Warriners

The Warriners farm Low Farm at Watersmeet which supplies milk to Beckfoot. They decide that the farmhouse is more like Dixons than Swainsons, although as Roger points out there were no geese (SD26).

Low Farm is a dairy farm as it supplies milk; while there are reference to "Bess" the Warriners' sheep-dog (PM26,29), the dog may be used for rounding up cows or they may run sheep as well.

Jacky Warriner

Jacky Warriner is a small boy "not bigger than Roger" (SD26).

appearances

• Swallowdale:

When Susan asked Oughtn't we to get some milk before we start up Nancy says We'll get milk at Watersmeet. The farm's just through these trees"' but as they had not milked yet there was enough for tea but Jacky brings more to their camp in the morning. (SD25) Jacky, a small boy not bigger than Roger brings the Kanchenjunga expedition milk in a huge milk-can; when a loud call calls Jacky then JACKEE, he says Happen I'd better be going. (SD26)

• Pigeon Post: they lay wait in the road for the boy who brought the morning's milk from Low Farm for Beckfoot (PP5). Later (PP34) one of the men from Atkinsons says about fighting the fire from the other side There's Low Farm at Watersmeet ... But they've nobbut the old man and a li'l lad.

• The Picts and the Martyrs: Jacky supplies Beckfoot and the D's in The Dog's Home with milk and teaches Dick and Dorothea to guddle (that is, tickle) trout. He is described as "a smallish boy, yellow-haired, blue-eyed and red-faced" (PM11). Dorothea says that he is a better Pict than we are, in the chapter called A better Pict than either of us (PM11). In (PM26) Jacky says And my dad's coming with our Bess. She's a right clever dog. Hasn't nobody telled you?, and the Postman says gloomily There's young Jacky with a tongue that'd talk the hind leg off a Herdwick sheep. At the end (PM29), the D's see Jacky with his father and their sheep-dog; Jacky complains They won't be dragging t'lake (for the missing Great Aunt) after all.

• 'Coots in the North': an appearance by Jacky is hinted at in Hugh Brogan's analysis of Arthur Ransome's sketch notes to this incomplete novel; Jacky's Cumbrian mannerisms would provide contrast to the Death and Glories' Norfolk.

Jacky's parents

Jacky's father is described as an old man (PP34); nevertheless he is Jacky's father: "I'se going wi' dad to market today. We've young pigs to sell." (PM14). (The elderliness of Jacky's father is an interesting variation of the fatherless phenomenon in the Swallows and Amazons series.) He is with Jacky in the crowd at Beckfoot (PM29).

Jacky's mother: Jacky says to the D's My mother don't think much of tinned stuff (PM11). She rolls fish in flour; is it her calling "Jacky! JACKEE" (PM13)?