The Warden of Hiram's Hospital, who resigned when convinced that he was receiving more money than he was entitled to, and became Rector of the little church of St. Cuthbert's. Author of Harding's Church Music.

Most prominent in The Warden and Barchester Towers, but appears in each of, the six novels of the Barchester series.

"Mr. Harding is a small man, now verging on sixty years, but bearing few signs of age; his hair is rather grizzled, though not grey; his eye is very mild, but clear and, bright, though the double glasses which are held swinging from his hand, unless when fixed upon his nose, show that time has told upon his sight; his hands are delicately white, and both hands and feet are small; he always wears a black frock coat, black knee-breeches, and black gaiters, and somewhat scandalises some of. his more hyper-clerical brethren by a black neck handcherchief." - The Warden

Character criticism:

"Mr Harding holds the Barchester novels together ... With every aspect of the Barchester life he has been brought into contact, from the rough bullying worldliness of his son-in-law, the dominating autocracy of his bishop's wife, the bigoted aristocracy of De Courcy Castle, to the child companionship of his granddaughter Posy and the haughty tinsel splendour of Adolphus Crosbie.... He is Trollope's grandest gentleman." -Walpole