Westward Ho! By Charles Kingsley (complete set volume 1 and 2) historical novel: The novel was based on the adventures of Elizabethan corsair Amyas ... World, where they battle with the Spanish.

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The book is the inspiration behind the unusual name of the village of Westward Ho! in Devon, the only place name in the United Kingdom that contains an exclamation mark. [10] Hodges, C. Walter (1979). The Battlement Garden: Britain from the Wars of the Roses to the Age of Shakespeare (1st Americaned.). New York: Houghton. p. 116. ISBN 9780816430048. This little church was built in 1870. Fairly modern as churches go, it was built in a much older style and overlooks the sandy beach the town is so famous for. The church is free to visit (though donations for its upkeep are always welcome) and is open throughout the week. A weekly service is held on Sundays at 11 AM. Westward Ho Pier A prominent theme of the novel is the 16th-century fear of Catholic domination, [5] and this reflects Kingsley's own dislike of Catholicism. [4] The novel repeatedly shows the Protestant English correcting the worst excesses of the Spanish Jesuits and the Inquisition. [4]

When the ship is damaged in a later encounter with the Spaniards, the crew beaches her and begins a march toward the fabled city of Manoa. It is a long and hazardous journey over high mountains and through a land of hostile Indians. They find no El Dorado, but a young priest of one of the tribes falls in love with Amyas and follows him the rest of the journey. She is called Ayacanora, and, although she is of an Indian tribe, she seems to have the look of a white woman. And the Earl of Portsmouth founded a hotel named ‘Westward Ho!’ Soon enough, other villas started to pop up nearby. And thus, the town of Westward Ho! was born. Find the Westward Ho! book for sale here. Westward Ho! Beach Feb 2007. ("Westward Ho! is an invigorating starting point, because it's the only place in the British Isles with an exclamation mark.") After a time, Amyas fits out a ship and prepares to go with Drake to Virginia, but before they sail, the Spanish Armada arrives off English shores. Amyas, with his ship, joins the rest of the fleet in that famous battle. After twelve terrible days, the Armada is defeated and almost every Spanish ship destroyed. Amyas, however, is not satisfied. Don Guzman is aboard one of the Spanish ships, and although Amyas pursues him relentlessly, he has to sit by and watch a storm tear the Spaniard’s ship apart. Amyas curses that he himself was not able to kill Don Guzman and thus avenge his brother’s death.Amyas spends time in the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela seeking gold, and in the process finds his true love, the beautiful Indian maiden Ayacanora. During the return journey to England, he discovers that Rose and his brother Frank have been burnt at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition. He vows revenge on all Spaniards, and joins in the defence of England against the Spanish Armada. When he is permanently blinded by a freak bolt of lightning at sea, he accepts this as God's judgement and finds peace in forgiveness. Samuel Schoenbaum (1987). William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life. Oxford University Press. p.120. ISBN 978-0-19-505161-2. In fact, it turns out that the town of Westward Ho! is the only one in the UK to include punctuation marks (pretty cool fact!) Located just over a mile down the coastline from ever popular Bideford, you’ll find Westward Ho! Kingsley dedicated the novel to Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, and Bishop George Selwyn, whom he saw as modern representatives of the heroic values of the privateers who were active during the Elizabethan era. At last, the ship reaches Devon, and Amyas takes Ayacanora to his home, where his mother welcomes her and treats her as a daughter. During the voyage, Yeo discovers that she is the little maid he promised Oxenham to protect, and he becomes a father to her. Amyas treats her as he might a sister, but Ayacanora is not happy at this treatment.

Westward Ho! Or The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight of Burrough, in the County of Devon, in the reign of Her Most Glorious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, Rendered into Modern English by Charles Kingsley’. In fact, Charles Kingsley’s novel proved so popular that there was a renewed interest in North Devon among wealthy Victorians. Rich businessmen in nearby Bideford saw the tourism potential almost immediately. Although originally a political radical, Kingsley had by the 1850s become increasingly conservative and a strong supporter of overseas expansion. [4] The novel consistently emphasises the superiority of English values over those of the "decadent Spanish". [1] Although originally written for adults, its mixture of patriotism, sentiment and romance deemed it suitable for children, and it became a firm favourite of children's literature. [5] A little outside of the village, you’ll find the quaint little pub of The Pig on the Hill. As the name suggests, the eatery is located at the very summit of a hill and provides amazing views over the surrounding countryside. Holy Trinity ChurchAfter more than three years, the little band reaches the shore of New Granada. There, after a furious fight, they capture a Spanish galleon. After they secure her and set sail, they go into the hold and release the prisoners the Spaniards have aboard. One of them is Lucy the witch, who tells them of the horrible fate of Rose and Frank. Before Eustace disappeared from La Guayra, he reported to the Inquisition that Rose kept her Protestant faith. She and Lucy were taken before the terrible tribunal, where Frank was also turned over to the torturers. Lucy confessed that she accepted the Catholic faith, but Frank and Rose, refusing to yield to the Inquisitors, were tortured for many days before they were burned at the stake. When Amyas hears this story, he is like a madman, vowing never to rest until he kills every Spaniard he sees. Two Spanish dignitaries on the ship witnessed the burning of Frank and Rose, and Amyas has them hanged immediately. Set in the 16th-Century, the story follows theCorsair’s (fancy word for pirate) journey to sea with Francis Drake (a famous confidant toQueen Elizabeth I). The book includes fights with the Spanish in the Americas, searches for gold and life in Devon.