The Dark Frigate

The Dark Frigate

Author	Charles Hawes
Cover artist	Warren Chappell
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Historical novel
Publisher	Little, Brown
Publication date	1924
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)

The Dark Frigate is a children's historical novel written by Charles Hawes. It won the 1924 Newbery Medal.^[1] It was the third, and final, novel written by Hawes, who died shortly before its publication.

Plot

The book opens in 17th century London. Philip Marsham, a young workman, has just been orphaned when his father's ship was lost at sea. An accident causes him to flee London, leaving behind the small inheritance left by his father. He decides to journey across England on foot, heading towards Bideford. He also encounters two men, Tom Jordan and Martin Barwick, who claim to be sailors. Tom, who is more commonly known as The Old One, soon leaves them, however Martin becomes Phil's traveling companion. when they reached their destination it is revealed that The Old One has already gone. Later she arranges positions for Phil and Martin on a boat, otherwise known as the Rose of Devon.

Once aboard the frigate, The captain is quickly impressed by Phil's skills. When the boatswain is killed in an accident, Phil advances to replace him. After a violent storm, the crew of the Rose of Devon encounters a wrecked ship with the old one a leader. After a victorious assault on The Dark Frigate the Old One lets Phillip keep his spot as boatswain.

The pirates try to attack many ships but none go very well. Will Canty tries to escape but, the pirates catch and kill him. Seeing his friend murdered is the last straw for Phil, who attempts his own escape after Will's death. He escapes and finds a British ship, but is captured along with the pirates.

During the trial, it seems certain that the entire crew, including Phil, will be found guilty and hanged. When he is called to the stand to defend himself, Phil insists again that he was an unwilling participant in the pirates' activities. However, when he is asked to testify against the rest of the Rose's crew, he refuses on the grounds that even if it was forced upon him, they were still his companions. The Old One is proud of Phil and proves his innocence.

After regaining his freedom, Phil journeys back to the lands of Sir John Bristol, and asks the lord to be let into his service. Phil serves under him during a War on the side of the Royalists. Although Phil rises through the ranks during the war, the forces of Oliver Cromwell eventually emerge victorious, and Sir John is killed in battle. Growing weary of England, Phil decides to leave the country, and he finds Rose of Devon among the ships there, and after speaking with her commander , books passage to colonies.

Characters

• 'Philip marsham - The nineteen-year-old protagonist of the story. He was raised alone by his sailor father, and thus has had experience on ships since he was a small child. He becomes an unwilling member of a crew of pirates when the ship he is serving on is taken over by the Old One and his followers.
• Tom Jordan - More commonly known as the Old One, he is the primary antagonist of the book, and the leader of the band of pirates that took over the Rose of Devon. Although he is violent, cruel, and prone to fits of extreme fury, he is also shown to be courageous and to possess a commanding personality. The book's narration states that he possessed all of the traits of leadership, and had he been born in another time, he very likely may have become a great naval hero instead of a pirate.
• Martin Barwick - A man whom Phil encounters on the road to Bideford, who becomes his travelling companion. He is part of the Old One's crew of pirates, and assists in the capture of the Rose of Devon. Martin is a cowardly, incompetent man, and is often the target of ridicule by the rest of the crew.
• Will Canty - A young sailor, around the same age as Phil. The two become good friends, and, like Phil, Will detests the crew of pirates. Although he attempts several counts of sabotage against the pirates in secret, the Old One is well aware of his activities. When an attempt to escape for help is thwarted, he is tortured and killed.
• Sir John Bristol - A minor lord that Phil encounters early in the book. Despite their brief meeting, Phil is immediately impressed by the knight, whom reminds him of his father. After his adventures on the Rose of Devon come to an end, Phil returns to Sir John's estate, and serves with him through the English Civil War. Sir John is killed at the Second Battle of Newbury.

Work

• The Dark Frigate, Kessinger Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978-1-4179-3209-2

References