The Magistrate was deeply in love with Fiona. He tried to engage to her, but she refused, because she was in love with a man named Valiant. On the day when Fiona was supposed to leave Hemlock Harbor with Valiant aboard the Unicorn (a ship), Flatbottom refused to let her leave and hired a prisoner to forge a letter to Valiant, saying it was from Fiona and telling him to leave "without me". He departed with a broken heart and died when the ship crashed upon sharp rocks. Fiona was heartbroken and died years after.
