Tag Archives: historical

The Dark Days of Dorcas

Debbie

Plot 

Dorcas, a little London waif was forced to work for a chimney sweep by the cruel Mrs Greems. Mrs Greems also had a lodger, a mysterious man known as Old Ben, who was kind to the children but Mrs Greems wanted to know what he was hiding.
dark days dorcas

Notes

Appeared

  • The Dark Days of Dorcas – Debbie: #62 (20 April 1974) – #77 (3 August 1974)

Cremond Hall / Cremond Castle / Blackwell Hall

Debbie, Nikki, Spellbound,

Plot

Cremond Hall had been the country seat of the Earls of Cremond for many hundreds of years. Now, it was uninhabited except for its custodian, Miss Hatherleigh, and the echoes of its past. Miss Hatherleigh tells strange stories of about the Cremond Hall (later referred to as Cremond Castle), each story had an individual title.

It was reprinted in Nikki under the name Blackwell Hall.

cremond

Notes:

  • In it’s first appearance it was referred to as Cremond Hall but later stories called it Cremond Castle.
  • The stories would mostly appear as standalone in sporadic issues although some stories did have 2 parts.
  • Was reprinted in Nikki under the name Blackwell Hall

Appeared:

  • Cremond Hall –  Spellbound:  #21 (12 September 1977)
  • Cremond Castle – Spellbound:  #38 (11 June 1977) – #52 (17 September 1977)
  • Cremond Castle – Spellbound: #67 (31 December 1977) –  #69 (14 January 1978)
  • Cremond Castle – Debbie and Spellbound: #275 (20 May 1978) – #277 (3 June 1978)
  • Reprints as Blackwell Hall – Nikki: #212 (11 March 1989) – #218 (22 April 1989)

List of Cremond Hall/Castle Stories:

  • The Doves of Sorrow  – Spellbound: #21 / Reprinted – Nikki: #212
  • Night of the Black Swans – Spellbound: #38 / Reprinted – Nikki: #213
  • The Little Crusader – Spellbound: #39
  • For the Love of Marie – Spellbound: #40 / Reprinted – Nikki: #214
  • The Rocking Horse – Spellbound: #41 / Reprinted – Nikki: #215
  • The Forgotten Music Box – Spellbound: #42 / Reprinted – Nikki: #216
  • The Sad-Eyed Princess – Spellbound: #43
  • The Tell-Tale Ring – Spellbound: #44
  • The Queen’s Destiny – Spellbound: #45 / Reprinted – Nikki: #217
  • Rosa Never Cries – Spellbound: #46/ Reprinted – Nikki: #218
  • Dance of Death – Spellbound: #47
  • The Lovely Lucinda – Spellbound: #48- #49
  • Loved at Last – Spellbound: #50
  • When the Sun Shines In – Spellbound: #51
  • Her Heart’s Desire – Spellbound: #52
  • Mary, Mary…  – Spellbound: #67
  • Night of the Black Archers – Spellbound : #68 – #69
  • The Minstrel Girl – Debbie: #275
  • Little Boy Lost… – Debbie: #276
  • Tell Laura I Love Her – Debbie: #277

The Dark Secret of Grimstone Grange

Spellbound,

Plot:

Orphan Polly Marsh worked at forbidding Grimstone Grange, owned by Harriet and Nathan Gaunt. Polly discovered that they kept imprisoned, Louise Lumley, believed to have died along with her parents in a fire at Grimstone Grange. Risking her life, Polly climbed into a derelict mill to help Louise escape.

dark secret grimstone grange

Notes:

  • Artists: Carlos Freixas

Appeared:

  • The Dark Secret of Grimstone Grange – Spellbound: #09 (20 Nov. 1976) – #18 (22 Jan. 1977)

The Maze

Bunty, , , , ,

Plot

On a school trip to a ruined Victorian mansion, Susie Waters wanders into a maze. When she comes out, she finds herself in Victorian times, when the mansion was a school run by the cruel Miss Grimstaff. Susie needs the key to the maze to get back, but Miss Grimstaff has it. So Susie is forced to stay at the school, where she starts as one of the abused pupils and is then promoted to substitute teacher (but is still ill-treated) until she can get the key. In the meantime, Susie does what she can to help the abused pupils.

Notes

  • Art: “B Jackson”

Appeared

  • The Maze–  Bunty:  #1989 (24 February 1996) – #2000 (11 March 1996)

Eyes for Mary

Mandy, ,

Plot:

In Victorian times, Mary Tremayne is going blind and starts training her dog, Shep, as a guide dog. But guide dogs are ahead of her time, and she is meeting strong opposition.

Eyes

Notes:

  • Reprinted and translated into Dutch (as “Ogen voor Olga” – Eyes for Olga) – monthly Debbie Stripstory #9/1980.

 

Appeared:

  • Eyes for Mary – Mandy: #139 (13 September 1969) – #155 (3 January 1970)
  • Reprinted –  Mandy: #702 (28 June 1980) – #718 (18 October 1980)

 

The Willing Hands of Meg Smith

Mandy, ,

Plot

In Victorian times, Meg Smith turns her hand to any job available to make ends meet for her younger siblings.

willing hands meg smith
The Willing Hands of Meg Smith – 1967

Meg
The Willing Hands of Meg Smith – 1977

Notes

  • Reprinted with different artist
  • Art: Len Potts (1977)

Appeared

  • The Willing Hands of Meg Smith –  Mandy: circa #42 (4 November 1967) – (?)
  • Reprinted – Mandy:  #557 (17 September 1977) – #571 (24 December 1977)

 

Deadline for Cora

Judy,

Plot

Cora Blackett’s father, editor of the  ” Western Sun ” in America in 1880, had been kidnapped by tycoon Harley Barnwell, who wanted to silence the newspaper’s campaign to stop Moonridge Forest from being felled. But Cora took over the paper herself with the help of her Indian friend, Red Flower, and Tom, the printer. Cora organised a torchlight protest ride—but an angry Mr Buckley, the paper’s New York owner, turned up.

deadline-for-cora

Notes

  • Art: Bert Hill

Appeared

  • Deadline for Cora –  Judy:  #1216 (30 April 1983) – #1222 (11 June 1983)

A Mill Girl’s Story

Judy,

Plot:

England, 1830, and Sarah Deeping, with  her young brother, Samuel, and her widowed mother, had been forced to leave their Norfolk village to seek employment in the woollen mills of the North. Sarah and Sam worked at Hurn’s Mill, while Mrs Deeping gave some of the mill workers’ children an elementary schooling.

mill girls story

Notes:

  • Art: Paddy Brennan

Appeared:

  • A Mill Girl’s Story –  Judy:  #1134 (03 October 1981) – #1145 (19 December 1981)