Successively a Fellow at Lazarus, Vicar of St. Ewold's and Dean of the Cathedral of Barchester. He was a classmate and a constant friend of Mr. Crawley. He married Eleanor Bold.

Character criticism:

"...the favoured disciple of the great Dr. Gwynne, a high churchman ... a poet and also a polemical writer ...an eloquent clergyman, a droll, odd, humourous, energetic, conscientious man ... a thorough gentleman. ... He was above the middle height, well made, and very active. His hair which had. been jet black, was now tinged with gray, but his face bore no signs of years.... The cheek bones were rather too high for beauty, and the formation of the forehead too massive and heavy; but the eyes, nose and mouth were perfect. There was a continual play of lambent fire about his eyes, which gave promise of either pathos or humour whenever he essayed to speak, and that promise was rarely broken. There was a gentle play about his mouth which declared that his wit never descended to sarcasm, and that there was no ill-nauture in his repartee" - Barchester Towers