Cover of The Old English Baron

The Old English Baron

by Clara Reeve

First published
1777
Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"The Old English Baron: a Gothic Story" by Clara Reeve is a Gothic novel first published in 1778. When Sir Philip Harclay returns to medieval England, he discovers his dear friend Arthur Lord Lovel is dead and the family estate sold. Among the new baron's household, he meets Edmund, a peasant's son whose striking resemblance to the lost lord raises troubling questions. As Edmund faces the enmity of his benefactor's nephews while loving the baron's daughter, supernatural forces begin to reveal long-buried secrets about his true identity and a terrible crime.

  • Historical fiction
  • Inheritance and succession
  • England
  • Gothic fiction
  • Nobility
  • Great Britain

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #5182. The Old English Baron on Wikipedia.