Captain William Pengilly has long since met with an unfortunate end by the time he is mentioned in Chapter 7 of Barefoot on the Cobbles. In the book, his granddaughter, Annie, outlines the story of his demise. A Clovelly mariner, with eight children, his wife ran a tea-shop in the village whilst Captain William was away at sea. Captain Pengilly is also believed to have been the superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School in Clovelly, as Sunday School prizes survive that are inscribed with his name. His vessel, Queen of the South, was delivering coal to the cement mills at Dodnor, near Newport, Isle of Wight, when a tragic incident led to William’s death, at the age of 43. To find out about the manner of his passing, you will need to turn to Chapter 7.

‘ ‘They say he was drunk,’ she whispered. Now Leonard was genuinely astonished, surely Captain Pengilly had been a Methodist.’ ’

Barefoot on the Cobbles will be published on 17 November 2018. More information about the novel can be found here. Copies will be available at various events in the weeks following the launch or can be pre-ordered from Blue Poppy Publishing or the author.