Kidnapped: a timeline
May. 12th, 2024 10:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regshoeRobert Louis Stevenson's father originally intended that his son should follow his own profession, lighthouse engineering, and was disappointed when Louis chose instead to pursue a literary life. However, RLS made the right decision in not becoming an engineer; as an inspection of the text of Kidnapped reveals, he could not do maths.
As with my Raffles and Flight of the Heron timelines, I'll make another post detailing how I worked all this out and the various problems involved. I'm putting this on Dreamwidth before publishing it on the website partly because it is so difficult, and I'm afraid I may have missed things, lost count or made errors in logic somewhere. If you would like to, I'd much appreciate any criticism of the counting and reasoning detailed in these two posts!
Apart from David's birth and the Jacobite risings, events during this period cannot be dated exactly; in each case I've made my best guess within the plausible range given by canon.
Mid-late 1690s: Alexander and, a few years later, Ebenezer Balfour born.
1715: Ebenezer runs off to fight in the Jacobite rising, and Alexander goes after him and brings him back.
c. 1716: Alan is born.
c. 1726: Alexander and Ebenezer both fall in love with Grace Pitarrow. Drama follows; in the end Alexander and Grace marry and settle in Essendean, leaving Shaws to Ebenezer.
12 March 1733 or 12 March 1734, depending on the edition: David is born.
Some time between the early 1730s and 1745: Alan enlists in the British Army.
1745 to 1746: The '45 happens. Alan deserts and switches sides at the battle of Prestonpans in September 1745, subsequently fighting in the Jacobite Army; sometime in the summer or early autumn of 1746 he escapes to France.
Early 1751: Grace dies.
Mid-May 1751: Alexander dies.
In this section, covering the first four days of the book, canon does not provide exact dates. I've made my best guess within the plausible range; the earliest possible dates are 1-4 June and the latest possible about a week later than that.
Monday 3 June 1751: Chapter 1. David leaves Essendean.
Tuesday 4 June: Chapter 2 and the first part of chapter 3. David arrives in Cramond, reaches the house of Shaws and meets Ebenezer.
Wednesday 5 June: Chapter 3 continues, chapter 4. David and Ebenezer argue, and David agrees to stay at the house of Shaws; he discovers the book his father gave his uncle; Ebenezer gives him money; that night Ebenezer sends David up the tower.
Thursday 6 June: Chapters 5 and 6. Ransome arrives at Shaws, and David and Ebenezer go to Queensferry; David goes to the inn and talks to the landlord; David is tricked on board the ship. The kidnapping.
This section can be dated exactly from canon. Although there are several problems with these dates, there are no definite contradictions and I don't think there are reasonable grounds to change any of them.
Sunday 16 to Monday 17 June: Chapter 8 begins during the evening or night of the 16th; the time is variable, so the following events may be during the night of the 16th or the early hours of the 17th. Shuan murders Ransome, and David takes up his new duties in the round-house.
Tuesday 18 June: Chapter 8 continues. David speaks to Shuan about Ransome.
Tuesday 18 to Wednesday 26 June: End of chapter 8 and beginning of chapter 9 summarise events during this period.
Wednesday 26 June: Chapter 9. The brig collides with the boat; Alan comes on board and speaks to Hoseason and David; the sailors plot to kill Alan, David warns him, they prepare for the siege of the round-house.
Wednesday 26 June, into the early hours of Thursday 27: Chapter 10. The siege of the round-house.
Thursday 27 June: Chapter 10 continues, chapters 11, 12 and 13. After the fight David and Alan keep watch by turns. Alan holds the parley with Hoseason in the morning. Alan and David talk and tell each other their stories, and David learns about the Highland situation and the Red Fox. Late at night, the brig is wrecked; David goes overboard and swims to Earraid.
Friday 28 June: Chapter 14 begins. David arrives on Earraid half an hour after midnight. In the day he investigates the island and finds escape impossible. Alan and the surviving sailors get ashore on Mull, where they fight, and Alan escapes; first Alan, and later the sailors, visit the house where David later stays.
Saturday 29 June: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; he explores more of the island, and settles upon the bay looking towards Iona as his base.
Sunday 30 June: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; he realises his money is lost, and sees the fishers in their boat.
Monday 1 July: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; the fishers return and tell him that the island is tidal; he crosses to Mull and reaches the old man's house.
Tuesday 2 July: Chapter 15 begins. David sets out across Mull about noon; about eight at night he gets to the house of the man with the financially flexible English, who agrees to be his guide.
Wednesday 3 July: Chapter 15 continues. David and his guide go to Hector Maclean's house, where they spend the night.
Thursday 4 July: Chapter 15 continues. David breaks with his guide, meets and parts from the blind catechist, and finally gets to Torosay, where he spends the night.
Friday 5 July: Chapter 16 begins. David crosses on the ferry to Kinlochaline, where he stays that night.
Saturday 6 July: Chapter 16 continues. David meets Mr Henderland, and stays at his house that night.
Sunday 7 July: Chapters 17, 18 and 19. David crosses the Linnhe Loch to Lettermore. Here he witnesses the murder of Colin Campbell, and reunites with Alan. David and Alan reach Aucharn about 10.30pm, and set off on their journey soon afterwards.
Monday 8 July: Chapter 20 and the beginning of chapter 21. David and Alan reach Glencoe, where they hide atop the rocks during the day; they come down about 2pm, rest at the burn, and set off again as night falls. They reach Corrynakiegh during the night.
Tuesday 9 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; Alan makes the cross for John Breck, and delivers it that night.
Wednesday 10 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; John Breck arrives about 12pm, and Alan sends him with the message for James.
Thursday 11 to Friday 12 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh.
Saturday 13 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; John Breck returns about 5pm, and Alan and David set off again immediately after their conversation with him.
Sunday 14 July: Chapter 22 begins. David and Alan reach the moor in the early morning and begin crossing; they stop to sleep about 12pm; after David oversleeps, they set off again in the afternoon and keep going into the night.
Monday 15 July: Chapter 22 continues, chapter 23 begins. David and Alan are ambushed by Cluny's men and taken to the Cage, where Cluny and Alan begin their card game.
Tuesday 16 July: Chapter 23 continues. The card game starts to go Cluny's way, while David lies ill; Alan asks for his 'loan'.
Wednesday 17 July: Chapter 23 continues, chapter 24 begins. David discovers Alan's loss of their money. They set out from Cluny's Cage, and cross Loch Ericht that night.
Thursday 18 July: Chapter 24 continues. David and Alan cross Loch Rannoch at dusk.
Friday 19 July: Chapter 24 continues. David and Alan travel on from Loch Rannoch, scarcely speaking.
Saturday 20 July, possibly continuing into the early hours of Sunday 21st: Chapter 24 continues, beginning of chapter 25. David and Alan reach Balquhidder on the night of the 20th. They quarrel, attempt to duel and reconcile. They reach Duncan Dhu's house.
Sunday 21 July to Monday 19 August: Chapter 25 continues. Alan and David in Balquhidder. David is ill in bed for no more than the first week (to 28 July), and Robin Oig's visit takes place during this time.
From this point onwards canon provides two contradictory exact datings. I've picked the one I think is most plausible; the alternative would put all events one day earlier.
Tuesday 20 August: Chapter 26 begins. David and Alan leave Duncan Dhu's house in the evening, travelling by night.
Wednesday 21 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan stay during the day at Duncan's friend's house in Strathire, then travel at night again.
Thursday 22 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan sleep during the day on the hillside in Uam Var, and again travel at night, reaching Allan Water.
Friday 23 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan spend the day on the islet near Stirling; that night they make their failed attempt to cross Stirling Brig, and then set out eastwards.
Saturday 24 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan reach Limekilns and meet the lass at the change-house; they hide in the wood all day, and she returns to ferry them across Forth after 11pm.
Sunday 25 August: Chapters 27, 28 and 29. David reaches Queensferry and meets Mr Rankeillor; they set off for the house of Shaws, picking up Alan along the way, that evening, and carry out their scheme when they arrive. Following successful negotiations with Ebenezer, they sleep that night at Shaws.
Monday 26 August: Chapter 30. Alan and David part at Rest-and-be-Thankful.
Between 1783 and 1787: David writes Kidnapped.
As with my Raffles and Flight of the Heron timelines, I'll make another post detailing how I worked all this out and the various problems involved. I'm putting this on Dreamwidth before publishing it on the website partly because it is so difficult, and I'm afraid I may have missed things, lost count or made errors in logic somewhere. If you would like to, I'd much appreciate any criticism of the counting and reasoning detailed in these two posts!
A timeline of Kidnapped
Backstory
Apart from David's birth and the Jacobite risings, events during this period cannot be dated exactly; in each case I've made my best guess within the plausible range given by canon.
Mid-late 1690s: Alexander and, a few years later, Ebenezer Balfour born.
1715: Ebenezer runs off to fight in the Jacobite rising, and Alexander goes after him and brings him back.
c. 1716: Alan is born.
c. 1726: Alexander and Ebenezer both fall in love with Grace Pitarrow. Drama follows; in the end Alexander and Grace marry and settle in Essendean, leaving Shaws to Ebenezer.
12 March 1733 or 12 March 1734, depending on the edition: David is born.
Some time between the early 1730s and 1745: Alan enlists in the British Army.
1745 to 1746: The '45 happens. Alan deserts and switches sides at the battle of Prestonpans in September 1745, subsequently fighting in the Jacobite Army; sometime in the summer or early autumn of 1746 he escapes to France.
Early 1751: Grace dies.
Mid-May 1751: Alexander dies.
Events of the book, part I
In this section, covering the first four days of the book, canon does not provide exact dates. I've made my best guess within the plausible range; the earliest possible dates are 1-4 June and the latest possible about a week later than that.
Monday 3 June 1751: Chapter 1. David leaves Essendean.
Tuesday 4 June: Chapter 2 and the first part of chapter 3. David arrives in Cramond, reaches the house of Shaws and meets Ebenezer.
Wednesday 5 June: Chapter 3 continues, chapter 4. David and Ebenezer argue, and David agrees to stay at the house of Shaws; he discovers the book his father gave his uncle; Ebenezer gives him money; that night Ebenezer sends David up the tower.
Thursday 6 June: Chapters 5 and 6. Ransome arrives at Shaws, and David and Ebenezer go to Queensferry; David goes to the inn and talks to the landlord; David is tricked on board the ship. The kidnapping.
Events of the book, part II
This section can be dated exactly from canon. Although there are several problems with these dates, there are no definite contradictions and I don't think there are reasonable grounds to change any of them.
Sunday 16 to Monday 17 June: Chapter 8 begins during the evening or night of the 16th; the time is variable, so the following events may be during the night of the 16th or the early hours of the 17th. Shuan murders Ransome, and David takes up his new duties in the round-house.
Tuesday 18 June: Chapter 8 continues. David speaks to Shuan about Ransome.
Tuesday 18 to Wednesday 26 June: End of chapter 8 and beginning of chapter 9 summarise events during this period.
Wednesday 26 June: Chapter 9. The brig collides with the boat; Alan comes on board and speaks to Hoseason and David; the sailors plot to kill Alan, David warns him, they prepare for the siege of the round-house.
Wednesday 26 June, into the early hours of Thursday 27: Chapter 10. The siege of the round-house.
Thursday 27 June: Chapter 10 continues, chapters 11, 12 and 13. After the fight David and Alan keep watch by turns. Alan holds the parley with Hoseason in the morning. Alan and David talk and tell each other their stories, and David learns about the Highland situation and the Red Fox. Late at night, the brig is wrecked; David goes overboard and swims to Earraid.
Friday 28 June: Chapter 14 begins. David arrives on Earraid half an hour after midnight. In the day he investigates the island and finds escape impossible. Alan and the surviving sailors get ashore on Mull, where they fight, and Alan escapes; first Alan, and later the sailors, visit the house where David later stays.
Saturday 29 June: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; he explores more of the island, and settles upon the bay looking towards Iona as his base.
Sunday 30 June: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; he realises his money is lost, and sees the fishers in their boat.
Monday 1 July: Chapter 14 continues. David on Earraid; the fishers return and tell him that the island is tidal; he crosses to Mull and reaches the old man's house.
Tuesday 2 July: Chapter 15 begins. David sets out across Mull about noon; about eight at night he gets to the house of the man with the financially flexible English, who agrees to be his guide.
Wednesday 3 July: Chapter 15 continues. David and his guide go to Hector Maclean's house, where they spend the night.
Thursday 4 July: Chapter 15 continues. David breaks with his guide, meets and parts from the blind catechist, and finally gets to Torosay, where he spends the night.
Friday 5 July: Chapter 16 begins. David crosses on the ferry to Kinlochaline, where he stays that night.
Saturday 6 July: Chapter 16 continues. David meets Mr Henderland, and stays at his house that night.
Sunday 7 July: Chapters 17, 18 and 19. David crosses the Linnhe Loch to Lettermore. Here he witnesses the murder of Colin Campbell, and reunites with Alan. David and Alan reach Aucharn about 10.30pm, and set off on their journey soon afterwards.
Monday 8 July: Chapter 20 and the beginning of chapter 21. David and Alan reach Glencoe, where they hide atop the rocks during the day; they come down about 2pm, rest at the burn, and set off again as night falls. They reach Corrynakiegh during the night.
Tuesday 9 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; Alan makes the cross for John Breck, and delivers it that night.
Wednesday 10 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; John Breck arrives about 12pm, and Alan sends him with the message for James.
Thursday 11 to Friday 12 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh.
Saturday 13 July: Chapter 21 continues. Alan and David at Corrynakiegh; John Breck returns about 5pm, and Alan and David set off again immediately after their conversation with him.
Sunday 14 July: Chapter 22 begins. David and Alan reach the moor in the early morning and begin crossing; they stop to sleep about 12pm; after David oversleeps, they set off again in the afternoon and keep going into the night.
Monday 15 July: Chapter 22 continues, chapter 23 begins. David and Alan are ambushed by Cluny's men and taken to the Cage, where Cluny and Alan begin their card game.
Tuesday 16 July: Chapter 23 continues. The card game starts to go Cluny's way, while David lies ill; Alan asks for his 'loan'.
Wednesday 17 July: Chapter 23 continues, chapter 24 begins. David discovers Alan's loss of their money. They set out from Cluny's Cage, and cross Loch Ericht that night.
Thursday 18 July: Chapter 24 continues. David and Alan cross Loch Rannoch at dusk.
Friday 19 July: Chapter 24 continues. David and Alan travel on from Loch Rannoch, scarcely speaking.
Saturday 20 July, possibly continuing into the early hours of Sunday 21st: Chapter 24 continues, beginning of chapter 25. David and Alan reach Balquhidder on the night of the 20th. They quarrel, attempt to duel and reconcile. They reach Duncan Dhu's house.
Sunday 21 July to Monday 19 August: Chapter 25 continues. Alan and David in Balquhidder. David is ill in bed for no more than the first week (to 28 July), and Robin Oig's visit takes place during this time.
Events of the book, part 3
From this point onwards canon provides two contradictory exact datings. I've picked the one I think is most plausible; the alternative would put all events one day earlier.
Tuesday 20 August: Chapter 26 begins. David and Alan leave Duncan Dhu's house in the evening, travelling by night.
Wednesday 21 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan stay during the day at Duncan's friend's house in Strathire, then travel at night again.
Thursday 22 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan sleep during the day on the hillside in Uam Var, and again travel at night, reaching Allan Water.
Friday 23 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan spend the day on the islet near Stirling; that night they make their failed attempt to cross Stirling Brig, and then set out eastwards.
Saturday 24 August: Chapter 26 continues. David and Alan reach Limekilns and meet the lass at the change-house; they hide in the wood all day, and she returns to ferry them across Forth after 11pm.
Sunday 25 August: Chapters 27, 28 and 29. David reaches Queensferry and meets Mr Rankeillor; they set off for the house of Shaws, picking up Alan along the way, that evening, and carry out their scheme when they arrive. Following successful negotiations with Ebenezer, they sleep that night at Shaws.
Monday 26 August: Chapter 30. Alan and David part at Rest-and-be-Thankful.
Future
Between 1783 and 1787: David writes Kidnapped.
no subject
Date: May. 12th, 2024 12:09 pm (UTC)However, RLS made the right decision in not becoming an engineer; as an inspection of the text of Kidnapped reveals, he could not do maths.
Heh.
no subject
Date: May. 12th, 2024 03:49 pm (UTC)(I hope the computer situation has been resolved easily, by the way!)