Captain John Quilliam RN (born Marown, Isle of Man 29 September 1771 - died Michael, Isle of Man 10 October 1829) was a Royal Navy officer and the First Lieutenant on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The names of some of the 'historical' characters – used in the background but not appearing in the stories – were taken from locations on the Isle of Man, such as Sir Crosby Marown (Crosby being a small village in the parish of Marown) and Harold Regaby.
This small river, or burn, has its origins in the waters of Eairy in the parish of Marown (Ordnance Survey Landranger SC296779) and enters the Irish Sea at Santon Gorge close to Cass-ny-Hawin Head, just south from the bay of Port Soderick and north of Ronaldsway Airport.