The Children of the New Forest Quiz

Answer: Edward, Humphrey, Alice and Edith

At the beginning of the book Edward was 13, Humphrey 12, Alice 11 and Edith just 8. They were taken to the cottage of a forester after he overheard a troop of Roundheads planning to burn their family home.

Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are the children from "The Chronicles of Narnia".

Charles, Andrew, Edward and Anne are the children of Queen Elizabeth ll.

Tommy, Janie, Pete and Zuzu are the children from my favourite movie, "It's A Wonderful Life".

Answer: Colonel Beverley

Colonel Beverley was a Cavalier, which was the name given to the followers of both King Charles and his son, King Charles ll. He had died in battle.

Jacob Armitage was the name of the forester who took the children and raised them in the forest.

Villiers was the family name of the children's mother. The children's mother had died before the start of the story too.

Cromwell was the name of the leader of the Parliamentarians who opposed King Charles.

Answer: Looking after the chickens and egg collecting

As she was only eight year old, I do not think that handling an axe or a gun would have been a good idea for Edith. Instead of that, she looked after the chickens and collected their eggs. After a few years she used the profits from the chickens to add ducks to her flock.

Alice was taught to cook and keep house, with Edith as her assistant. The boys, Edward and Humphrey, took it in turns to learn to hunt and shoot. Humphrey enjoyed work closer to home, such as trapping and taming wild cattle from the forest, carpentry and farming.

Answer: A gypsy boy

Pablo the gypsy boy fell into the pitfall trap and could not escape. When he realised that "The Children of the New Forest" meant him no harm and fed him well, he much preferred to stay with them than to return to the gypsies. Over time he became a valuable member of the family and proved useful in many ways.

Humphrey did catch a New Forest pony as well, but that was not in a pitfall trap.

Answer: Patience

Although all four virtues were used as names, the young lady in question was Patience Heatherstone.

Edward went alone to collect the two puppies promised to Jacob Armitage, but Oswald Partridge their breeder was away from home. The serving girl did not see to a proper bed for Edward, so he was awake when the fire broke out and he was there to save her life. A good thing that was, too, as they fell in love and were married by the end of the book.

Answer: He was really a girl

Clara Ratcliffe and her father had been hiding in the forest cottage. She was disguised as a boy by her father, as he thought that she would be safer when left there alone. Robbers followed the father when he returned one time from a trip to buy supplies and they later regrouped to attack the cottage. The Beverley boys and Pablo found out and they killed the robbers.

Mr Heatherstone, the Superintendent, was informed and he recognised Clara as the daughter of an old friend of his. Clara returned with him to his home as it was more fitting than a cottage in the forest.

Answer: False

Although it is true that Mr Heatherstone, the Superintendent, was a Roundhead he did not inform the authorities of his suspicions. He had strong sympathies towards the Cavaliers and their cause. He was for the Monarchy, but against King Charles' attempt to assume total power over parliament.

He suspected the identities of the children as soon as he met Edward, but he understood their initial need for concealment. He tried to prove to them by his actions that he could be trusted as a friend. It took some time and several misunderstandings, but everything worked out well in the end.

Answer: Both of their fathers had died in the Battle of Naseby

Chaloner and Grenville were disguised as Roundhead troopers and "The Children of the New Forest" helped save their lives when the real Roundheads were searching the forest. After they were left in peace, the two Cavaliers were moved into the cottage that had been occupied by Clara Ratcliffe and her father.

Chaloner and Edward met first, in the service of Charles II and were comparing their histories. Chaloner was confused as he knew Edward by his adopted name. Both of their fathers had fallen at Naseby. Grenville was a page to the king and known to the the other two.

Answer: London

Alice and Edith went to the home of Chaloner's maiden aunts in Portlake, which they reached by taking a coach from London. Although they had been very happy in their New Forest cottage, they were both growing up to become young ladies. They went to the home of the older ladies to add the polish required to enter society when the time was right.

Edward was pleased that his sisters would be well looked after by a family who thought well of his father. He was getting ready to leave for France in the service of King Charles ll.

Humphrey remained at the cottage with Pablo the gypsy boy. He had turned it into a flourishing farm and was happy to remain there. He did not want to fight in the way that his brother did and pointed out that the profits from the farm would support his brother. He thought that was the best way that he too could support the Cavalier cause.

Answer: Charles ll return to London

Alice and Edith were watching the parade through London when they were spotted by Chaloner, Grenville and Edward.

By the end of the book, all four "Children of the New Forest" were happily married to Patience Heatherstone, Clara Ratcliffe, Chaloner and Grenville.

Charles II landed at Dover on 25th May and four days later arrived in London. His coronation as King of England and Ireland took place the following year. He had been crowned king in Scotland on 1 January 1651.

The canonisation of Charles I took place on 19th May, 1660. He was officially the first and, up to the time this quiz was written, the only saint of the Anglican Church.