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Article: The Real Stephen Lavender

13/1/2017

41 Comments

 

THE REAL STEPHEN LAVENDER

(TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION)

Thanks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, there is always a risk when you use real-life characters from history in your fiction that someone, or something, will pop up out of the ether and surprise you.
Real-life people, like my Detective Stephen Lavender, have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And I knew that if Lavender's descendants ever decided to research their ancestor on the Internet, the chances of them stumbling across my novels was high. This thought actually made me a little nervous because although I’ve used Lavender’s name and two of his real cases in my novels, I knew hardly anything at all about the man himself. I used a lot of artistic license and imagination to flesh out the details of his personality and family life. 

I focused on information I gleaned from reference books and contemporary newspaper articles about his work as a Principal Officer with Bow Street Police Office and just made up the rest. I didn’t even know how old the real Stephen Lavender was when he went up to Northumberland to solve the mystery of the stolen rent money from Kirkley Hall in Ponteland. And when I introduced this hired private detective to my readers in Catching the Eagle I made him a mature thirty-year-old man.
Picture
Kirkley Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland
I’d often wondered if any of Lavender’s descendants were still living and if so, what they would make of my fictional representation of their ancestor? Would they like him and approve of the bookish, educated and slightly-introverted character I’d created? Or would I be facing a court case for defamation of character? As a cheeky, writer friend once pointed out, “the phrase ‘loosely based-upon’ can be very useful in times like these, Karen.”
I finally got my answer in December 2016 when I was contacted by several of Stephen Lavender’s descendants. Thankfully, the first message that landed in my inbox from Australian, Richard Kinch, began with the words:
'Thank you for making my ancestor famous!’ 
Richard’s delight with novels about his ancestor clearly out-weighed any concerns he had about historical inaccuracies. 
The contact from Richard was quickly followed by more messages from other Lavender relatives including Lesley Morgan, another Aussie descendant. In fact, it turns out that Australia is teeming with Stephen Lavender’s relatives. He had nine children. Two of his sons, and one daughter, emigrated to Australia in the 1850s. There are Facebook pages and online groups all over the southern hemisphere dedicated to connecting the Lavender relatives and exploring their genealogy.
Lesley, in particular, was incredibly helpful and informative. She told me about the real-life background to my character and explained the family history to me. She also put me in touch with a British relative, Alister Palmer, who lives in Bristol. We exchanged many emails and a fascinating picture of the real man began to emerge.

I already knew from my research, that several other members of Stephen Lavender’s family worked for Bow Street Police Office in the early nineteenth century but I didn't know that his father, Edward, was a clerk there. In my novels I've given him a father called John and a Church of England vicar for a maternal grandfather.  Also in my fictional character's background is a Grammar School education and an unhappy year spent at Cambridge University studying law. From Lesley I learnt that after starting an apprenticeship in 1803 with the horse patrol, Stephen was created a Principal Officer in 1807. 
Picture
Bow Street Magisgrates' Court & Police Office
But the biggest surprise was that the real Lavender wasn’t born until 1789. This means that he became a Principal Officer at the tender age of eighteen and was barely twenty when he was sent up to Northumberland to solve the mystery of the Kirkley Hall robbery. I know his investigation in this instance was meticulous and thorough – I’ve seen the court case documents at The National Archives in London – so he must have been a real child prodigy in the Regency world of policing. I wonder what thirty-seven-year-old Jamie Charlton, whom Lavender accused of the Kirkley Hall robbery, made of the situation when he was arrested and charged by a young man who was barely shaving?
I’ve always known that the London newspapers adored Stephen Lavender and zealously – and sometimes inaccurately – reported his cases and forays into the seedy underbelly of the crime-ridden capital. In 1818, Lavender solved the mystery of the vicious attack on an elderly man, William Sculthorpe in Northamptonshire (the basis for my novel, ‘The Sculthorpe Murder’) and this case was extensive reported by the London press. I wonder if his fresh-faced youth helped to make him so popular with the newspapers of the time?
Lavender, and his young family, left Bow Street in 1821 when he took up the position of Deputy Chief Constable in the industrial northern city of Manchester. Sadly, he died there in June 1833 at the relatively young age of forty-four. I’ve found his obituary written in over thirty British newspapers. He really was a celebrity in nineteenth century England.
So, what happens now?  I hear my readers ask. Will you chop a decade off Lavender’s age, remove his fictional education and his gorgeous and exotic Spanish wife in order to bring the fictional character back into line with the real man?
No. I intend to carry on as before, ‘loosely basing’ my detective on the life of the real man and occasionally dipping into the archives to find more of Stephen Lavender’s cases to flesh out into an intricate plot. I hope to continue to share information with Lesley Morgan and Alister Palmer for the benefit of all of us who are interested in this fascinating man.
And anyway, I’m not sure that my mystery-reading public is ready for a detective barely out of his teens.
 
In this instance alone, the truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

41 Comments
Lesley Morgan
13/1/2017 01:34:37 pm

Hi Karen What can I say Congratulations !!!! Wow !!!! Cheers Lesley

Reply
Karen Charlton link
13/1/2017 02:38:48 pm

Thank you, Lesley. xx

Reply
Patricia Lambert
13/1/2017 02:29:33 pm

I love history. So this information is great.

Reply
Karen Charlton link
13/1/2017 02:39:42 pm

I'm really glad you found it interesting, Patricia. x

Reply
Gail Riffle
13/1/2017 02:38:32 pm

Hello, Karen! I love your Lavender character and his delightful personality, as well as his sidekick, Constable Woods. I have now read all of your books available through Amazon USA....on my Kindle reader. I have really enjoyed each book, and wish that I had read the book about your years of research before I read all the short stories and novels! In any case, I ordered all of your books for my Kindle and have spent many lovely evenings with my coffee or tea or occasional rum and Coke :).....enjoying the many characters/families, plots, twists and turns of each segment of the series. As an American reader, I have only recently discovered the numerous wonderful British authors and their period pieces which I truly love reading. At the same time, we have been getting access to more British television programs which are primarily period programs as well. I am hooked on both the books and the television shows and movies. You Brits can write some fine mysteries and the backdrop of truly beautiful and magical Great Britain.... in the times in history of each tome.....makes time spent so very worth while for the reader or viewer!! Thanks for bringing this period of time and your characters and their part in the stories, so delightfully to life!! You have a reader for anything you write and publish in the future!!

Reply
Karen Charlton link
13/1/2017 04:14:32 pm

It's my pleasure, Gail.I absolutely love spending my time in the company of Stephen Lavender and Ned Woods and I am now 73,000 words into the fourth novel, 'Plague Pits & River Bones.' Hopefully, it should be published later in the year. Best wishes, Karen Charlton x

Reply
Sheila Churchill
13/1/2017 03:59:25 pm

This is wonderful. I love your books, esp finding the Eagle, and this is terrific news.

Reply
Karen Charlton link
13/1/2017 04:16:28 pm

Thank you, Sheila. I know that I've had your support from the early days of my literary career and I'm grateful for that. xx

Reply
Mary Morris
13/1/2017 04:39:04 pm

Hi
Love the books. When is the next one coming out?

Reply
Karen Charlton link
14/1/2017 12:14:56 am

Hi Mary, I'm 73,000 words into 'Plague Pits & River Bones' - the fourth book in the series - and I hope that it will be finished soon and published later this year. I'm glad you like the novels. Best wishes, Karen x

Reply
BettyTollner
14/1/2017 08:26:41 pm

Hi Karen! I have read all your Detective Lavender books. I have enjoyed each one immensely! Thank you so much for writing them and bringing the characters to life.
I think it is fabulous that Detective Lavender's family has contacted you. It is rewarding to be able to share information and insights about him.
I am looking forward to your next book!
Betty

Reply
Karen Charlton link
16/1/2017 05:14:08 am

Thanks, Betty. It's always great to hear from fans like you. I'm glad you enjoyed the books. Karen xx

Reply
John Hopper
13/12/2017 12:14:12 pm

Dear Karen, you can count me also as a great fan of your books. I have read the first two novels and one of the short stories so far. I only very recently realised you had based him on a real character. Best wishes, John

Reply
Karen link
4/1/2018 01:53:09 am

It's wonderful to have your support, John. Thank you.

Reply
John Hopper
15/6/2018 12:52:11 pm

Continuing to enjoy your novels hugely, Karen. Just finished The Sculthorpe Murder. I have Plague Pits and River Bones and all the eagle books downloaded to my Kindle also. Have reviewed all the books I've read on Amazon and elsewhere.

Jane
20/1/2018 03:28:15 pm

Just finished reading Plague Pits and River Bones. Feeling bereft already as I wait for the next thrilling instalment! Hate that one races to get to the end of a novel because its so crucial to know what is going to happen next and then of course one has the agony of parting with old friends and their world until the next long awaited instalment. The detective Lavender mysteries illustrates this timeless reading dilemma perfectly!

Reply
karen Charlton link
21/1/2018 03:38:59 am

I'm so glad you enjoyed 'Plague Pits & River Bones, Jane. But please take heart - I'm now half way through the next novel: 'Death of a Lothario'. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Best wishes, Karen Charlton x

Reply
Julia
18/2/2018 11:16:24 pm

I just finished listening to Plague Pits & River Bones. Brilliant! I'm curious why there is no audio book of Catching the Eagle available. Michael Page has been a brilliant narrator for your novels, and I was looking forward to hearing his growling Constable Woods yet again. Please keep the series coming. I'm a big fan. I can't wait for Death of a Lothario!

Reply
Karen Charlton link
21/2/2018 01:30:17 am

Yes, Michael Page is fantastic, isn't he? I love listening to him reading my stories back to me. 'Catching the Eagle', my debut novel, isn't part of The Detective Lavender Series published by Thomas & Mercer. After I regain my publishing rights to this novel from my very first publisher, I self-published it under the Famelton Imprint. I've never thought about having an audio book made. Maybe I should? Thanks for the idea, Julia. Best wishes, Karen Charlton

Reply
Lisa
20/2/2018 04:08:55 am

I downloaded 4 of your books on Friday of last week, and couldn't stop reading from the second I opened Linn Hagh.
I finished Skulthorpe last night, and am about to start on Plague Pits. Lovely writing, brilliant characterisation. So happy to know there's another one on the horizon!

Reply
Karen Charlton link
21/2/2018 01:21:51 am

I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Lisa. Please leave me a review on Amazon if you have time. Best wishes, Karen Charlton x

Reply
Graham
18/3/2018 06:21:54 pm

Hello Karen. I too have very much enjoyed your books. However I have a query concerning the historical information. You indicated that the real Stephen Lavender was apprenticed to the horse patrol in 1793. If he was really born in 1789 he would have been four years old then which doesn’t seem feasible. Are you sure the 1789 birthdate is correct?

Reply
Karen Charlton link
30/3/2018 06:20:14 am

Hi Graham, Thank you for pointing this out. I'd put in the wrong date for when Lavender joined the Horse Patrol. I've corrected it now to 1803, which makes far more sense. I'm glad you enjoyed the books. Best wishes, Karen Charlton.

Reply
Terri Jones
14/5/2018 03:43:40 pm

Absolutely love your Detective Lavendar Series. I can't wait for book #5. the writing is fantastic. Keeps me interested all the way through. I listen to audiobooks on MP3. I wish the Eagle books were on audiobooks.

Reply
Karen Charlton link
21/5/2018 11:10:31 am

Thank you, Terrri. I'm so glad you enjoy the audiobooks. Michael Page is a fantastic narrator. x

Reply
Carol Knight
16/5/2018 11:28:58 pm

Really enjoying Inspector Lavender!! So interesting that he is based on a real person and that you have all the history and connections for him. Can't wait for the next book!!

Reply
Karen Charlton link
21/5/2018 11:12:12 am

Thank you, Carol. Not long to wait until book #5 now! 'Death of a Lothario' has a proposed publication date of March 2019.

Reply
Kevin Vine House Osterley
3/5/2019 02:17:00 am

Love the books!

Reply
JOHN HOPPER
19/9/2019 02:18:13 pm

Hi Karen, is there a sixth book in the series in hand?

Reply
Karen Charlton link
15/10/2019 06:07:01 am

Thank you, John and Kevin. yes, there will be a sixth book in the series. 'The Willow Marsh Murder' will be published on February 1st, 2020. Please sign up for my Occasional Newsletter to keep up-to-date with latest news. Best wishes, Karen x

Reply
Sandra Shaw
9/2/2020 09:16:52 am

Thank you for such wonderful characters

Reply
Karen Charlton link
27/2/2020 04:49:25 am

It's my pleasure, Sandra. x

Reply
Paul Cruickshank
28/4/2020 11:37:01 am

Hi Karen - love the books. Have just finished the Sculthorpe and am looking forward to Plague Pits. But I have only just found your blogs about Stephen Lavender, and found them fascinating. But I have to ask - what happened to Death of a Lothario? Was it actually published as Murder in Park Lane, perhaps?

Reply
Karen Charlton link
5/5/2020 06:29:55 am

Hi Paul, Yes, 'Death of a Lothario' was finally published as 'Murder in Park Lane'. My publishers were worried that the word 'Lothario' was to old-fashioned and unknown to use. :) So they changed it.

Reply
Lin Renaud
12/6/2020 12:01:35 pm

Karen, Your “Lavender” books are at the top of my favorites list. The stories are filled with exciting twists and turns. The dynamics between Lavender and Woods are very humanizing. So glad to be a participant in their friendship. Keep the mysteries coming as they take me to a vacation of the mind. “A reader lives a thousand lives.” (George RR Martin)

Reply
Karen Charlton link
15/6/2020 10:02:57 am

Thank you, Lin. I'm so glad you enjoy them. xxx

Reply
SYLVIA BATES
30/7/2020 04:22:00 am

I RECENTLY FOUND YOUR DETECTIVE LAVENDER BOOKS I AM NOT USUALLY A QUICK READER HOWEVER I HAVE READ THE FIRST 5 BOOKS IN TWO WEEKS AND ABOUT TO START THE SIXTH BOOK. WHEN IS BOOK 7 DUE OUT I LOVE DETECTIVE LAVENDER AND HIS SIDE KICK NED WOODS TOGETHER WITH ALL CHARACTERS, THE STORIES ARE FANTASTIC WITH ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS THAT MAKE A GOOD DETECTIVE MURDER MYSTERY

Reply
Karen Charlton link
9/9/2021 08:50:39 am

It's always lovely to hear from someone who has enjoyed my novels, Sylvia. Thank you. x

Reply
Casey Hahn
8/9/2021 10:29:38 am

I stumbled onto this series as it was in my recommendations from Amazon. I just purchased the 6th book in the series last night - I can never get enough! I look forward to reading your other novels as well. It's hard to find stories like this these days, and the humor, writing style, and intricate plots are wonderful! Thank you so much!

Reply
Karen Charlton
9/9/2021 08:49:00 am

Thank you, Casey, x

Reply
Pam Vernon
12/7/2024 12:23:16 pm

Hi Karen
I'm afraid thathave not yet read any of your books but I have recently started to research John Nelson Lavender, who is Stephen's brother. (Father Edward, Mother Mary Ann Nelson). John Nelson Lavender was also a police officer in London and appears to have been principal officer at Queen Square.
There are many newspaper stories about Lavender, but most of them do not state the forename, so it is not always possible to know which of the brothers is the subject. John Nelson Lavender became governor of Worcestershire County Jail in the early 1820s. Interestingly, Stephen's son, was also called John Nelson Lavender
and was baptised in Worcester in 1821, although records clearly state that he was a police officer in London.
Stephen;s wife, Sarah Carpmeal, was the daughter of another officer, and there is an article about the funeral which Stephen attended in 1808 just one year after their marriage.
Stephen was baptised on 24 February 1788 when parents Edward and Mary Ann were living in Bedford Street London. He was married in 1807 at the tender age of 19, so he really was an early starter.
Interestingly, I found another newspaper article referring to an officer named Stephen Lavender in the late 18th century. I wonder whether there is an uncle?

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