kindness. As news of the school’s ruin spreads around town, everyone seems to be after her aunt’s estate. Now, Pandora and Aunt Harriet must do everything in their power to save the school, or risk losing everything.<\/p>\n
However, Pandora has another problem. She’s falling for Benedict. But can she trust him, or is he simply looking after his own interests?<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>In 1801, the old turnpike road from Truro to Falmouth was getting increasing overcrowded, especially in Carnon Hill where it was very steep. The old pack horse bridge, Carnon Bridge, was frequently congested with long queues stretching in both directions. Built in 1754 it was the first and largest turnpike road in Cornwall, used extensively by the Falmouth Packet Company as part of the \u2018packet\u2019 route taking post from London to the British Empire, but by 1801 the stretch of road through Perranarworthal was proving unfit for purpose. Britain was at war, Falmouth a busy naval port, and commerce in the area was booming. Tin and copper needed to be exported by sea and the naval ships needed provisions.<\/p>\n
I came across the old map, entitled Plan of the Present and Proposed Roads from Truro to Falmouth<\/em> in Kresen Kernow in Redruth which showed the proposed new Turnpike route and my story started to take shape. Whose land was it going to cut across? Would they welcome it?<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/nicolapryce.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/map.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Painted by Sally Atkins \u00a0\u00a0www.thesunnycupboard.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201c<\/strong> Crossing the room Benedict Aubyn picked up his bag and drew out Aunt Hetty\u2019s chair. Doing the same for me, he finally seated Grace and sat between us. The brass clasps snapped open and Aunt Hetty drew a deep breath. \u2018A map, Mr Aubyn? That can only mean you\u2019re planning a new road.\u2019<\/p>\n
He looked slightly shaken and I tried to hide my smile. \u2018If I may just show you?\u2019 It was not the voice he had used to negotiate his ten per cent commission, more the voice of a pupil who feared he had got his Latin wrong. Unrolling the map, he glanced at Grace. Smiling, she leaned towards him and offered to hold down the edges. Aunt Hetty remained impassive, though I sensed her breathing quicken. \u2018I\u2019d like \u2026 that is\u2026 I\u2019ve come to ask if I may survey your land?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Do you need my permission, Mr Aubyn?\u2019 Not quite the sharp rebuke I knew to my cost, but certainly a tone he could not fail to understand.<\/p>\n
He swallowed, reaching for a printed page and held it to the candlelight. \u2018Legally<\/em>, the Turnpike Act governing the Truro to Falmouth Turnpike Trust grants the Trust power to access any land for the purpose of widening the road \u2026 and for obtaining stone or gravel to maintain the road. And for the purchase of land. That is \u2026 to buy land to widen an existing road \u2026 and \u2026 or \u2026 for the express purpose of building a new road.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018So the answer is, no, you don\u2019t.\u2019<\/p>\n
He swallowed again, a slight heightening of his colour. \u2018Not as such<\/em>, but I\u2019d prefer it if you gave me your permission.\u2019<\/p>\n
I held my breath. \u2018Then you have it, Mr Aubyn. I appreciate your candour.\u2019<\/p>\n
He looked almost believable, not a wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing at all. His clever use of solemnity was a winning ploy, his quiet praise of the portraits and minerals highly effective. Neither overly friendly, nor condescending, he hardly sounded enthusiastic. Cleverer still, he had not tried to charm or cajole her but had appeared to want to please her. A polished performance, considering how much money was at stake.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n
Page 65.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201c<\/strong>The chanting quietened to a murmur and the magistrate on the platform tried again, this time with a megaphone. Holding up a piece of paper, his voice was educated, refined, edged with fear. \u2018I\u2019ve received your complaints. I have names \u2026 and the incidences of forestalling you claim to have occurred.\u2019<\/p>\n
A voice rang across the crowd. \u2018Selling corn before it reaches the market is against the law<\/em>. Storing corn to profit at a later date is against the law<\/em>. We don\u2019t claim<\/em> anything, sir. We\u2019re telling <\/em>you the facts. Money\u2019s being made \u2026 people profiting while our children gather nettles an\u2019 fight dogs for potato peelings. Loaves at one shilling and tuppence \u2013 who can pay that? We\u2019re starving while the famers prosper.\u2019<\/p>\n
Crushed on both sides, I tried to push my way through the shouts. A man\u2019s elbow caught my cheek and I winced in pain. A sudden surge forced me forward and a woman grabbed my arm. \u2018Take care, my love. Keep on yer feet. Stand steady, ye looked washout out.\u2019<\/p>\n
Once again, the voice boomed through the megaphone. \u2018Shortages are to blame. I don\u2019t need to tell you that. No corn is being stored. There\u2019s just no corn<\/em>. I can find no adulteration of the flour. No chalk or grit\u2019s been added. The bakers aren\u2019t poisoning you. They\u2019re honest men with livings to make.\u2019 The rumble was growing again, the murmurs getting louder and a note of steel entered his voice. \u2018Go home. Go home.<\/em> I have your list of grievances. I will<\/em> see to it. I will<\/em> investigate your claims. I will \u2013\u2019<\/p>\n
The sound of crashing glass stopped him. To my right, a deafening shout. The crowd surged forward, and I felt myself almost lifted from my feet. A loud whistle, shouts, a woman was screaming. Red uniforms were forcing their way towards us. \u2018There \u2026 that one. Those over there. That woman with the placard. Get that man \u2026 that one. Round them up.\u2019<\/p>\n
Like a wave, the crowd swept forward. I could hear punching, scuffling, angry grunts; a fight broke out, a man with blood dripping from his nose. I tried to break free but a woman beside me gripped my arm. \u2018Stay upright, my love. Don\u2019t stumble or ye\u2019ll be trampled.\u2019 In her other hand she raised her banner, waving it defiantly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>Page 156.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201c<\/strong> The clouds had lessened, a brightness to the sky. Ships were sailing up the river, the outline of Pendennis Castle just visible. \u2018Did you come to watch the birds? Tallacks Creek is particularly peaceful, don\u2019t you think?\u2019<\/p>\n
We stood staring across the silent water. \u2018Benedict \u2013 I\u2019m glad we have this chance to talk. Only, yesterday, I told you things I should never have told you. Not to stranger \u2026 not to anyone.\u2019<\/p>\n
The warmth in his eyes was disconcerting. \u2018You were very shocked. What you had just learnt was very distressing. It\u2019s natural you needed to speak of it. I only hope I was able to help.\u2019<\/p>\n
A blush made my eyes water. \u2018What I said was very intimate<\/em>. I\u2019d like you never to speak of it to anyone.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018You\u2019ve no reason to ask that. You already have my word.\u2019 His words were sharp, accompanied by a frown.<\/p>\n
\u2018Thank you. And I must thank you for your advice. You were right. My aunt needed to know. So much better to tell the truth.\u2019 My throat felt tight, I was in grave danger of crying. The horrific dolls had kept me awake, the thought of such evil sending shivers down my back.<\/p>\n
He pointed across the water. \u2018Look, an egret \u2026 and a heron. That\u2019s a curlew.\u2019<\/p>\n
Biting my lip, I stared across to Falmouth. A fisherman was throwing out his net, the surface rippling, gulls dipping and disappearing beneath the water. The air smelled of distant woodsmoke and I fought my growing emptiness. If I knew anything, it was to keep men at arm\u2019s length. \u2018Is that yawl dredging for oysters?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Yes, it is. Pandora, you\u2019ve made your dress very dirty on my account \u2013 your boots are caked in mud. May I help you clean them?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018No, I was muddy before. This is my old gown and my working boots. I was gardening when I decided to go for a walk.\u2019<\/p>\n
He looked away. \u2018You\u2019re a keen gardener?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018I know nothing about gardens but I\u2019m going to restore Grandfather\u2019s garden. Apparently he kept saying, But we must cultivate our garden;<\/em> and so I will \u2013 for him. I remember him wearing a leather apron and digging the beds.\u2019 I was talking too fast, gabbling my words. Trying to sound buoyant.<\/p>\n
He turned and I avoided his eyes. \u2018That\u2019s from Candide \u2013 <\/em>it\u2019s how the book ends. Have you read Voltaire\u2019s Candide<\/em>?\u2019 I shook my head. \u2018You might enjoy it. It\u2019s a satire. A group of characters set off to find Eldorado because they hear the streets are lined with gold. They pit their wits against every extreme and in the end decide all the riches they could possibly want can be found in a garden. No one needs to circumnavigate the world to find riches. They just need to cultivate a garden.\u2019 He coughed. \u2018I\u2019m sorry. That was very insensitive of me.\u2019 \u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n
Page 189.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who is Aunt Hetty based on?<\/strong><\/p>\n
I came across Miss Mitchell, the headmistress of a girls\u2019 school in Truro, in Viv Acton\u2019s comprehensive book A History of Truro<\/em>, Volume 1, <\/em>and incorporated her into my novel The Cornish Lady <\/em>little knowing that three novels later she would become one of my favourite characters. <\/em>In retrospect, perhaps I should have changed her name as my portrayal of her is entirely fictional. In her book, Viv Acton tells us that Miss Mitchell was a \u2018sensible and well-informed lady.<\/em>\u2019 The daughter of the Vicar of Veryan, Miss Mitchell started her boarding school for girls in the middle of the eighteenth century in the Great House, moved it to the large red brick house, which is now City Hall, and then to Tregolls on the outskirts of Truro. It appears, however, that her school was not hugely successful. According to the Cornish clergyman, poet, and historian, Richard Polwhele, she \u2018aimed too high for the country\u2019<\/em> as most people expected very little of ladies of high society \u2013 simply to be gracious hostesses with few intellectual accomplishments. An oft quoted lament.<\/p>\n
St Feoca School for Young Ladies is imagined, but after I had written the description I came across a photograph of a school called Polwhele House which is almost exactly how I describe St Feoca. It was one of those spine tingling moments which often happen during research. Polwhele House has the same history and the same tower but it is nearer Truro. This photo is taken from the school\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Who is Benedict Aubyn based on?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Tin and copper mining naturally sparked an interest in minerals and mineral collecting. Many new minerals were discovered in Cornwall including manachante, sometimes called menaccanite. In 1790\u00a0William Gregor<\/a>\u00a0discovered\u00a0ilmenite<\/a>, an iron titanium oxide, in Gillan Creek and went on to find a new element,\u00a0titanium<\/a>, which he called menachine. One well known collector was Philip Rashleigh whose mineral collection is housed in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro.<\/p>\n
Alongside collecting minerals came a burgeoning interest in the new science of chemistry. Men of science began analysing and investigating the properties of each new mineral and Dr Richard Edwards AB Oxon(1801) AM(1801) MB(1802) MD(1802) FRCP(1803), was one of these new scientists. An accomplished chemist and lecturer in science at St. Bartholomew\u2019s hospital, he returned to his native Falmouth in 1808 and is the inspiration behind Benedict Aubyn.<\/p>\n
The area around Restronguet Creek, Bissoe and the Carnon Valley was home to the early arsenic industry. Arsenic is found in the mined ores of tin and copper and causes the metals to be poor quality so it is important to remove it. In 1801 this was achieved by roasting the ore in a furnace called a calciner.\u00a0The resulting arsenic gas was carried away in fumes breathed in by the furnace workers and the miners around the furnace. Arsenic poisoning was an occupational hazard but it also spread to cattle and livestock as the white powder in the waste ore caused considerable contamination to the surrounding land.<\/p>\n
A system was needed to capture the arsenic gas and control the white oxide dust which was doing so much damage and Dr Richard Edwards of Falmouth did just that. In 1812, he discovered a process to condense and collect the white arsenious oxide dust, and thus managed to contain the arsenic and stop it contaminating both the people and the land.<\/p>\n
\u200bHe set up works at Perranwell Foundry to extract refined arsenic from mine waste and render it in to a solid state. He did this by using a Bruton Calciner whose long labyrinths \u2018captured\u2019 the white arsenic in crystal form. One such Bruton Calciner can be found in Wheal Busy, Chacewater.\u00a0The process soon got financial backing, not least once they discovered arsenic had certain useful properties and a commercial value of its own.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>A Chemist and an Assistant in a Laboratory by L. R. from History of Science Museum<\/p>\n
Priestley’s Apparatus For Investigating Gases. Priestley’s apparatus. Engraving of the laboratory of the English gas chemist Joseph Priestley (1733- 1804), showing various pieces of experimental apparatus. Science Photo Library<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>John Loudon McAdam and the invention of tarmac. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>
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