Charlotte Doyle Timeline and Summary

•  Back
• More 

• Charlotte writes "An Important Warning" to the reader, which begins her journal. Given the reference to Susan Coolidge's What Katy Did, published in 1872, the preface can be dated to at least 40 years after the writing of Charlotte's journal. Charlotte would thus be a grown woman and at least 53 years old when writing the introduction.
• Escorted by Mr. Grummage, a thirteen-year-old Charlotte boards the Seahawk in Liverpool England in June 1832.
• She sees an unidentified man shimmying up the ropes onto the Seahawk.
• Mr. Keetch, the second mate, warns Charlotte not to take the voyage. She does anyhow.
• Charlotte meets Zachariah, the ship's only black sailor. He gives her the dirk.
• Charlotte overhears a conversation in which she's called the "trump" (2.103).
• Charlotte meets Captain Jaggery.
• She takes ill and falls into swoon in her cabin. She gets nursed back to health by Zachariah.
• Zachariah tells Charlotte of the crew's revenge plot.
• Captain Jaggery asks Charlotte to be his eyes and ears.
• Charlotte shows Captain Jaggery the dirk, but he advises her to keep it.
• Charlotte has her hand kissed by Captain Jaggery in front of the crew on deck and is very proud.
• Charlotte is led down to the top cargo by Mr. Barlow where, later, she sees the grinning head carved into a nut.
• Charlotte decides to keep the dirk and stows it once again under her mattress.
• Charlotte gains her sea legs and takes on the role of the ship's boy.
• Zachariah presents Charlotte with trousers and a blouse, a miniature version of what the crew wears.
• Charlotte sees the pistol in Ewing's trunk and the round-robin in the crew's quarters. She informs Captain Jaggery of the crew's plans for a mutiny.
• Charlotte witnesses the murder of Mr. Cranick by Captain Jaggery.
• Charlotte then witnesses Zachariah's beating. She grabs the whip and accidentally flicks Captain Jaggery.
• Captain Jaggery withdraws his protection of Charlotte.
• Charlotte puts on her trousers and blouse and asks to join the ship's crew.
• The crew accepts Charlotte only on the condition that she climb up to the royal yard and back. She does.
• Charlotte lives with the men in their quarters in the forecastle and works with them every day.
• Charlotte climbs out onto the bowsprit to cut the line that entangles the flying jib.
• Charlotte calls the captain a coward, threatens to take him to court in Providence, and spits at his feet.
• Charlotte sees Zachariah in the rigging in the midst of the hurricane.
• Captain Jaggery charges Charlotte with the murder of Mr. Hollybrass.
• Barlow locks Charlotte in the brig.
• Zachariah visits Charlotte in the brig. She suspects him of murdering Mr. Hollybrass.
• Captain Jaggery brings Charlotte to trial.
• Charlotte is tried for murder and found guilty.
• Charlotte and Zachariah realize that it's the captain who murdered Mr. Hollybrass.
• Charlotte, Zachariah, and Keetch plot to stage a second mutiny.
• Charlotte attempts to steal the key to the gun cabinet but is met by the captain himself.
• Charlotte is made captain of the Seahawk.
• Charlotte is met by her family in Rhode Island.
• Charlotte's father burns her journal.
• Charlotte sneaks out of the house and returns to the Seahawk.