Captain Marryat (1792 - 1848) was a contemporary of Charles Dickens noted for his sea stories. Marryat began writing after a distinguished career in the British Navy. His time and personal experience in the Navy enhance his stories. Works by Marryat include Other works include The King's Own (1830), Newton Forster; or, The Merchant Service (1832), Peter Simple, and The Three Cutters (1834), Jacob Faithful (1834), The Pacha of Many Tales (1835), Japhet, in Search of a Father (1836), and The Pirate (1836), "Jacob Faithful, " published in 1834, is the story of the life and adventures of a boy who was born and brought up on a lighter (small river-barge) on the River Thames. As the barge flows through London Marryat gives the reader a glimpse at contemporary London and life on the river in the early 1800's.