memoir of fleeming jenkin-第2章

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unmarried　sister；　and　his　sick　brother　John。　　Out　of　the　six　people　

of　whom　his　nearest　family　consisted；　three　were　in　his　own　house；　

and　two　others　（the　horse…leeches；　Stephen　and　Thomas）　he　appears　

to　have　continued　to　assist　with　more　amiability　than　wisdom。　　He　

hunted；　belonged　to　the　Yeomanry；　owned　famous　horses；　Maggie　and　

Lucy；　the　latter　coveted　by　royalty　itself。　　'Lord　Rokeby；　his　

neighbour；　called　him　kinsman；'　writes　my　artless　chronicler；　'and　

altogether　life　was　very　cheery。'　　At　Stowting　his　three　sons；　

John；　Charles；　and　Thomas　Frewen；　and　his　younger　daughter；　Anna；　

were　all　born　to　him；　and　the　reader　should　here　be　told　that　it　is　

through　the　report　of　this　second　Charles　（born　1801）　that　he　has　

been　looking　on　at　these　confused　passages　of　family　history。



In　the　year　1805　the　ruin　of　the　Jenkins　was　begun。　　It　was　the　

work　of　a　fallacious　lady　already　mentioned；　Aunt　Anne　Frewen；　a　

sister　of　Mrs。　John。　　Twice　married；　first　to　her　cousin　Charles　

Frewen；　clerk　to　the　Court　of　Chancery；　Brunswick　Herald；　and　Usher　

of　the　Black　Rod；　and　secondly　to　Admiral　Buckner；　she　was　denied　

issue　in　both　beds；　and　being　very　rich　…　she　died　worth　about　

60；000L。；　mostly　in　land　…　she　was　in　perpetual　quest　of　an　heir。　　

The　mirage　of　this　fortune　hung　before　successive　members　of　the　

Jenkin　family　until　her　death　in　1825；　when　it　dissolved　and　left　

the　latest　Alnaschar　face　to　face　with　bankruptcy。　　The　grandniece；　

Stephen's　daughter；　the　one　who　had　not　'married　imprudently；'　

appears　to　have　been　the　first；　for　she　was　taken　abroad　by　the　

golden　aunt；　and　died　in　her　care　at　Ghent　in　1792。　　Next　she　

adopted　William；　the　youngest　of　the　five　nephews；　took　him　abroad　

with　her　…　it　seems　as　if　that　were　in　the　formula；　was　shut　up　

with　him　in　Paris　by　the　Revolution；　brought　him　back　to　Windsor；　

and　got　him　a　place　in　the　King's　Body…Guard；　where　he　attracted　

the　notice　of　George　III。　by　his　proficiency　in　German。　　In　1797；　

being　on　guard　at　St。　James's　Palace；　William　took　a　cold　which　

carried　him　off；　and　Aunt　Anne　was　once　more　left　heirless。　　

Lastly；　in　1805；　perhaps　moved　by　the　Admiral；　who　had　a　kindness　

for　his　old　midshipman；　perhaps　pleased　by　the　good　looks　and　the　

good　nature　of　the　man　himself；　Mrs。　Buckner　turned　her　eyes　upon　

Charles　Jenkin。　　He　was　not　only　to　be　the　heir；　however；　he　was　to　

be　the　chief　hand　in　a　somewhat　wild　scheme　of　family　farming。　　

Mrs。　Jenkin；　the　mother；　contributed　164　acres　of　land；　Mrs。　

Buckner；　570；　some　at　Northiam；　some　farther　off；　Charles　let　one…

half　of　Stowting　to　a　tenant；　and　threw　the　other　and　various　

scattered　parcels　into　the　common　enterprise；　so　that　the　whole　

farm　amounted　to　near　upon　a　thousand　acres；　and　was　scattered　over　

thirty　miles　of　country。　　The　ex…seaman　of　thirty…nine；　on　whose　

wisdom　and　ubiquity　the　scheme　depended；　was　to　live　in　the　

meanwhile　without　care　or　fear。　　He　was　to　check　himself　in　

nothing；　his　two　extravagances；　valuable　horses　and　worthless　

brothers；　were　to　be　indulged　in　comfort；　and　whether　the　year　

quite　paid　itself　or　not；　whether　successive　years　left　accumulated　

savings　or　only　a　growing　deficit；　the　fortune　of　the　golden　aunt　

should　in　the　end　repair　all。



On　this　understanding　Charles　Jenkin　transported　his　family　to　

Church　House；　Northiam：　　Charles　the　second；　then　a　child　of　three；　

among　the　number。　　Through　the　eyes　of　the　boy　we　have　glimpses　of　

the　life　that　followed：　　of　Admiral　and　Mrs。　Buckner　driving　up　

from　Windsor　in　a　coach　and　six；　two　post…horses　and　their　own　

four；　of　the　house　full　of　visitors；　the　great　roasts　at　the　fire；　

the　tables　in　the　servants'　hall　laid　for　thirty　or　forty　for　a　

month　together；　of　the　daily　press　of　neighbours；　many　of　whom；　

Frewens；　Lords；　Bishops；　Batchellors；　and　Dynes；　were　also　

kinsfolk；　and　the　parties　'under　the　great　spreading　chestnuts　of　

the　old　fore　court；'　where　the　young　people　danced　and　made　merry　

to　the　music　of　the　village　band。　　Or　perhaps；　in　the　depth　of　

winter；　the　father　would　bid　young　Charles　saddle　his　pony；　they　

would　ride　the　thirty　miles　from　Northiam　to　Stowting；　with　the　

snow　to　the　pony's　saddle　girths；　and　be　received　by　the　tenants　

like　princes。



This　life　of　delights；　with　the　continual　visible　comings　and　

goings　of　the　golden　aunt；　was　well　qualified　to　relax　the　fibre　of　

the　lads。　　John；　the　heir；　a　yeoman　and　a　fox…hunter；　'loud　and　

notorious　with　his　whip　and　spurs；'　settled　down　into　a　kind　of　

Tony　Lumpkin；　waiting　for　the　shoes　of　his　father　and　his　aunt。　　

Thomas　Frewen；　the　youngest；　is　briefly　dismissed　as　'a　handsome　

beau'；　but　he　had　the　merit　or　the　good　fortune　to　become　a　doctor　

of　medicine；　so　that　when　the　crash　came　he　was　not　empty…handed　

for　the　war　of　life。　　Charles；　at　the　day…school　of　Northiam；　grew　

so　well　acquainted　with　the　rod；　that　his　floggings　became　matter　

of　pleasantry　and　reached　the　ears　of　Admiral　Buckner。　　Hereupon　

that　tall；　rough…voiced；　formidable　uncle　entered　with　the　lad　into　

a　covenant：　　every　time　that　Charles　was　thrashed　he　was　to　pay　the　

Admiral　a　penny；　everyday　that　he　escaped；　the　process　was　to　be　

reversed。　　'I　recollect；'　writes　Charles；　'going　crying　to　my　

mother　to　be　taken　to　the　Admiral　to　pay　my　debt。'　　It　would　seem　

by　these　terms　the　speculation　was　a　losing　one；　yet　it　is　probable　

it　paid　indirectly　by　bringing　the　boy　under　remark。　　The　Admiral　

was　no　enemy　to　dunces；　he　loved　courage；　and　Charles；　while　yet　

little　more　than　a　baby；　would　ride　the　great　horse　into　the　pond。　　

Presently　it　was　decided　that　here　was　the　stuff　of　a　fine　sailor；　

and　at　an　early　period　the　name　of　Charles　Jenkin　was　entered　on　a　

ship's　books。



From　Northiam　he　was　sent　to　another　school　at　Boonshill；　near　Rye；　

where　the　master　took　'infinite　delight'　in　strapping　him。　　'It　

keeps　me　warm　and　makes　you　grow；'　he　used　to　say。　　And　the　stripes　

were　not　altogether　wasted；　for　the　dunce；　though　still　very　'raw；'　

made　progress　with　his　studies。　　It　was　known；　moreover；　that　he　

was　going　to　sea；　always　a　ground　of　pre…eminence　with　schoolboys；　

and　in　his　case　the　glory　was　not　altogether　future；　it　wore　a　

present　form　when　he　came　driving　to　Rye　behind　four　horses　in　the　

same　carriage　with　an　admiral。　　'I　was　not　a　little　proud；　you　may　

believe；'　says　he。



In　1814；　when　he　was　thirteen　years　of　age；　he　was　carried　by　his　

father　to　Chichester　to　the　Bishop's　Palace。　　The　Bishop　had　heard　

from　his　brother　the　Admiral　that　Charles　was　likely　to　do　well；　

and　had　an　order　from　Lord　Melville　for　the　lad's　admission　to　the　

Royal　Naval　College　at　Portsmouth。　　Both　the　Bishop　and　the　Admiral　

patted　him　on　the　head　and　said；　'Charles　will　restore　the　old　

family'；　by　which　I　gather　with　some　surprise　that；　even　in　these　

days　of　open　house　at　Northiam　and　golden　hope　of　my　aunt's　

fortune；　the　family　was　supposed　to　stand　in　need　of　restoration。　　

But　the　past　is　apt　to　look　brighter　than　nature；　above　all　to　

those　enamoured　of　their　genealogy；　and　the　ravages　of　Stephen　and　

Thomas　must　have　always　given　matter　of　alarm。



What　with　the　flattery　of　bishops　and　admirals；　the　fine　company　in　

which　he　found　himself　at　Portsmouth；　his　visits　home；　with　their　

gaiety　and　greatness　of　life；　his　visits　to　Mrs。　Buckner　（soon　a　

widow）　at　Windsor；　where　he　had　a　pony　kept　for　him；　and　visited　at　

Lord　Melville's　and　Lord　Harcourt's　and　the　Leveson…Gowers；　he　

began　to　have　'bumptious　notions；'　and　his　head　was　'somewhat　

turned　with　fine　people'；　as　to　some　extent　it　remained　throughout　

his　innocent　and　honourable　life。



In　this　frame　of　mind　the　boy　was　appointed　to　the　CONQUEROR；　

Captain　Davie；　humorously　known　as　Gentle　Johnnie。　　The　captain　had　

earned　this　name　by　his　style　of　discipline；　which　would　have　

figured　well　in　the　pages　of　Marryat：　　'Put　the　prisoner's　head　in　

a　bag　and　give　him　another　dozen！'　survives　as　a　specimen　of　his　

commands；　and　the　men　were　often　punished　twice　or　thrice　in　a　

week。　　On　board　the　ship　of　this　disciplinarian；　Charles　and　his　

father　were　carried　in　a　billy…boat　from　Sheerness　in　December；　

1816：　　Charles　with　an　outfit　suitable　to　his　pretensions；　a　

twenty…guinea　sextant　and　120　dollars　in　silver；　which　were　ordered　

into　the　care　of　the　gunner。　　'The　old　clerks　and　mates；'　he　

writes；　'used　to　laugh　and　jeer　me　for　joining　the　ship　in　a　billy…

boat；　and　when　they　found　I　was　from　Kent；　vowed　I　was　an　old　

Kentish　smuggler。　　This　to　my　pride；　you　will　believe；　was　not　a　

little　offensive。'



THE　CONQUEROR　carried　the　flag　of　Vice…Admiral　Plampin；　commanding　

at　the　Cape　and　St。　Helena；　and　at　that　all…important　islet；　in　

July；　1817；　she　relieved　the　flagship　of　Sir　Pulteney　Malcolm。　　

Thus　it　befel　that　Charles　Jenkin；　coming　too　late　for　the　epic　of　

the　French　wars；　played　a　small　part　in　the　dreary　and　disgraceful　

afterpiece　of　St。　Helena。　　Life　on　the　guard…ship　was　onerous　and　

irksome。　　The　anchor　was　never　lifted；　sail　never　made；　the　great　

guns　were　silent；　none　was　allowed　on　shore　except　on　duty；　all　day　

the　movements　of　the　imperial　captive　were　signalled　to　and　fro；　

all　night　the　boats　rowed　guard　around　the　accessible　portions　of　

the　coast。　　This　prolonged　stagnation　and　petty　watchfulness　in　

what　Napoleon　himself　called　that　'unchristian'　climate；　told　

cruelly　on　the　health　of　the　ship's　company。　　In　eighteen　months；　

according　to　O'Meara；　the　CONQUEROR　had　lost　one　hundred　and　ten　

men　and　invalided　home　one　hundred　and　seven；　being　more　than　a　

third　of　her　complement。　　It　does　not　seem　that　our　young　

midshipman　so　much　as　once　set　eyes　on　Bonaparte；　and　yet　in　other　

ways　Jenkin　was　more　fortunate　than　some　of　his　comrades。　　He　drew　

in　water…colour；　not　so　badly　as　his　father；　yet　ill　enough；　and　

this　art　was　so　rare　aboard　the　CONQUEROR　that　even　his　humble　

proficiency　marked　him　out　and　procured　him　some　alleviations。　　

Admiral　Plampin　had　succeeded　Napoleon　at　the　Briars；　and　here　he　

had　young　Jenkin　staying　with　him　to　make　sketches　of　the　historic　

house。　　One　of　these　is　before　me　as　I　write；　and　gives　a　strange　

notion　of　the　arts　in　our　old　English　Navy。　　Yet　it　was　again　as　an　

artist　that　the　lad　was　taken　for　a　run　to　Rio；　and　apparently　for　

a　second　outing　in　a　ten…gun　brig。　　These；　and　a　cruise　of　six　

weeks　to　windward　of　the　island　undertaken　by　the　CONQUEROR　herself　

in　quest　of　health；　were　the　only　breaks　in　three　years　of　

murderous　inaction；　and　at　the　end　of　that　period　Jenkin　was　

invalided　home；　having　'lost　his　health　entirely。'



As　he　left　the　deck　of　the　guard…ship　the　historic　part　of　his　

career　came　to　an　end。　　For　forty…two　years　he　continued　to　serve　

his　country　obscurely　on　the　seas；　sometimes　thanked　for　

inconspicuous　and　honourab