Biography & True Stories
Description
In 1807 a British naval captain, Warwick Lake, marooned an 18-year-old member of his crew from Polperro, Cornwall, on the tiny uninhabited island of Sombrero in the West Indies. The seaman, Robert Jeffery, escaped to the USA but when the news reached England, a search was ordered by Parliament and even the prime minister of the time was involved. The lad was brought home to his family, compensated in part by Lake who was himself dismissed from the service. This extraordinary but true story based on original research is told in Marooned, first published in 1991 and now updated in this new, revised and fully illustrated edition.
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Rights Information
World rights available.
Reviews
"One of the most fascinating stories of Cornwall's maritime heritage" Western Morning News
“A fascinating book which, like a few novels, is difficult to put down when you have started reading it… thoroughly recommended” Journal of the Cornwall Association of Local Historians
“A ripping yarn well told.” Mariner’s Mirror
“A curious tale, well told by an ex-journalist and specialist in maritime history.” Cornish Guardian
“A ‘horror story’ and a true one.” The Naval Review
“Once started, the book is difficult to put down… in truth, stranger than fiction.” Cornwall Family History Society Journal
“Reveals far more of English society and its navy of Napoleonic times than a simple case of cruelty at sea… Recommended for those anxious to see more of the sailor’s past world than seamanship, gunnery or the minutiae of shipboard life.” The Northern Mariner
"This meticulously researched book provides a truly riveting read." South West Soundings
Author Biography
James Derriman retired after a career in journalism and public relations to devote time to historical research and writing, specialising in legal and maritime history. Marooned, the story of a Cornish seaman marooned on the tiny uninhabited island of Sombrero in the West Indies in 1807, was his first full-length book.
Polperro Heritage Press
Polperro Heritage Press is an independent British publisher, established in 1995. Recent titles from Polperro Press have included biographies, guides and a growing list of Cornish local history titles.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Polperro Heritage Press
- Publication Date March 2016
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9780954913779 / 0954913779
- FormatPaperback
- Primary Price 7.95 GBP
- Pages168
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Dimensions215x135 cm
- IllustrationYes - ill., ports., facsims.
