| Minor Characters In The Blandings Stories |
Article Index for Minor Characters |
Website Links For Minor |
Information AboutMinor Characters In The Blandings Stories |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MINOR CHARACTERS IN THE BLANDINGS STORIES | |
| lists of fictional characters by work | |
| lists of minor fictional characters | |
|
See also Here for a categorised list. LADY GEORGIANA ALCESTER One of Lord Emsworth 's many sisters, Lady Alcester is very fond of dogs (at one point she owns four Peke s (one of which is called Susan), two Pomeranian s, a Yorkshire Terrier , five Sealyham s, a Borzoi and an Airedale ), making her an ideal customer for her nephew Freddie Threepwood when he comes to England to promote his father-in-law Mr Donaldson 's dog biscuits; much to Freddie's disgust, she feeds her many dogs on "Peterson's Pup-food". The mother of Gertrude , in " Company For Gertrude " Lady Georgiana disapproves of her daughter's liaison with "Beefy" Bingham , until she learns of his prospects, and is even more against the crooning Tenor Orlo Watkins in " The Go-getter ". GERTRUDE ALCESTER Lady Georgiana 's daughter, a beautiful girl who is nevertheless miserable company for her uncle Lord Emsworth when, in " Company For Gertrude ", she is imprisoned at the castle to keep her away from her beloved, "Beefy" Bingham . Later, in " The Go-getter ", she becomes infatuated with Orlo Watkins , the Tenor , until she sees his weak, dog-fearing side. ANGELA Lord Emsworth 's niece, a pretty girl with fair hair and blue eyes. On the death of her mother Jane, sister of Lord Emsworth and Connie , Angela's money was put in trust until she reached twenty-five, the trustee being Emsworth himself. As a child, Beach was very fond of her, and often amused her with his Hippopotamus impersonation. Angela has long loved James Belford , who her Aunt Connie thinks unsuitable; when he goes away to work on a farm in America, she becomes engaged to Lord Heacham , but breaks it off on the return of her true love, in " Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey ". Her surname is never revealed. "PLUG" BASHAM The late Major Wilfred Basham, known to all as Plug, was a good friend of Galahad Threepwood , and features in many of the anecdotes Gally drops like leaves from a tree. A member of the Pelican Club , Basham once knocked "Stinker" Pyke out cold when, having started off throwing in ''Romano's'', he got a little carried away and moved on to a side of beef. His trouble was due to a custom of ordering quarts where others would be satisfied with pints, an old Basham family trait. His drinking was curtailed when, attending a wedding reception which became entangled with another wedding party being held at the same hotel, he was shock ed to find himself seeing two brides. He swore off the booze, and was fortunate to find an appetising and stimulating Teetotal beverage, by the name of Absinthe . Basham was also present for the incident of "Puffy" Benger and the thunderstorm. RUPERT BAXTER Lord Emsworth 's efficient secretary; see Main Article . SEBASTIAN BEACH Head butler at Blandings ; see Main Article JAMES BARTHOLOMEW BELFORD Son of a Parson living near the castle, who is on cordial terms with Lord Emsworth , Belford had a somewhat wild youth and was sent to America for some unnamed transgression. Finding work on a farm in Nebraska , he learns much, including the art of pig-calling. He returns to England after two years to find his childhood love Angela ; although he has enough to live on, he requires some capital to buy a partnership. He uses his farming wisdom and knowledge of pig calls to endear himself to her uncle and trustee, Lord Emsworth, in " Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey ". "PUFFY" BENGER Puffy Benger was a good friend of Galahad Threepwood and fellow member of the Pelican Club , who features in many of his humorous anecdotes of life in the wild 'nineties. On one occasion, staying at a cottage in Somerset shire for some fishing, with Galahad and "Plug" Basham among others, Benger's habit of telling outrageous lies came home when he described his girl as the fastest typist in England, and swore that she could play Chopin 's Funeral March in forty-eight seconds. He reproached Basham for suggesting that the lie was so outrageous that the house was in danger of being struck by lightning, saying that if it wasn't true, he hoped the house ''would'' be struck; which, of course, it promptly was. REV. RUPERT "BEEFY" BINGHAM Beefy Bingham is a big, strapping fellow, who became a friend of Freddie Threepwood in university days at Oxford , where he took part in rowing (for which he nearly got his blue) and swimming (for which he did). A rather clumsy, bumbling chap with a big red face, who regularly finds himself spilling drinks or tangling himself up in small tables covered in china. He has a dog of uncertain parentage, named Bottles. After university he became a Curate , and fell in love with Gertrude Alcester . He lacks an income to support her until, in " Company For Gertrude ", posing as a Mr "Popjoy" at Blandings and trying to ingratiate himself with Lord Emsworth wins him the living at Much Matchingham . The family, at first against the match, change their minds and become strongly in favour, on learning that Bingham is nephew and heir to a wealthy shipping magnate. Not normally a quick thinker, he knows how to stop a dog fight, a talent which comes in especially handy in " The Go-getter ". MONTAGUE "MONTY" BODKIN Lord Emsworth 's secretary for a time in '' Heavy Weather '', and nephew to Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe ; see Main Article . LORD BOSHAM See George Threepwood, Lord Bosham SUE BROWN A chorus girl, Sue is the daughter of Dolly Henderson . A tiny thing, mostly large and a wide smile, she has a dancer's figure and catches the eye of many a man, including Percy Pilbeam and in the past Monty Bodkin , to whom she was engaged for a spell, but when we first meet her in '' Summer Lightning '' she has been fiancée to Ronnie Fish for some nine months. Galahad Threepwood , who adored her mother in his youth, has a fatherly affection for her, and aids her considerably in her hopes of marrying Ronnie; although his sister Julia at one point accuses Gally of being her actual father, in fact Dolly Henderson married Jack Cotterleigh , a Irish Guards man, while Gally was in South Africa . After her mother's death, they moved to America for a time. HUGO CARMODY A tall and lissome man with light hair, a keen and talented dancer and a confirmed gossip, Hugo Carmody is an old friend of Ronnie Fish , with whom he first appears in '' Money For Nothing ''; the two of them found a Nightclub , "The Hot Spot", just off Bond Street , which goes bust, in part due to some after-hours trading. Ronnie, before being taken off to Biarritz by his mother Lady Julia to recuperate, insists on Hugo being given a job, so he becomes Lord Emsworth 's secretary, a few weeks before the start of '' Summer Lightning ''. While at Blandings , Hugo falls in love with, and becomes secretly engaged to, Millicent Threepwood , Lord Emsworth's niece. Their relationship runs into trouble, however, when Hugo visits London and takes his old friend Sue Brown out dancing, but all is later resolved, thanks to a purloined pig and the heroic Beach . Despite needing to work for Emsworth in the short term, Hugo's long-term security is assured, thanks to an inheritance due to him on the death of his uncle Lester Carmody . At University, he boxed in the light-weight division. EDWARD COOTES A crook formerly specialising in Card Sharp ing on trans- Atlantic Liner s, Cootes lost his profession when an irritable mark bit off the tip of his right index finger, a vital tool in that trade. The incident was part of a stream of bad luck that dogged Cootes ever since he lost his love, Smooth Lizzie . He finds her again while attempting to pose as poet Ralston McTodd , and is taken on as Valet for a time by Psmith , in '' Leave It To Psmith ''. JACK COTTERLEIGH An Irish Guards man, Cotterleigh married Dolly Henderson after Gally was torn away from her to South Africa , and became father to Sue Brown . They moved to America after Dolly's death. MR DONALDSON Father of Aggie and a relative of Angus McAllister , New Jersey City man Donaldson ''is'' Donaldson's Dog-biscuits. He shares his Scottish relation's rugged physique, but is taller, with a smooth, handsome face and an authoritative look in his strong, keen, level grey eyes; he would look much like a Roman emperor, were it not for his rimless glasses. When we first meet him in " The Custody Of The Pumpkin ", he does not consider himself a rich man, not even having as much as ten million dollars in the whole world, and is highly taken with his son-in-law Freddie Threepwood , who he expects to be an asset to his dog-biscuit business; he is also a believer in Roosevelt 's New Deal , under which he believes American dogs are eating more biscuits. NIAGARA "AGGIE" DONALDSON Who becomes Freddie Threepwood 's wife; see Aggie Threepwood . PENELOPE DONALDSON Younger daughter of Mr Donaldson , sister of Aggie , Penelope pays a visit to the castle in '' Pigs Have Wings ''. ALARIC, DUKE OF DUNSTABLE Ill-tempered, irascible, and in the opinion of many quite insane, Dunstable is an elderly Peer , who in his youth had something of a dalliance with Lady Constance (they "whispered together in dim conservatories"), which came to nothing as the Duke was shipped abroad in his youth, having made England too hot for him. By the time we first hear of him, in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', Wiltshire -dwelling Dunstable is somewhat overweight, bald of head and wears a moustache like a Walrus ; Lord Emsworth has disliked him, in a dreamy sort of way, for 47 years. He is nevertheless a fairly frequent visitor to the Castle, having apparently been there the previous summer, and has no qualms about demanding special accommodation (he is put in the luxurious Garden Suite). He is working on a history of his family, and employs as his secretary Emsworth's former employee Rupert Baxter , who he treats with little respect, suspecting him of going on "toots", and directs his ill-temper towards whoever it may be who whistles "The Bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond" outside his windows (on one occasion this is Baxter, who receives a well-aimed egg in the face). His sanity is questioned even by his old friend Connie, who calls in Sir Roderick Glossop to inspect him; he later has the Empress kidnapped and hidden in his bathroom. He also appears in '' Service With A Smile '' and '' A Pelican At Blandings ''. GEORGE EMERSON Second-in-command of the Hong Kong Police force, Emerson has been in love with Aline Peters since he wore knickerbockers, a fact he never fails to point out to her when they meet, even when she is engaged to someone else. In '' Something Fresh '', Emerson is invited down to Blandings by Freddie Threepwood , and uses his time there to press his suit with his host's fiancee. In ''Something New'', the U.S. version of the book, Emerson is an American from Pittsburgh , a rising member of a New York law firm; a fierce patriot, this Emerson loathes all things British and loves all things American. LADY JULIA FISH One of Lord Emsworth 's sisters, Lady Julia is "a handsome middle aged woman of the large and blonde type, of a personality both breezy and commanding". She has a resolute chin and china-blue eyes, and a patronizing good humour about her manner. In her childhood, her angelic appearance often fooled people into thinking her charming, until they realised she could be even more vicious than her sisters. She disapproves of her son Ronnie marrying Chorus Girls , and although her sister Connie believes she can persuade Julia to allow such things, Julia herself is willing to take firm action. Her resolution trembles somewhat, however, on hearing that her late husband Miles ' reputation is at stake, in '' Heavy Weather ''. SIR MILES FISH Major General Sir Miles Fish, C.B.O. of the Brigade of Guards, once described by Lord Emsworth as the biggest fool in that regiment, is the late husband of Lady Julia Fish and father of Ronnie . Although by the time he married he was, even in Lady Julia's opinion, "stodgily respectable", in his youth he was known as "Fishy" Fish and had some wild moments, including, in the late summer of '97, riding a bicycle down Picadilly wearing only sky-blue underclothing, and in the early morning of New Year's Day 1892 , trying to shoot a coal-scuttle with sopme fire-tongs, having drunkenly mistaken it for a mad dog, facts revealed by Gally to keep Julia in line in '' Heavy Weather ''. RONALD OVERBURY FISH Lady Julia 's son, Drone and would-be entrepreneur Ronnie is good friends with Hugo Carmody , with whom he once ran a Nightclub (in '' Money For Nothing ''). A highly jealous young man, in '' Summer Lightning '' and '' Heavy Weather '' he is in love with Sue Brown , and resents her long-time friendships with Carmody and past engagement to Monty Bodkin . Educated at Eton and Cambridge (where he got a feather-weight boxing blue), he is sensitive about his short stature and red face, drives a jaunty two-seater Austin Seven and smokes his cigarettes in a long holder. Never known for the speed of his wits, he can act fast in a crisis, and is invariably well-informed on matters of the turf, a knack which his good friend Beach is regularly grateful. As a child, Beach played bears with him in the pantry, and used to take him fishing on the lake; later, when Ronnie was a Freshman at Cambridge, he borrowed five pounds from Beach to see him through to his next allowance. For a time, he has a Valet , named Bessemer. He also has a cousin named George, whose father is a bishop and who gets married in Norfolk , with Ronnie as best man, at the start of ''Heavy Weather''. LADY DORA GARLAND Lord Emsworth 's tall and stately sister. ALARIC "RICKY" GILPIN The nephew of the Duke Of Dunstable , Ricky Gilpin is, despite being a Poet , a large, beefy chap with red hair and a quick-temper. His mother, the Duke's sister, married beneath her, to one William "Billy" Gilpin, a member of the Connaught Rangers , who was a friend of Uncle Fred ; Billy, apparently, looked the dead spit of his nephew and had same hot temper - Fred often had to sit on his head. The muscular Ricky once cleaned up against three simultaneous Covent Garden costermongers in five minutes. On another occasion, he rescued "Mustard" Pott from a gang of thugs bent on his destruction, and, on taking him home, met and fell in love with Polly Pott . His uncle disapproves of the match, and also of Ricky's plan to buy an onion-soup bar in Coventry Street off Piccadilly from an American friend, despite its great financial potential. Ricky attended a Ball as Little Lord Fauntleroy , in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime ''. GLADYS A small girl from the Drury Lane area of London , at the age of around twelve or thirteen Gladys visits Blandings Parva for the fresh air. She has a kind of wizened motherliness about her, and a fondness for flowers ("Flarze") which gets her into trouble with Angus McAllister ; fleeing him, she hits him in the shin with a well-thrown stone. She has a small, freckled brother named Ern who she looks out for, and who bites Lady Constance in the leg. These two leg-injuring incidents, as well as her skill at controlling large dogs, endear her to Lord Emsworth in the short " Lord Emsworth And The Girl Friend ". SIR RODERICK GLOSSOP A prominent Loony-doctor who almost visits Blandings in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', where we learn that he was at school with Lord Emsworth , and was known as "Pimples"; see Main Article THE BISHOP OF GODALMING A relative of the Threepwoods who visits Blandings during '' Something Fresh '', his holy office often prevents him from putting into words the less kindly thoughts that may enter his head, particularly concerning Lord Emsworth 's ideas of hospitality; he nevertheless relishes hearing such thoughts aired by others. EVE HALLIDAY In '' Leave It To Psmith '', Eve first catches Psmith 's eye while sheltering from the rain under the awning of a coal merchant's opposite the Drones ; she has already smitten Freddie Threepwood , who has got her a job at the castle, cataloguing the library (for the first time since the year 1885). Eve's late father, a clever but erratic Writer , was not a wealthy man, but sent her to exclusive Wayland House school, despite barely having the money to buy himself tobacco. There she met Phyllis Keeble , later Jackson, step-daughter of millionaire Joe Keeble , who she comes to pity when she falls on hard times; unlike Eve, Phyllis is a delicate plant not meant to struggle. Eve gets by on a small annuity from a late uncle, but frequently has to find work due to tempting but expensive hats, gloves and other necessities. A highly attractive young girl, Eve is adept at deflecting proposals from young men like Freddie Threepwood , but finds Psmith's approach more difficult to fend off. Capable and efficient, she works hard at her cataloguing job despite Psmith's attempts to lure her away; a faithful and reliable friend, she does much to help Phyllis get the money she deserves. LORD HEACHAM A wealthy Shropshire landowner, who was for a time engaged to Angela . A solemn man in riding-britches, he upsets his potential father-in-law Lord Emsworth with his disgraceful and rather violently-expressed malevolence towards pigs, in " Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey ". Despite his wealth and glamour, and the approval of Lady Constance , he is rejected by Angela, much to Emsworth's pleasure. DOLLY HENDERSON A one-time star of the Music-hall stage, Dolly was ''serio'' at the old Oxford and the Tivoli, and the only girl Galahad ever loved. After they were forced apart by the family, Dolly married a Guardsman named Jack Cotterleigh , and they had a daughter, Sue Brown . She died, however, shortly after which her husband and daughter moved to America. London is still apparently full of elderly gentlemen who become pleasantly maudlin when they think of her though. MIKE JACKSON A friend of Psmith from schooldays; see Main Article PHYLLIS JACKSON Nee Keeble, Phyllis is the daughter of Joseph Keeble , who is married to Mike when we first meet her at the start of '' Leave It To Psmith ''. Phyllis is a pretty little girl with large brown eyes, a good friend of Eve Halliday from their days at Wayland House school. She incurred the wrath of Lady Constance by refusing to marry swimmy-eyed Rollo Mountford, and instead eloping with Mike. J. HORACE JEVONS The Chicago millionaire for whom Rupert Baxter works both before and after his reign of terror at Blandings, Mr Jevons treats Baxter with respect and even obsequiousness. R. JONES An extremely fat and wheezy man, with sleek grey hair and a mauve face, ever-jovial Mr R. Jones is a Bookmaker and sometime money-lender, trusted by many a young man in their hour of need, much as he is relied upon by Freddie Threepwood to get him out of trouble in '' Something Fresh ''. He is, however, a grasping and untrustworthy type, always with his eye on the main chance. His rather run-down offices are to be found somewhere near the Strand ; he is known to his friends as "Dickie". LADY CONSTANCE KEEBLE Later Schoonmaker, Lord Emsworth 's bossiest sister and Chatelaine at the castle; see Main Article . JOSEPH KEEBLE Lady Constance Keeble 's first husband, the doting step-father of Phyllis is a short man with a round, grizzled head and a pink face. He made a large fortune in South Africa n Diamond mines, and was already fairly elderly and a Widower by the time he married Connie, some two years before the events of '' Leave It To Psmith ''. Though their relationship is close and loving, Joe often regrets giving her the supervisory role over their mutual bank account, and worries that her valuable jewellery is vulnerable to thieves. He has a distinct dislike for the smell of Heliotrope . LADY MILDRED MANT Lord Emsworth 's eldest daughter, Lady Mildred appears in '' Something Fresh ''. She has a personal maid named Willoughby and is married to a Colonel . COLONEL HORACE MANT Husband of Lady Mildred , the Colonel is in the Scots Guards . He is a forthright man, highly critical of Lord Emsworth 's style of hospitality, and suspicious of the level of sanity exhibited by the inmates of Blandings during the events of '' Something Fresh ''. He once twisted his ankle badly, during a hill campaign in the winter of '93. ASHE MARSON The hero of '' Something Fresh '', Ashe Marson is a young man from the village of Much Middleford, Salop., who as a youth, while playing truant from Sunday School , became adept at imitating two cats fighting in a backyard. He later attended Oxford , where he excelled more at Athletics than in intellectual pursuits. He took a minor degree and became for a time a private tutor, prior to taking up the trade he plies when we first meet him, as writer of the popular ''Gridley Quayle'' Mysteries , published by the Mammoth Publishing Company under the Pseudonym ''Felix Clovelly''. Meeting Joan Valentine stimulates him to broaden his horizons and take on something new and exciting, and he soon falls in love with her while masquerading as a Valet . An aficionado of physical fitness in all forms, and particularly Swedish exercises, Marson despises ill-health in others, and cures his employer Mr. Peters ' indigestion with a regime of cold baths, exercise and beautiful thoughts. In ''Something New'', the U.S. version of the book, Marson is an American, born in "Hayling", near Boston, Massachusetts ; he later attended Harvard , before coming to England to continue his sudies at Oxford under a Rhodes Scholarship . ANGUS MCALLISTER The Scottish Head Gardener at Blandings in later stories, Thorne 's successor is a similarly imperious man, with a sturdy, rugged, knobbly physique, large eyebrows, a wiry red beard and little respect for his alleged employer's ideas on gardening. The Glaswegian 's views on gravelling the famous Yew Alley are particularly appalling to Lord Emsworth , and his ideas on Hollyhock s are nothing short of seditious, but his skill with flowers and pumpkins is admirable. His favourite sayings are "Mphm" and "Grmph", always delivered with a very Scottish expression on his face. McAllister first appears in the background of '' Leave It To Psmith '', but takes centre stage in " The Custody Of The Pumpkin ", when his "sort of cousin" Aggie Donaldson becomes engaged to Freddie Threepwood , and McAllister withdraws his services as gardener just before the Shropshire Show. From then on, relations between McAllister and Emsworth continue to bubble away in the background of many stories. RALSTON MCTODD The "Singer of Saskatoon ", Canadian Poet McTodd is married to Cynthia, a friend of Phyllis Jackson and Eve Halliday , and is invited to Blandings by Lady Constance , ever a supporter of the literary arts, in '' Leave It To Psmith ''. A sullen, gloomy man with long, disorderly hair, he is a cigar-lover who likes to be the centre of attention, and to impress people with his epigrams. He rows with his wife frequently, and is insulted by Lord Emsworth's eccentric ways, spurning his invitation to the castle, thereby allowing Psmith to impersonate him for a time. One of his verses, from the collection ''Songs of Squalor'', begins with the line "Across the pale parabola of joy..." SIR GREGORY PARSLOE-PARSLOE Lord Emsworth 's neighbour and rival. See Main Article . AILEEN PEAVEY A drippy American Poet ess of the new school, Miss Peavey is invited to Blandings by Lady Constance , who met and befriended her on a Liner , and while there sickens all with her pronouncements that the dew is like the tears of fairies. However, although a genuine poetess, she is also a crook, known to all as Smooth Lizzie, former fiancee of Edward Cootes . The two are reunited, and scheme to steal Connie's valuable necklace, in '' Leave It To Psmith ''. HORACE PENDLEBURY-DAVENPORT Son of the Duke Of Dunstable 's late brother, who collected Japan ese Prints, Horace's mother's maiden name was Hilsbury-Hepworth; though he inherited his large nose from his father's side, he has her fawnlike eyes. He had measles as a child, and soon after he shot up to a great height. When we meet him in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', he wears tortoiseshell-rimmed spectacles, and is not the most vivacious dresser, preferring tried and trusted styles, although he attended the Bohemian Ball at the Albert Hall dressed as a Zulu warrior, complete with Assegai . He dances, according to his fiancee Valerie Twistleton , "like a dromedary with the staggers", and takes lessons from Polly Pott , causing some strife between himself and his cousin Ricky . He worries that he may inherit his uncle's tendency toward loopiness, drives a jaunty Bingley, and lives 52 Bloxham Mansions, Park Lane , where he has a man named Webster. ALINE PETERS Freddie Threepwood 's fiancée in '' Something Fresh '', Aline is daughter of the American millionaire J. Preston Peters , a gentle, kindly girl who dotes on her father to the extent of starving herself to support his struggle with Dyspepsia , and is in turn adored by George Emerson , who she finds too volcanic and Superman -ish for her tastes. Her old schoolfriend Joan Valentine thinks she has been spoiled by too much ease, and that having to fight a little for her independence would be the making of her; Emerson, on the other hand, thinks her perfect. She eventually realises her long-standing love for him, when he shows signs of weakness and brings out her mothering instinct. J. PRESTON PETERS Father of Aline , Peters is an American from Memphis, Tennessee , a forceful, self-made millionaire who as a boy made twenty dollars a week selling Mint to saloon keepers. After over-work gave him Indigestion and led to a nervous breakdown, he took up collecting Scarab s, and amassed a vast and prodigious collection. His indigestion has left him quick-tempered and an Insomnia c, during bouts of which he likes to be read to, ideally out of a well-thumbed Cookbook . His digestion is improved no end by the regime of exercise he is put on by Ashe Marson , in '' Something Fresh ''. LADY DIANA PHIPPS The only one of Lord Emsworth 's sisters whom Galahad likes. PERCY FROBISHER PILBEAM Head of the Argus Private Inquiry Agency, who visits Blandings in '' Summer Lightning '' and '' Heavy Weather ''; see Main Article . JAMES PIRBRIGHT Lord Emsworth 's pigman, brought in to replace the treacherous Wellbeloved , he is in the job throughout '' Summer Lightning '' and '' Heavy Weather ''. A capable and reliable sort, Pirbright is a long lean, scraggy man, whose vocabulary is normally limited to the words "ur", "yur" and "nur", but when roused includes "Gur!" ("which is Shropshire for, 'you come along with me and I'll shut you up somewhere while I go and inform his lordship of what has occurred'", according to ''Heavy Weather''). He lives in a small cottage near the Castle, adjacent to the Empress' purpose-built new sty, first inhabited during ''Heavy Weather'' POPJOY See Beefy Bingham . CLAUDE "MUSTARD" POTT Double-chinned Mr Pott, "a stout, round, bald, pursy little man of about fifty", is a Private Detective and former Silver Ring Bookie , an old friend of Uncle Fred (who provided the money to set up his detective business), and father of Polly . In a long and varied career he also ran a club for a time, and was a minor Shakespeare an actor; he has, in his time, been bitten by a pig (and a lamb). An incorrigable gambler and lover of soft marks, he is very skilled at the game known as ''Persian Monarchs'' (although not as quite good as the Duke Of Dunstable ), and can always deal himself an unbeatable hand at ''Slippery Joe''. When we meet him, in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', he lives at 6 Wilbraham Place, Sloane Square , and disapproves of his daughter's affection for impoverished Poet Ricky Gilpin , hoping she may instead be persuaded to marry his wealthier cousin Horace . POLLY POTT A small and extremely pretty girl with soft grey eyes, Polly is the daughter of "Mustard" Pott , and, having spent her holidays at Ickenham when a child, is well known to and adored by Uncle Fred . In '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', she is in love with Ricky Gilpin , and causes some trouble by teaching dancing to, and attending a ball with, his cousin Horace ; she later visits Blandings Castle masquerading as Gwendolyne, daughter of Sir Roderick Glossop . She is chivalrously admired and assisted by Pongo Twistleton , who finds her cosy and not too sophisticated. THE PRIDE OF MATCHINGHAM A fat pig, owned by Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe , the Pride is the biggest rival to Lord Emsworth 's prize sow the Empress Of Blandings at the local agricultural show. PSMITH A visitor to Blandings in '' Leave It To Psmith ''; see Main Article . GEORGE ALEXANDER PYKE, LORD TILBURY A publisher who is after Galahad 's reminiscences in '' Heavy Weather ''; see Main Article . THE QUEEN OF MATCHINGHAM Another fat pig owned by Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe , the Queen is successor to the Pride Of Matchingham , brought in from Kent around the time of '' Pigs Have Wings ''. JNO. ROBINSON Driver of the Market Blandings station taxi, Mr Robinson holds a Monopoly , owning the only taxi in the village. JAMES SCHOONMAKER Lady Constance 's second husband, an American millionaire. MYRA SCHOONMAKER James ' pretty daughter. A tall American heiress. Her father, Johnny Schoonmaker, was a sporting man, an old crony of Gally, and mixed the finest Mint Julep in America. her Aunt Edna is dead and her Aunt Edith is paralysed, facts of which Sue Brown is of course unaware when she impersonates Miss Schoonmaker at Blandings. MONICA SIMMONS The Amazonian Miss Simmons, niece to Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe , is a graduate of an Agricultural College, and becomes Lord Emsworth's pig-tender in later stories. SLINGSBY A Chauffeur at the Castle, who rises considerably in the below-stairs social ladder thanks to being the bearer of some rare gossip, in '' Something Fresh ''. LORD PERCY STOCKHEATH A cousin of Freddie Threepwood , who is very worried by Percy's highly embarrassing Breach Of Promise case in '' Something Fresh ''. He is not the brightest young man, with an unfortunate susceptibility for pretty girls. His father suffers from Gout , especially when required to pay for Percy's mistakes, during bouts of which he repairs to Droitwich . Percy has a Valet named Ferris. THORNE The Head Gardener at Blandings in '' Something Fresh '', Thorne is an Autocratic Scotsman with whom Lord Emsworth frequently has to wrangle on the subject of flowers. He is succeeded in later stories by Angus McAllister . CICELY THREEPWOOD Lord Bosham 's wife. CLARENCE THREEPWOOD, 9TH EARL OF EMSWORTH Master of Blandings Castle; see Main Article . FREDDIE THREEPWOOD Lord Emsworth 's younger son; see Main Article . GALAHAD THREEPWOOD Lord Emsworth 's unmarried younger brother; see Main Article . GEORGE THREEPWOOD, LORD BOSHAM Lord Emsworth 's eldest son and heir to the Earldom , who we first meet in the flesh in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', though he is mentioned occasionally in earlier stories. A solid man in his mid-30s, with a pink face, Lord Bosham lives a secluded life in a remote corner of Hampshire , with his wife Cicely and his two sons, George and James . Like his father, mental agility is not hso strong point - he once bought a gold brick from a man in the street, and later gave his wallet to Uncle Fred , at the time a complete stranger, "to show he trusted him". As a boy , he was frequently spanked by his aunt Connie with the back of a hairbrush. He was once involved in a breach-of-promise case, and now he is married he misses the excitements of youth, particularly Gambling at cards, as he now only gets to play a little Bridge . Like his brother Freddie Threepwood , he loves reading thrillers. GEORGE THREEPWOOD Lord Bosham 's second son, who resents having to have tutors during the summer holidays, considering the idea "a bit off". He is the proud owner of an Air-gun in the classic short " The Crime Wave At Blandings ", although is quite unruffled by having it taken away from him for shooting Rupert Baxter in the trousers-seat, as he also has two Catapult s in his drawer. JAMES THREEPWOOD Lord Bosham 's eldest son. HON. LANCELOT THREEPWOOD Lord Emsworth 's deceased brother, about whom little is known. MILLICENT THREEPWOOD Lancelot's daughter, Lord Emsworth 's niece Millicent is a tall, fair girl with soft blue eyes and a soulful face, who radiates wholesome innocence. Though encouraged to marry Ronnie Fish by her Aunt Constance , she prefers Hugo Carmody , although she is jealous of his friendship with Sue Brown . She has learnt that a direct approach can disconcert her aunts, believing that attaack is the best form of defense. NIAGARA "AGGIE" THREEPWOOD Nee Donaldson, daughter of the Donaldson of ''Donaldson's Dog-biscuits'' fame, Aggie got her name thanks to her parents having spent their Honeymoon at the Falls . A "sort of cousin" of Angus McAllister , Aggie is first seen through a telescope, kissing Freddie Threepwood in a small Spinney down by the Water-meadow s in the short " The Custody Of The Pumpkin "; they later elope together, assisted by her father. An extremely pretty girl, her father-in-law Lord Emsworth can never understand why such a charming young thing would want anything to do with Freddie, but is overjoyed that he has married a girl with a rich father. Her and Freddie fall out briefly over his suspected dalliance with a movie-star, but are soon reunited. MRS TWEMLOW Housekeeper at the Castle, Mrs Twemlow is a full-figured woman, who believes in the cheering power of a nice slice of buttered toast in times of stress. She usually finds time to do a little Knitting in the afternoons, and likes to listen to the Gramophone to relax after a busy day's housekeeping. As dignified as Beach himself, she holds a similarly lofty position in below-stairs society. "UNCLE" FRED TWISTLETON Frequent saviour of Lord Emsworth in times of peril; see Main Article . VALERIE TWISTLETON A spirited young girl, niece of Uncle Fred , Valerie appears in '' Uncle Fred In The Springtime '', when she is engaged to Horace Pendlebury-Davenport , although she disapproves of his dancing style, and his having a detective ( "Mustard" Pott) Follow Her To The Drones Club weekend at Le Touquet . She has a quick temper, and eventually visits Blandings to get revenge on her uncle for worrying her Horace. JOAN VALENTINE The heroine of '' Something Fresh '', Miss Valentine is a tall girl with gold hair and blue eyes, who went to school with Aline Peters and later lived in Paris with her father, who died and left her penniless. Before becoming editress of ''Home Gossip'', an organ of the Mammoth Publishing Company , she worked at many things, including spells in a shop, doing typewriting, on the stage (it was in this era, during a run of ''The Baby Doll'' at the Picadilly, that a young Freddie Threepwood was so smitten by her that he bombarded her with juicy letters and poetry), as a governess, and as a lady's maid (during which time she picked up plenty of useful knowledge of life both below and above stairs). A plucky, highly capable and unflappable young lady, she is relied on by her friend Aline and never lets her down, even when called upon to commit Larceny . She likes to win through on her own merit and not rely on the chivalry of others, but eventually realises the merits of chivalrous Ashe Marson . In ''Something New'', the U.S. version of the book, Miss Valentine is an American, born in New York . ORLO VOSPER A chap who looks like a movie-star, he pays a visit to the castle in '' Pigs Have Wings ''. Connie hopes he'll hit it off with Penelope Donaldson, although Emsworth thinks him unsound on pigs (he yawned on being shown the Empress). ALFRED VOULES A Chauffeur at the castle, who appears in '' Summer Lightning '' and '' Heavy Weather ''. His large red ears are always alert for useful gossip being spilt in the back of his car. He owns a motorcycle, which he lends to Percy Pilbeam in '' Heavy Weather ''. LADY ANN WARBLINGTON Lord Emsworth 's sister who lives at Blandings as '' Chatelaine '' for a time after the death of his wife. She has a seemingly inexhaustible correspondence, and spends much of her time in her room writing letters, when she is not nursing a sick headache. She has a Persian cat named Muriel and a maid called Chester. She appears in '' Something Fresh '', but by the time of '' Leave It To Psmith '' has been replaced as chatelaine by her sister Connie . ORLO WATKINS A crooning Tenor with whom Gertrude Alcester becomes infatuated in " The Go-getter ", Watkins is a rather weedy man, with ill-fitting clothes, awful ties and short, but distinct, side-whiskers. He is invited to Blandings by Art-loving Lady Constance , but soon upsets Connie's sister Georgiana by working his warbling glamour on her daughter Gertrude, despite his only income coming from an occasional engagement with the BBC . He has a dislike and fear of all dogs, a horror of rats, and isn't a fan of bats either. LADY HERMIONE WEDGE Lord Emsworth 's short and fat sister. COLONEL EGBERT WEDGE Lady Hermione 's husband. VERONICA WEDGE Lady Hermione 's daughter. GEORGE CYRIL WELLBELOVED Wellbeloved is Emsworth 's first pigman, who we first meet off-screen, when his unfortunate imprisonment (fourteen days for being drunk and disorderly in the tap-room of the ''Goat and Feathers''), leaves his charge the Empress Of Blandings off her food, in the short " Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey ". A tall, red-headed man with a pronounced squint, his drinking tendencies fail to scupper the Empress' bid for victory in the Fat Pigs competition at the 87th Shropshire Agricultural Show. He later proves treacherous, abandoning the Empress to work for Parsloe-Parsloe by the time of " Company For Gertrude ". He is replaced by the capable Pirbright , and his behaviour is much cricicised (though less so than that of his new master) in '' Summer Lightning '' and '' Heavy Weather ''. He returns to Blandings for '' Service With A Smile ''. AUGUSTUS WHIFFLE The author of Lord Emsworth 's favourite book, ''The Care of the Pig''. The writings of Mr. Whiffle (also known as Whipple) exert a soothing influence on his Lordship in times of stress. DAME DAPHNE WINKWORTH Dame Daphne is headmistress of a girls' school in Eastbourne ; see Main Article . ALGERNON WOOSTER Wooster, a keen player of Billiards , is Lord Percy Stockheath 's cousin, which suggests that Bertie Wooster may be a distant relative of the Threepwoods. JANE YORKE A friend of Aggie Threepwood , Jane lacks her friend's physical beauty, being too short, too square and too solid to be attractive, with too determined a chin and hair of a nasty gingery hue. She has a brother, who she always hoped Aggie would marry, and having seemingly lost her to Freddie , she tries to upset the marriage by reporting on his visits to restaurants with movie stars. Though her scheme sees some initial success, it is eventually scuppered, and she and Aggie fall out, in the short " Lord Emsworth Acts For The Best ". |
|
|