"Springhaven" is a novel written by R.D. Blackmore, set in the early 19th century, around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The story revolves around Captain Caryl Carne, a half-French and half-English villain who aims to aid the French in their landing on the English coast. He prepares for this by filling the vaults of his ancestral castle with gunpowder and maintaining contact with the French camp at Boulogne. The plot takes a turn when Blyth Scudamore, also known as "Captain Scuddy," is taken captive in France and becomes privy to Carne's plans. The story also includes other characters such as Captain Zebedee Tugwell, who belongs to a family native to Springhaven, Admiral Darling who commands the coast, and his daughters Dolly and Faith. Parson Twemlow, who is keen to preach at Nelson, and historical figures such as Nelson and Napoleon also make brief appearances. The book's central theme is the fight against the enemy and the struggle for survival during wartime.
Richard Doddridge Blackmore (1825-1900) was an English novelist and poet who is best known for his novel Lorna Doone, published in 1869.Blackmore was born in Longworth, Berkshire, England and was educated at Blundell's School and Exeter College, Oxford. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer but eventually turned to writing. He began his literary career as a poet, publishing several volumes of verse, including Epullia and other Poems (1856) and The Bugle of the Black Sea (1861). However, Blackmore achieved his greatest success as a novelist. His most famous work, Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor, is set in the 17th century and tells the story of a farmer named John Ridd who falls in love with Lorna Doone, a member of a notorious outlaw family in the Exmoor region of England. The novel was a huge success and is still considered a classic of English literature. Blackmore was a philanthropist and supporter of social reform, particularly in the areas of education and housing. He died in 1900 and is remembered as one of the most popular and enduring novelists of the Victorian era.
