The People of This Parish — Rosemary Ellerbeck

‘The people of this parish,' Mrs Lamb went on, ‘quite rightly expect its members to conform to the decencies of society. For an unwed woman and man to live openly together ...'

The parish of Wenham is dominated by the grand manor of Pelham's Oak and its owners, the aristocratic Woodville family. However, the young master of Pelham's Oak, Sir Guy Woodville, is penniless. In a rare moment of responsibility, he agrees to a marriage of convenience in order to bolster the family fortunes.

Guy's only sister, Eliza, is beautiful but inclined to be a tomboy. For her the marriage brings new pressures. Her childhood home is hers no longer, and the thought of being forced into a similar society marriage is more than the rebellious Eliza can bear. Besides, she is already attracted to the son of a local builder, Ryder Yetman, a rugged veteran of the Zulu wars. The Yetmans, although prosperous, are not considered by the haughty Woodvilles to be their social equals, and the consequence of Eliza's and Ryder's passion for each other is irrevocable.

The story follows the fluctuating fortunes of the two families: the romances, rivalries and scandals, the financial catastrophes, the moments of joy and the personal tragedies. Set against the decline of the Victorian era, when hitherto rigid social conventions were being swept away, this colourful, evocative novel brings old Dorset and the people of a small parish vividly to life.