Birthright

Born in 1860 in Cornwall, Joseph Hocking was a Methodist minister and a novelist. Working in his preferred medium of fiction, Hocking used his writings to convey his teachings and messages of Christianity to the public.

Written as the memoir of Jasper Pennington, a young Cornish man who sets out on a mission to reclaim the family estate and it's lands which were taken from his father, and to re-establish his legacy. He fails, and as a result ends up in league with a gang of smugglers looking for treasure. His decency leaves him while in the company of these rapscallions and he surrenders to a life of crime and debauchery.

Through his extensive experiences, he manages to end up in a dungeon, fall in love, find treasure, "fell a horse with my fist", and much more. We don't want to ruin the end for you, but we will say that we were rooting for our young protagonist Mr. Pennington, and in the end, he does end up in a good place, learning many valuable lessons on goodness, decency, and grace along the way.