02761cam a22003733u 4500 76367 UtSlPG 20260610134752.0 m cr n 260607r20251897utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PR Besant, Walter, 1836-1901 The Master Craftsman Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2025 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2025-06-24 Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) The Master Craftsman by Walter Besant is a novel written in the late 19th century. It interweaves a Wapping legend of a lost bag of jewels with a contemporary London story about sudden poverty, temptation, and ambition. The likely focus is on Sir George Burnikel, his politically astute friend Lady Frances, and his determined cousin Robert, as money, class, and duty pull them toward an old mystery and new careers. The opening of the novel sets the hook with a prologue in 1804 Wapping: the tavern-haunting sailor John Burnikel flaunts a bag of gems he claims came from an Indian monarch, shows it to his grand-nephews, then dies; the nephews tear his cottage apart, can’t find the treasure, quarrel, and part in bitterness. Shifting to the present day, young Sir George learns his father has squandered the family fortune; a solicitor urges him to “marry money” or find a career, while Lady Frances presses him toward politics and even offers funds—offers he refuses. George is then visited by a strikingly similar-looking cousin, Robert, a Wapping boat-builder who believes in the family jewel-legend and seeks practical help to enter Parliament as an Independent; George agrees to find out how, and goes down to Wapping, where the river’s history and Execution Dock frame the path back to the family’s origins and the dormant mystery. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: London: Chatto & Windus, 1897 England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction Mate selection -- Fiction Cousins -- Fiction Politicians -- Fiction Treasure troves -- Fiction Boatbuilders -- Fiction https://archive.org/details/mastercraftsman00besauoft/page/n5 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76367 117092 117092