True story of sea rescue heroine inspires Torquay author’s latest novel

An extraordinary true story of a fisherman’s daughter who devoted her life to sea rescues has inspired a new historical novel by Torquay author Jason Mann.

In 1874, Margaret Brown (later Armstrong) stood helplessly on a windswept Northumberland beach as rough seas claimed the lives of her father and three brothers. She was left with the heartbreaking task of pulling their bodies from the waves.

Out of grief came courage: Margaret went on to help establish her community’s first lifeboat and took part in rescues for more than 50 years, often hauling the vessel into the surf and recovering it after missions.

This remarkable legacy sparked The Silver Tide, the third novel by journalist and author Jason Mann, who writes as J.H. Mann and lives in Wellswood, Torquay.

“I heard about Margaret Brown’s tragic and brave story while acting as a shore-based volunteer for the lifeboat service and was immediately captivated,” said Jason. “I realised it could form the heart of a powerful novel.

“Of course, my story is completely fictional though it is certainly true to say that it was inspired by real events and real people. One significant difference is that The Silver Tide is set in Cornwall whereas Margaret Brown’s story took place much further north in the Northumberland fishing village of Cresswell.”

In the novel, young Maggie Pascoe is left destitute after a similar disaster — but in her case, the tragedy is no accident. “It’s a story of love, betrayal and one woman’s fight for justice,” said Jason.

Jason’s previous novels, The Echoing Shore and Hidden Depths, also set in Cornwall, have won awards in the UK and the United States. Most recently, The Echoing Shore won a major adult fiction award at the 2025 London Book Fair.

“The Silver Tide is set at a fascinating time in Cornwall’s history,” he said. “The book is named after the vast silvery shoals of pilchards that brought great wealth to Cornwall each summer and autumn.

"A 28-foot lugger of the type mentioned in the novel could catch up to 30,000 pilchards in a good night of fishing. Even more effective was seining which typically involved three boats working together with large nets.

"In 1851, off the coast of St Ives, a pilchard seine-net was estimated to have captured sixteen and a half million fish, weighing in at 1100 tons. Sadly, even the huge fish stocks of the Atlantic had their limits and by 1930 this once-great industry had all but vanished.”

He also paid tribute to those who assisted with the research behind the book. “The book involved a great deal of research and so I am hugely grateful to the many people and organisations who willingly gave their time. Their excellent advice helped me bring an authenticity and accuracy to the story which otherwise would have been impossible.”

Jason credited the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Met Office’s Meteorological Library and Archive among those who offered invaluable guidance. The cover artwork was produced by MiblArt, a Ukrainian company based in Lviv.

The Silver Tide is available now on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats.