Old English

Although octogenarian Sylvanus Heythorp is still chairman of a shipping company, he is £14,000 in debt to creditors from a personal loan which he cannot repay. He is well-liked and affectionately called 'Old English' by the people of Liverpool, allowing him to settle a fixed amount to be paid from his salary, which all but one of the creditors, Charles Ventnor, begrudgingly accept. Ventnor asks Heythorp to settle his £300 debt to him in full, but Heythorp refuses. Mrs. Rosamund Larne, the widowed wife of Heythorpe's late illegitimate son, asks for an increase in his support money, among other changes she was forced to make she has eliminated dance and music lessons her daughter was receiving. His grandchildren, Phyllis and Jock love him dearly and call him by the nickname 'Gardy', but they do not know he is their grandfather. He hits upon an idea to provide them with an independent income for life, by buying four ships for his company from owner Joe Pillin for £60,000, and taking a 10