All of today’s subjects are British and all have formal names that are repetitive. Some of you will answer most of the questions immediately whilst others will struggle with Google to find the group to which they all belong. I had originally considered a wider group which would have included my favourite cave dweller but found sufficient members of a more closely related group. I think that I may have found all the members of this group but doubtless someone will find a carefully hidden stray that I have missed. If you do then please let me know of my missing person(s). NB To avoid the inconvenience of the English language I may use ‘he’ to embrace ‘she’ in old fashioned civil-servicese. If I use ‘she’ it may simply be to balance the genders and ‘she’ must be assumed to embrace ‘he’ as my contribution to equality. Both ‘he’ and ‘she’ and other gender forms may be used to refer to individuals or to representatives of their groups and sub-groups.
1. He is the largest of his family but, at the last count (2010) on the fingers of one hand, you may need to be staying at the Eagle’s Crag or Ghillie’s Rest to catch sight of him. A bonus would be other subjects in this list.
2. Her cousin* is most famous for a sleepy appearance in chapter VII in 1865 – though disappointingly more might have waited until 1951 when they got the hair of the eponymous heroine (not our subject) wrong. Our subject, a more recent immigrant than many of us, joined her cousin over thirty years after that first famous appearance where he had formed a trio with someone from Stockport and a persecuted friend whose persecution was described by Thomas More (in Utopia) as “a thing unworthy to be used of free men.”. Regrettably our list includes others who are similarly persecuted.
3. Typically sepia she enjoys a romp at the seaside but finds that the salt gets in her hair and she needs a regular fresh-water shower – even if American cousins manage to go without. Restricted to the Celtic fringes of Britain (Ireland is a favourite haunt) – and the Shetlands (is that Celtic or Viking?). Those wanting to say ‘hello’ to her and her cousins might search for a chestnut in Derbyshire, even though that’s far from their normal homes.
4. A relation of 5 he wears a bib throughout his life and lives in Scotland and Wales. Only a great friend would welcome the English trace though more would be happy to see a regular residence here. Purists may welcome his selective antagonism to swarthy recent immigrants.
5. Against all good science he has been wrongly made an enemy by Paterson though this May be shown to be wrong before it is too late. Once you have worked out the answer to this question please take note of that Queen and sign the petition.
6. Like 1 she is large for her family but on a different, much smaller, scale. Despite that she has a commanding view over the rest of us – but a totally foreign view. She finds her way between 22 and 86 (another Stockport** friend with a licence could translate that) but frequents 37 or thereabouts. Surprisingly she reverts to less specialised means for choosing her food.
7. This odd sort of pig (surely that must be an insult!) suffers from malnutrition in Scotland and has to find a new diet because his favourite food has been taken and often smoked for others.
8. This cousin of 6 uses 45 to 76 with a sweet spot at 47. Together with her soprano near twin she really is the smallest.
9. This is an asian immigrant even when termed Old English and must not be confused with a division of the Metropolitan Police or the fourth leaving Afghanistan. A potential victim of their brown relatives they may have few friends.
10. Our final subject has many enemies and many friends. With Cameron as her enemy you might guess (correctly) that I am a friend. As I friend I was pleased to commission a portrait of her – the first of a set of portraits that also included number 5 and a great hit with readers. Those who don’t know me may wish to find the home page of this site and follow clues to a magazine for help with the answer to this question.
That’s it. One overall group of Britons, new and old, with relationships one to another and mainly struggling to survive in our politically unforgiving world. Don’t forget the petition and do let me know if I’ve missed an example of that repeated name.
Enjoy!
*apologies if this clue is a touch laboured but our puzzle setter originally made the error of confusing the two cousins, not realising that the subject of our question had arrived on these shores (actually Tring) later than that 1856 chapter; understandable but unforgivable, and thanks to Matt for the clarification.
**an indulgent clue for relatives and some friends – others will have to cope without the guidance that ‘Stockport’ will give them here.