Digby Heathcote

At Bloxholme Hall, nine-year-old Digby has been indulged by his family and has developed a talent for getting into trouble. His raid on Mrs Carter's jam pots introduces a boy whose honesty and affection sit alongside careless mischief. His closest companion is his sister Kate, a lively maker of comic verses and drawings who shares his enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. William Henry Giles Kingston builds this children's novel around the education of a country gentleman's son, with English boarding schools among its subjects.

The household comedy gives way to greater anxiety when Digby disappears and snow frustrates the search for him. Cousin Giles arrives to organise inquiries while Kate waits for news. These contrasting scenes offer readers a story of family attachment, practical action and the effort to turn good intentions into considerate behaviour. Its direct moral commentary makes the lessons of school and home part of the narrative.