Jane Harvey

Jane Harvey.  Brougham Castle:  a Novel

London:  Minerva Press for A. K. Newman and Co., 1816.

 

Synopsis of Brougham Castle

The novel begins with a description of Brougham Castle which is "situated near the boarders of the last-named county on the banks of the river Eastmont, and not far from its confluence with the Lowther" (1). A detailed account of the real history of the castle is given; it was passed down through many generations and is in ruins by the early nineteenth century which is when Harvey was writing her novel.

Harvey begins her fictional narrative in 1636, almost a century earlier. A couple by the name of Croswaite comes to live in the vacant castle. As a young man Cadmus Croswaite had become a steward to Mr. Sibbald. His job was to overlook some of Sibbald's property in Westmoreland including Brougham Castle. Cadmus collected rent from an old man, Mr. Blamire, and his daughter, Prudence, who lived in a nearby cottage. Blamire selfishly kept Prudence isolated and consequently Cadmus's collection visits were her only communication with the outside world. Cadmus planed to marry her and eventually they did marry, privately, without the Blamire's consent. Blamire died suddenly two days after their marriage. Sibbald granted the couple permission to live in the eastern wing of Brougham Castle. They took up residence there despite Prudence's worries about fairy people bothering them.

Mr. and Mrs. Rokeby move in a few miles away from the Croswaites. Prudence, who is quite the gossip, suspects that the two were tried in court for something, perhaps an incestuous marriage, and thinks that is why they have retired to a rural life away from their old acquaintances. However the friendly characters of the Rokebys seem to redeem them from the gossip.
Cadmus receives a mysterious letter notifying him of someone's death. He leaves and is gone for sixteen days. When he comes back to Brougham he has a small boy with him by the name of Cyrus Dacre, and a bag of gold. Cadmus tells Prudence to raise him as if he were her own son.
On a dark and stormy night a well dressed gentleman appears at the Croswaite's door. The stranger dines with them and asks Prudence about Cyrus. The stranger is sick and is obliged to spend the night. The next morning the stranger has an accidental confrontation with Cyrus when the child escapes from his foster mother. The emotions which the strange gentleman displays upon seeing Cyrus seems to confirm his paternal relationship to the child. He gives Cyrus his watch. Cadmus sets out to accompany the stranger home the next day even though it is snowing out. The day after that he is found frozen in a snow bank and stays with the Briscos (another family living close by) until he has recovered enough strength to go home.

The Briscos and the Rokebys each possess a son named Arthur and a daughter named Idonea respectively. Mr. Rokeby schools all these children together and they become great friends. During his childhood Cyrus falls in love with Idonea and she returns his affection. As a teenager Cyrus decides that he wants to marry Idonea and go to college to study theology. However, Cadmus does tell Cyrus that his birth father prohibited Cyrus from ever becoming a minister. Cyrus also learns that he has some competition for Idonea's attention from Sibbald, the son of the Croswaites' landlord.

Mr. Rokeby, Idonea, Cadmus, Cyrus, Sibbald, and some others go deer hunting. During this expedition Cyrus becomes upset at his displacement from Idonea's company by Sibbald. He gallops off without explanation. While he is gone Sibbald manages to plant a seed of suspicion in Idonea's mind about Cyrus's character. Cyrus comes back just in time to hear Idonea exclaim that she has no concern or obligation towards Cyrus. At the same moment, Cadmus is thrown from his horse and breaks his collar bone.

The mystery of the Rokebys is reopened when Idonea meets Mr. Dunning by chance in Whinfield Park. He informs her that the current Mrs. Rokeby is not really her mother. He also insinuates that Mr. and Mrs. Rokeby might not be married. A few days after Idonea learns this upsetting information, the Rokebys set out on a family trip to Watermillock, the home of the Briscos.
Cyrus joins the party at Watermillock a little later to visit Arthur, not to be with Idonea, with whom he is still upset. Cyrus finds more cause for jealousy when he meets Lyulph, the Briscos' older son who has been in the military, and who he imagines has his sights set on Idonea. The young people all go for a walk and end up at the cottage of the peasant woman Hannah. Cyrus imagines that there is admiration in Lyulph's frequent gazes at Hannah, which would be extremely improper because she is a married woman with a newborn child. Cyrus begins to suspect that Lyulph is something of a womanizer. However, his dislike for Lyulph does not prevent Cyrus from saving his life when Lyulph falls in a lake during a hunting expedition.

During one of the young people's frequent walks, Sibbald appears. He disrupts Idonea while she is writing a poem and acts extremely untoward to her. Idonea suddenly realizes that Sibbald is untrustworthy and that he was probably lying about Cyrus. Idonea screams and Cyrus comes to her rescue. Sibbald challenges Cyrus to a pistol duel. Idonea and Cyrus are close to reconciliation, and Cyrus plans to ask her to marry him.

This summary wraps up volume one which ends in high suspense. Will Cyrus survive the pistol dual and ask Idonea to marry him? Is Lyulph Brisco having an affair with a married peasant woman? Is Mrs. Rokeby Idonea's mother or not? And of course the most important question is: who are Cyrus's real parents? All these questions are answered in the second volume.

Sibbald never shows up for the pistol dual, but Cyrus soon encounters other problems. Mr. Rokeby accompanies Cyrus and Idonea on the trip home from the Briscos. They all have dinner at Brougham Castle with the Croswaites. The attraction of Cyrus and Idonea is obvious and Cadmus and Mr. Rokeby discuss the possibility of their marriage, which is against Cadmus's wishes. Cadmus's opinion insults Mr. Rokeby and he declares that Idonea and Cyrus must never see each other again. After the Rokebys leave, Cadmus shows Cyrus his father's handwritten decree containing the three actions Cyrus must never engage in. He must never seek out his real parents, get married, or become any kind of clergyman. Cyrus is devastated and considers eloping with Idonea.

Later, Cadmus receives another mysterious letter and tells Cyrus that they must take a journey together. The destination is Progheda in Ireland. There they encounter the Marquis of Castlemaine who turns out to be Cyrus's father. Cyrus learns that his real name is Cyrus Hartfield. Cyrus's father was schooled for the church and took orders in the Roman Church at a young age and shortly after married a Miss. Dacre. After the birth of their son, Castlemaine disowned his wife and son on the advice of his church superiors, who pushed him into celibacy. Cyrus's mother died shortly after and left her child to the Croswaites' care. When Cyrus's father inherited the Castlemaine estate, he had a change of heart. He applied for absolution from the church and made himself known to Cyrus. From this point on, Cyrus stays at Castlemaine as his heir.

While Cyrus is finding out about his past, Idonea questions Mr. Rokeby about her mother. Mr. Rokeby tells Idonea how he once loved Miss Hilton. Miss Hilton's guardian was an older, single, aunt named Miss Featherstonhaugh. Miss F. had her eye on Mr. Rokeby and consequently broke up his courtship with her niece and married him herself. Miss F. died giving birth to Idonea. On her deathbed Miss F. regretted her actions and told Mr. Rokeby that Miss. Hilton ©was not really her niece, and that Mr. Rokeby was free to marry her. Rokeby and Hilton married a little later. Mr. Dickenson (who also goes by the name of Mr. Dunning) was courting Miss F. for years and was extremely jealous towards Mr. Rokeby. To enact his revenge he destroyed all evidence of Miss. Hilton's true identity and then brought a case against the couple for intermarriage. The Rokebys are unable to produce any evidence in their defense, and so retired at Temple Sowerby, close to Brougham Castle.

Back at Castlemaine, Cyrus has a hard time of it. His father dies and shortly after that he receives a letter from Cadmus saying that Lyulph and Idonea were married in Ireland. The only upside is that he is now very rich. The Marquee's will also sets up the Croswaites with a generous yearly income, donates a large sum to the church, and puts Cyrus under the guardianship of his uncle, Robert Dacre, until he is of age.

The depressed Cyrus accepts an invitation to Kilkenny to stay with the Inishannon family, a very respectable family with a daughter Lady Theresa whom Cyrus's father had singled out as an ideal wife for Cyrus. When Cyrus arrives he is surprised to find Lyulph Brisco there. They are joined by the ladies for dinner who include Idonea, and Miss Stanley, Lyulph's cousin.

Miss Stanley explains everything to the bewildered Cyrus after dinner. It turns out that Lyulph has been married to Lady Theresa secretly for over two years while he was in the military and they have a child together. Lyulph only admired the peasant woman because she resembled his wife, and also had a newborn son. Lyulph was ill from a battle injury, and therefore waited to make the journey to Ireland to be with his wife until he was healed.

Coincidentally, it turns out that Lady Inishannon (Lady Theresa's mother) is also Mrs. Rokeby's, mother. At a young age, Lady Inishannon fell in love with a Christian Earl and eloped with him. The Earl died shortly after their marriage, leaving the Lady pregnant. The Lady bore a daughter and was forced to move back in with her parents, but she made a promise to the Earl on his deathbed that she would not allow their child to be raised Catholic, so she sent her daughter into foster care with Miss Featherstonhaugh.

Understandably it is quite a happy party gathered at Kilkenny and Cyrus joins in their happiness knowing that Idonea is still single. Lord Inishannon appeals to Mr. Rokeby for Cyrus, and Cyrus is granted permission to marry her; however they wait until the next summer, when Cyrus is of age, to go through the ceremony. After the marriage of Cyrus and Idonea, the Croswaites move to Ponsonby Hall which is closer to Castlemaine. Cyrus's uncle, Robert Dacre, dies and leaves his fortune to Cyrus. In contrast to the good fortunes of everyone else, Dunning/Dickenson dies in a storm, Sibbald senior dies leaving his son in debt, and his son moves to "the continent." Cyrus becomes a senator and lives a long and happy life as a good Christian.

-- Prepared by Willa Bitney, University of Nebraska, April 2006.
© Willa Bitney, 2006.