The Armour of Light

The Armour of Light is a historical fiction novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. It is the fifth book in the Kingsbridge Series, and is the sequel to A Column of Fire.

The Armour of Light takes place in the years 1792–1824 in Kingsbridge, the same fictional English town in The Pillars of the Earth. Historical events at that time that influenced the plot include the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The industrialisation of textile manufacturing plays the leading role in bringing the story forward.

Follett touches on themes common to many of his novels, including class conflict between the working class and a corrupt gentry, abuse of power, and forbidden love.

Plot summary
The novel is set in United Kingdom 1792 to 1824, beginning in the village of Badford near the fictional city of Kingsbridge that is at the centre of Follett's Kingsbridge Series. Ruled by squire Riddick and his two eldest sons, Badford is a rural society where the lead protagonist, Sal Clitheroe, is a housewife and a spinner for the second lead part, out-putter Amos Barrowfield. Having suffered several difficult situations, Sal and her son Christopher (Kit), are forced to leave the village and set off for Kingsbridge, where she ends up working a Spinning jenny for Amos Barrowfield.

The novel then follows Clitheroe and Barrowfield through their professional career, love and family life, their involvement in and with civic organisations and government, with a backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars in continental Europe; the modernisation of Industry, Church and Labour market; climaxing around the Battle of Waterloo, ending in the 10 year period following Napoleon's defeat.

Village of Badford
The Clitheroes


 * Sal Clitheroe: a housewife and domestic spinner for the Barrowfields, and a Methodist. Lead protagonist.
 * Harry Clitheroe: her husband, a farmhand at Badford Manor.
 * Christopher "Kit" Clitheroe: their only son, born 1786.
 * Ike Clitheroe: Harry's uncle, also a farmhand at Badford Manor.

The Riddicks


 * Squire Riddick: Lord of the Manor, justice of the peace.
 * Will Riddick: his eldest son, born 1742, an officer in the Shiring militia.
 * The Reverend George Riddick: his middle son, rector of Badford and Overseer of the poor.
 * Roger Riddick: his third and youngest son, born 1753, a student at Oxford university, an inventor and a gambler.
 * Mr Platts: the butler at Badford Manor.
 * Mrs Jackson: the cook
 * Fanny "Fan": the maid
 * Cecil: the footman

Other villagers


 * Jimmy and Annie Mann: a farmhand and co-worker of Harry Clitheroe's, and his wife.
 * Alec Pollock: a barber surgeon.
 * Brian and Margaret Pikestaff: a selfowning farmer, and unofficial leader of the Badford Methodists, and his wife.

Kingsbridge
The Barrowfields


 * Obadiah Barrowfield: a clothier, alderman and an Anglican.
 * Mrs Barrowfield: his wife.
 * Amos Barrowfield: his son, born 1753, an out-putter for the family clothier business, a Methodist and Sunday School teacher. Lead protagonist.

The Box family


 * Joanie, and her daughter Sue: a spinning hand at Barrowfield's Mill.
 * Jarge Box: her brother, a weaver at Hornbeam's Mill, and a bell-ringer.
 * Dottie Castle: Joanie's and Jarge's aunt, their tenant.

The Northwoods


 * Lord Northwood, The Earl of Shiring
 * Henry, Viscount Northwood: his son, Colonel of the Shiring militia and a Whig MP.

The Latimers


 * The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of Kingsbridge, Stephen Latimer: Anglican bishop of Kingsbridge Cathedral.
 * Mrs. Arabella Latimer: his wife.
 * Miss Elsie Latimer: their daughter, born 1752, a Sunday School organiser.
 * (Linda) Mason: their maid
 * Reverend Kenelm Mackintosh: a Scotsman, the bishop's aide.

The Midwinters


 * The Reverend Canon Charles Midwinter: Anglican Canon of Kingsbridge Cathedral and a Methodist leader.
 * Janet Emily Midwinter: his deceased wife.
 * Julian and Lionel: his two eldest children, Methodists and students at Edinburgh University.
 * Jane: his daughter and youngest child, an aspiring socialite.
 * Alderman Drinkwater: his father-in-law, the chairman of the Kingsbridge justices of peace.

The Shovellers


 * David "Spade" Shoveller: a weaver, member of the Socratic Society, Methodist, and leader of the bell-ringers of the Anglican Cathedral
 * Betsy: his late wife
 * Kate Shoveller: his sister, one of the most accomplished seamstresses of Kingsbridge.
 * Rebecca "Becca" Liddle: a seamstress and Kate's companion,
 * Freddy Caines: the nephew of the late Mrs Shoveller, a Militia man and later soldier in the army.

The Hornbeams


 * Alderman Joseph Hornbeam: a major clothier, an alderman, and a justice of the peace, arrived in Kingsbridge in 1757. Main antagonist.
 * Linnie: his wife since 1773, a lowborn Londoner.
 * Howard: his son
 * Deborah: his daughter
 * Joe: his grandson
 * Simpson: the footman

Other townspeople of Kingsbridge


 * Alfred "Alf" Nash: a dairyman, and a member of the Socratic Society
 * Belinda Goodnight: Kingsbridge's leading gossip
 * Jeremiah "Jerry" and Susanne Hiscock: a printer and member of the Socratic Society, and his wife.


 * Sheriff Phil Doye: Kingsbridge sheriff.
 * Constable Reg Davidson: assistant of Sheriff Doye.
 * George "Gil" Gilmore: jailer.
 * Morgan Ivinson: executioner.
 * Iaac and Isobel Marsh: owner of a major dying business, and his daugheter, a friend of Deborah Hornbeam's.
 * Stan Gittings: a gambler.
 * Sport Culliver: an owner of a gamling den.

Non-fictional characters mentioned

 * Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of the French.
 * Charlotte Lennox, Duchess of Richmond: Organiser of the Duchess of Richmond's ball.
 * Ned Ludd: Fictional figurehead of the Luddites.
 * Thomas Paine: Founding Father of the United States of America and author of the book "Rights of Man".
 * William Paley: Anglican Archdeacon, Scholar, and author of the pamphlet Reasons for contentment: addressed to the labouring part of the British public.
 * William Pitt the Younger: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
 * Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington: a British military leader during the Napoleonic wars.
 * John Wesley and Charles Wesley: Anglican priests, founders of Methodism and hymn writers.