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The Rev. Monckton rescues 10 year old Tom Bowling from a drunken pedlar and his daughter teaches him the 3 R's. He goes to sea when he is 12 soon attracts the patronage of Nelson and Collingwood. He is rapidly promoted and becomes a post captain at 20. After marrying he finds that he is really the stolen son of a noble family. He serves through the Napoleonic wars, and dies as Admiral Sir Thomas Bowling, Governor of Greenwich Hospital. The story is said to be based on the life of Captain Richard Bowen (1761-1797) who was killed in the action at Teneriffe in which Nelson lost his arm. The story encompasses detailed accounts of real naval actions and first-hand descriptions of conditions in the Royal Navy.