An Ignominious Beginning

By James Martin

James, fostered to a well to do family, is employed by them as a footman until he is thirteen, when he is enrolled into the Royal Navy of the 19th century.Against a background of prejudice and abuse he succeeds in gaining promotion. Charlotte, the daughter of the same family, is born into a life of privilege and wealth, where her future is assured.But life can be fraught with dilemmas and complications, full of twists and turns. James and Charlotte, conditioned by their experiences, are drawn together by indignant and tragic events out of their control.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Jun 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504308809

James Martin

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.  Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

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Copyright © 2017 James Martin.

Photo Credit : Derek Davis, HMS Ganges Museum Chairman

Cover Illustration Credit: Barbara Cooper

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-0879-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0880-9 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 06/26/2017

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Preface

The Gloucestershire Regiment Of Foot Homecoming Ball, 1817

Chapter 1

Episode 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Episode 2 - The East Indies 2⁰Th December 1832

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Charlotte’s Schooling, Paris 1837

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

The Ball

Chapter 20

Episode 3 - The New Commission

Chapter 21

Opium Wars

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Mischief.

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Singapore, April 1846

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Episode 4 - Shenton Park July 1847

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Epilogue

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I     DEDICATE THIS WORK TO the memory of my deceased parents, who by their stories of our family predecessors encouraged my imagination to extol the character of my protagonists.

I thank my very dear friend and mentor, Margaret Whitaker, for her tireless efforts in bringing this work to fruition. I also extend my thanks to a very experienced author; singer and teacher, without whose advice Margaret and I would have been floundering, Barbara Yates Rothwell.

And finally I must recognize the assistance of, Kent Logie, the musical director of the Wanneroo Civic Choir, and, Sarah Dinan, friend and neighbour.

PREFACE

The Gloucestershire Regiment of Foot Homecoming Ball, 1817

C ORPORAL JOHN HENRY WOODIN RECENTLY returned from the American War, who was wounded and invalided out of service due to a musket ball injury to his left knee, is introduced to Miss Martha Tierney (housekeeper and maid) by Lady Elizabeth Tennent of Shenton Park in the borough of Strowd.

As in any age, passionate relationships between captivated adventurers and infatuated damsels can and sometimes do end with tragic consequences. I will not pretend that this story does not begin in a less than happy manner, and suffice to say, with a thirteen years lapse, a boy is now an orphan being in the care of a well to do family, Colonel Sir William and Lady Elizabeth Tennent.

Portraits.jpg

The protagonists, Charlotte and James, aged fifteen.

CHAPTER 1

Episode 1

S IR WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH TENNENT are in the drawing room at Shenton, they are discussing the future employment of their charge, James Phillip Woodin, and also their own daughter, Charlotte’s prospects.

We have to also consider our own daughter’s education, Liz. Charlotte, I know although only ten is already forming an attachment to young James which I feel is unhelpful considering his heritage, said Sir William.

But my dear even so, he is very young to be sent to sea at not even thirteen years old and who would look after him? He is so used to our servants attending to his wants, Lady Elizabeth counters.

Good Heavens, Madam, would you have me keep him for the term of his life? NO! continued Sir William, I will close with the Commander in the morning and see what can be done.

Very well, I see that your mind is made up, however we cannot cut him off from our lives and indeed ours from his. We must let him know that although the Navy will be his family and home, he will always be welcome to visit Shenton, Lady Elizabeth continues. Furthermore we must support him until he is settled with a commission, after all he is almost family and I could not bear to know he was not being looked after.

"Dear Lady, if you go with him they may press gang you into service and then you can take care of him in person."

Do not tease, Mr Tennent, or I may do just that.

Well, whatever, Liz. Before any decisions are made we must speak with the boy informing him of what we plan.

At breakfast next morning, James, who is serving as a footman when not at school, brings in the tea.

Thank you, James, after you have finished in the scullery I will see you in the Library, there is something I would discuss with you.

Yes Sir, replies the young servant. As he leaves the dining room Charlotte smiles up at him and he winks in response. This did not go unnoticed.

Subsequent to his request at breakfast, Sir William awaits James in the library.

Enter! Sir William calls in answer to the light knock and James nervously walks in.

James, come and sit down boy, James approaches the desk and rather awkwardly sits down.

It is now appropriate James to discuss your future, Sir William cautiously states eyeing the boy keenly, he does not detect any sign of distress. We, that is Lady Elizabeth and I, have decided to further your education by entering you into the service of the King, the Navy is our choice and what we advise. My brother is a Commander at Plymouth and well suited to find a place for you.

Can you remember your mother, Martha, of course not, you were only three at the time were you not. Well, she had a particularly difficult time giving birth to you, so much in fact that she never really got over it, but before she died we assured her we would look after and care for you. There is more to tell when you are older and able to understand, but for now have you decided to go to sea or not?

James was pondering all that had just been said and finally came to a decision.

Am I allowed to serve the King as a footman Sir?

Sir William stifled a chuckle,

Afraid not my boy, but maybe a foot soldier, however I would advise against the army at this time.

The lad was reluctant to leave what he considered to be home, but then going to sea might be an adventure not to be missed.

I’ll go in the navy Sir.

A wise decision, James, Sir William was pleased, he could now go and see his brother who is at home in the village to discuss the whole affair.

Alright James that will be all for now, I’ll be in touch directly.

After his talk with the Colonel, James went straight back to the scullery to tell Arthur, the butler, of his meeting.

"Aye lad it was to be expected, Sir William has indeed looked after you all these years and I think he’s not doing you ill now, just think of it as an opportunity, yer mother would be pleased to think you had a future and you are a bright lad, but it’s up to you, keep yer nose clean and yer eyes and ears open and yerl be fine, now get yerself to the orchard and pick some apples for cook and I’ll break the news to her while yer gone. (All spoken in his Gloucester dialect).

The cook, Mary Cheshunt a pleasant old maid of fifty three, had been a mother figure to James since his own mother had died and the news that the lad was to be ‘shoved off’ to sea came as quite a shock to the woman, of course it was to be expected that she would be parted from James at some stage, but at not yet thirteen he was still a child in her eyes. Her only comment to Arthur was,

Before he goes I’ll bake him an apple pie, his favourite. When she was alone later that day, tears came to her eyes as she pondered on the events in the past and the present that would inevitably shape the life of ‘little Jimmy’ as she called him. She couldn’t forget the boy’s poor mother either and the shame also, but the price was paid and that’s that.

Jimmy, for that is the name his young friends called him was dutifully picking the apples for cook when Miss Charlotte happens upon him and calls out for him to throw down an apple to her as she was ravenous and it was still yet an hour to lunch.

But you can’t eat these they are cooking apples Miss.

Just do as I say James, remember you are still just a servant, says Charlotte.

Jimmy rolls his eyes and then drops a large apple into the girls lap and watches as she takes a big bite out of the Granny Smith. To Jim’s amazement, Charlotte, after screwing up her face at first, then ate the rest of it without a murmur.

Thank you, James, that was delicious, Charlotte said before walking away towards the house.

Tom, Jimmy’s friend from the village, came by shortly after and related to Jim that he had just seen Miss Charlotte being violently sick in a hedgerow and that she had scolded him mercilessly and warned him on pain of his life not to tell anyone of what he’d seen, of course that could not mean Jimmy,

We are the best of friends and do not keep secrets from each other cried Tom.

The pair had a good laugh at Charlotte’s expense, Jim nearly falling off the ladder in consequence, but both agreed to keep the secret to themselves and thereby save the girls embarrassment.

James then told Tom his news, whilst Tom listened in anguish, after all they had been friends for as long as they could remember; what was he to do without Jimmy to play with, go fishing with, go scrumping with. ‘What am I to do’?

CHAPTER 2

W HILE THE BOYS WERE IN the orchard skylarking Sir William had walked down to the village, Hillsberry, to the old Manor in fact, to meet his brother Hadrian, Commander Hadrian Tennent RN, who resides at the manor when on leave, a property owned by the Tennent Family Trust but maintained by the younger brother and his wife Helena.

Sir William was shown into the parlour and was shortly joined by Hadrian. Helena welcomed her brother-in-law then excused herself to allow the gentlemen to talk. I’ll see you before you leave William I hope.

Indeed you will Helena, said Sir William.

As soon as they were alone Sir William laid out his plans for James to join the Navy as a midshipman.

But why would you not enlist him in the Regiment? asked Hadrian, after all you have the connections, you were the Colonel of the Gloucesters, this was in reply to his brothers request.

Sir William was silent as he considered his response, Hadrian did not know all the facts.

I see I shall have to tell you the whole tragic sequence of events starting in America during the war of 1812.

We were assisting the Sutherland Highlanders at New Orleans, having just travelled up the Mississippi River, and we had taken our first objectives. However the weather and luck conspired against us; the highlanders lost their commander, cannot remember his name and then our General in charge Edward Packenham along with his entire staff sustained a direct hit from Jackson’s cannonade. He pauses.

Suddenly we ourselves who were in reserve came under increasing fire and without orders I decided to withdraw to a defensive position, I did this because very many Sutherlanders were coming back in wounded without any officers to give me an accurate account of the battle. Well, eventually a staff officer who was badly wounded gave us the order to retreat to the boats and as we came in sight of the river we came under more concentrated fire and I myself got hit in the thigh by a musket ball and I fell. I thought, where the hell is my batman?" and as if by providence there he was getting me up. He half carried me to the shore where I was helped into a boat by some sailors, but my batman wasn’t to be seen. I learned later that day 15 January 1815, that my batman after seeing me in relative safety had gone back to help with more of the wounded. It wasn’t until many days later I learned of the fate of ‘Corporal Wooding’, who