<P> Samuel Onedin (Christopher Douglas), son of Robert and Sarah and heir to his father's department store . As a youngster, he grew up with William and Charlotte and was more interested in the sea and ships . He became a stowaway on one of James's ships . On his father's death, he began to run the department store with his mother . Always fond of Charlotte, he married her when she became pregnant with William's baby . Charlotte never reciprocated his feelings, leading to an acrimonious parting after she went off with a sea captain leaving her two children . After a trip to the United States, he returned with a new bride, Caroline . An heiress to a fortune, she immediately put Charlotte in her place by taking full control of the children's upbringing . When Caroline's ambitions for Samuel's election as an MP in Daniel Fogarty's seat failed, she grew colder . Samuel secretly saw Charlotte . </P> <P> The original Charlotte Rhodes is frequently listed as being portrayed by a schooner built in 1904, in Fjellebroens Shipyard, Danmark, by F. Hoffman . Later the ship became unseaworthy so she was replaced by an other schooner called Kathleen & May; . Whilst there is a strong resemblance the Charlotte Rhodes was a victim of arson in the mid / late' 70s in Holland before the end of the series . This first link between the Kathleen & May and the Charlotte Rhodes is not until 2005 . A shrewd and often ruthless operator, James soon built up a fleet, assisted by the loyal Mr (later Captain) Baines (Howard Lang). His other sailing ships included the Pampero, the Medusa, the Søren Larsen, the Neptune, the Falcon, the Trident, the Osprey, the "Orphia", the "Oberon", the "Osiris", the steamship Shearwater, the Christian Radich, the Thorsoe, the steamer Black Pearl, the Jenny Peak renamed the Letty Gaunt, the Ondine, the Orlando, the Star of Bethlehem, the Teawynd and the Lady Lazenby . He also initiated the building of a steamship, the Anne Onedin (until the death of his wife, to be named the Golden Nugget). </P> <P> Series creator Cyril Abraham had originally envisaged The Onedin Line as being about a modern shipping company with its boardroom battles and seagoing adventures, but then he discovered that almost all such companies were run by boards of anonymous executives . However, he noticed that most of these companies had their origins in the 19th century, mostly started by one shrewd and far - sighted individual who, through his own business acumen, built up a shipping line from nothing . Abraham stated that James Onedin was not based on one individual but was rather an amalgamation of several characters . Suggested real - life inspirations include Victorian era shipping line owner James Baines & Co. of Liverpool (a leading character in the series was named' Captain Baines'), Sir Samuel Cunard and various members of the Allan Line family . </P> <P> An article in Woman magazine published in July 1973 featured an interview with Cyril Abraham in which he recalled how he came up with the very unusual family name Onedin . </P>

Who wrote the music for the onedin line