Mrs Margaret Harris is one of many Clovelly villagers whose lives are a backdrop to those of the main characters. Margaret’s neighbourliness leads her to become directly involved in the penultimate act of the Devon tragedy that is retold Barefoot on the Cobbles.

Mrs Harris was born Margaret Headon in Clovelly about 1853. Like many from Clovelly, she crossed the Bristol Channel and there she married James Harris, whose family also lived in Clovelly. With her husband away at sea, Margaret lived with her widowered father back in Clovelly. She became Polly’s neighbour in Independent Street, where Margaret ran a lodging house. Margaret and James had five children before James died in the 1890s. The Samuel Harris, who also appears in the novel, was the son of James Harris’ sister, Elizabeth. Margaret died in 1928.

‘Briskly, Emma Stanbury took charge. Later, when the children clattered back from school, she shooed them off to be minded by Mrs Harris.’

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.