Barchester Towers · Character

Mr. Quiverful

A threadbare vicar with fourteen children and no carriage, he walks toward Barchester to beg for the hospital's income as if his family's dinner depended on it.

supporting

Also known as Quiverful, the Rev. Mr. Quiverful

First appearance: Mr. Slope Manages Matters Very Cleverly at Puddingdale

As a supporting figure in Barchester Towers, Mr. Quiverful is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Among the few clergy who call on Mr.

In the storyThe Dean and Chapter Take CounselOpen this moment free

Mr. Quiverful of Puddingdale is a poor clergyman whose overflowing household makes the wardenship of Hiram's Hospital look less like preferment than survival. He and his wife must trudge or beg rides into Barchester while the archdeacon's brougham sweeps past, and the contrast stings. His candid hunger for the post turns the novel's clerical politics into a question of bread, not merely doctrine.

See Mr. Quiverful in The Dean and Chapter Take Counsel Book page

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Character Web

24 connections

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the archdeacon, despite his usual self-assurance, is visibly…

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In the story

Mr. Quiverful appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Dean and Chapter Take Counsel
Among the few clergy who call on Mr. Slope after the sermon, driven by his large family and meager income.
Slope Versus Harding
Mentioned as a potential replacement for the hospital appointment.
The Widow's Suitors
The needy vicar of Puddingdale who reveals Mrs. Bold's fortune to Mr. Slope while angling for the hospital appointment.
Baby Worship
Has been offered the hospital appointment; his large family is a point of sympathy and leverage.
Who Shall Be Cock of the Walk?
He is the current candidate for the hospital, having made arrangements based on the promise of the appointment.
Mr. Slope Manages Matters Very Cleverly at Puddingdale
Struggles with poverty and the moral dilemma of accepting the hospital wardenship, torn between his conscience and his family's needs.
XXV: Fourteen Arguments in Favour of Mr. Quiverful's Claims
Passively resigned to losing the appointment after Mr. Slope's visit, but is overruled by his wife's forceful actions.
Mrs. Proudie Wrestles and Gets a Fall
Mentioned as having been visited by Mr. Slope and convinced to abandon his claim, but Mrs. Proudie insists he has not done so.
A Love Scene
Mentioned as having resigned his claim to the wardenship in Mr. Slope's presence.
A New Candidate for Ecclesiastical Honours
Mentioned as the beneficiary of the Hiram's Hospital appointment, which Mr. Slope agrees to arrange.
Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful Are Made Happy. Mr. Slope Is Encouraged by the Press
Receives the bishop's summons, hopes for the appointment to Hiram's Hospital, and is determined not to be cajoled out of it again.
Mr. Slope Bids Farewell to the Palace and Its Inhabitants
Mentioned as having been appointed to Hiram's Hospital, proving Mrs. Proudie's victory.
The New Dean Takes Possession of the Deanery, and the New Warden of the Hospital
Gratefully accepts the wardenship of Hiram's Hospital, moved by Mr. Harding's kindness in personally introducing him to the bedesmen.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Quiverful in Mr. Slope Manages Matters Very Cleverly at Puddingdale

See Mr. Quiverful in The Dean and Chapter Take Counsel