The Children of the New Forest was published by Henry Hurst in 1847 and is Marryat’s most enduring contribution to children’s literature — a historical adventure set during the English Civil War that has remained continuously in print for nearly two centuries. The four Doricourt children, orphaned by the war and hidden from Parliamentary soldiers by a faithful old forester, must learn to survive in the depths of the New Forest by farming, hunting, and living off the land.
The novel’s appeal is rooted in one of the most powerful fantasies of childhood: children living independently, without adult supervision, mastering practical skills and proving themselves capable and resourceful. Marryat — drawing on his own love of country pursuits — describes the children’s education in woodcraft, animal husbandry, and self-sufficiency with infectious enthusiasm. Edward, the eldest, learns to manage a farm; Humphrey experiments with agriculture; Alice keeps house; Edith tends the garden. The practical detail is one of the book’s greatest pleasures: readers learn exactly how to set a snare, build a fence, or manage a cow.
The historical setting provides both adventure (the danger of discovery by Parliamentary soldiers, the intrigue of the Cavalier cause) and moral instruction (the children must learn when to fight and when to hide, when to trust and when to suspect). The novel’s political sympathy is clearly Royalist, but Marryat treats the Parliamentarians fairly — they are misguided rather than evil — and the novel’s resolution involves reconciliation rather than revenge.
Collecting The Children of the New Forest
First edition (Henry Hurst, London, 1847): Two volumes, cloth boards.
Market values:
- First edition (2 vols): $400–$1000
- Victorian illustrated editions: $50–$150
- Early twentieth-century editions: $15–$40