Beatrice of old York

Description

"Beatrice of Old York" by E. A. Taylor is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. Set on both sides of the Atlantic during the War of 1812, it follows spirited Bee Goode (called Beatrice Haslem in England), steadfast young militiaman Ned Edgar, and Bee’s troubled cousin Vere Haslem as family loyalties, national identities, and personal convictions collide. Themes of Methodism versus gentry privilege, duty versus conscience, and British-Canadian resilience frame a fast-moving tale that leads to the American attack on York (Toronto). The opening of the novel introduces Bee’s arrival from Canada to England to live with her autocratic grandfather, Sir John Haslem, where she quickly allies with Ned Edgar, a principled youth raised among Quakers and Methodists, and clashes with her vain cousin Vere. A vivid chapel scene features Private George Ferguson, a devout Irish Methodist whose lay preaching stirs both boys, though only Ned openly commits. War breaks out; Ned’s father summons him to Canada, and an arduous troopship voyage—marked by storm, scarcity, and Ferguson’s calming faith—lands him at Halifax, then Quebec and Kingston, amid news of Detroit and Queenston Heights. In York, Ned joins the militia under his father’s eye, resisting pressure to drink and to renounce his faith, while Bee, Sir John, and Vere arrive as shipbuilding lags. When the American fleet appears off the peninsula, York’s defenders fight along Humber Bay; Ned saves a wounded U.S. officer who proves to be Bee’s brother, Eli, then later carries the wounded Vere to safety as a devastating magazine explosion kills many on both sides. The section closes with York’s surrender and the looting that follows, as Edgar—accused for his ties to Indigenous allies—faces rough justice until Eli publicly attests to his character. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Girls -- Juvenile fiction
• Canada -- History -- War of 1812 -- Juvenile fiction
• PZ