Crome Yellow · Character

Henry Wimbush

The gentle, bowler-faced owner of Crome, happiest among his papers, patiently reading his family's absurd history aloud to a yawning drawing-room.

supporting

Also known as Henry, unhappy Henry, XIII Henry Wimbush, Uncle Henry

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Crome Yellow, Henry Wimbush is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Referenced in the context of Priscilla's past gambling and his assertion of authority.

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Henry Wimbush presides over Crome with the mild dignity of a man more at home in the eighteenth century than his own, piqued only when his wife mocks the masters of his house. His great project is the History of Crome, and after dinner he reads aloud the saga of the fourth baronet, a three-foot-four pygmy christened Hercules. His antiquarian absorption — and the family oddities he chronicles — give the novel its long historical spine and its quietest comedy.

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See Henry Wimbush in i

Character Web

23 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Social
Family
Other

Character groups

Crome House Party Core
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

Denis’s decision to send the telegram ordering himself back to town marks the story’s dramatic climax because…

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Relationships

Mr. Scogan
friendship · positive
Henry Wimbush and Mr. How this plays out →
Denis
social · positive
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
family · positive
Priscilla Wimbush
family · ambivalent
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
family · positive
Mr. Scogan
friendship · positive
Henry Wimbush and Mr. How this plays out →
Denis
social · positive
Priscilla Wimbush
family · ambivalent
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
family · positive
Priscilla Wimbush
family · ambivalent

Mr. Scogan
Henry Wimbush and Mr. Scogan share a long-standing intellectual companionship and mutual respect.
Denis
Denis politely engages with Henry Wimbush, who often lectures him on local history.
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
Henry Wimbush is a descendant of Sir Ferdinando Lapith, connecting him to the estate's history.
Priscilla Wimbush
Henry and Priscilla Wimbush are married, but their relationship is distant and preoccupied with separate interests.
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
Henry Wimbush is a descendant of Sir Ferdinando Lapith, connecting him to the estate's history.
Mr. Scogan
Henry Wimbush and Mr. Scogan share a long-standing intellectual companionship and mutual respect.
Denis
Denis politely engages with Henry Wimbush, who often lectures him on local history.
Priscilla Wimbush
Henry and Priscilla Wimbush are married, but their relationship is distant and preoccupied with separate interests.
Sir Ferdinando Lapith
Henry Wimbush is a descendant of Sir Ferdinando Lapith, connecting him to the estate's history.
Priscilla Wimbush
Henry and Priscilla Wimbush are married, but their relationship is distant and preoccupied with separate interests.

Relationship notes

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See Henry Wimbush in i

In the story

Henry Wimbush appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II
V
IX
X
XI
XIII
XIV
XVI
+7 more

II
Referenced in the context of Priscilla's past gambling and his assertion of authority.
V
Leads the farm tour, pointing out the sow's litter of fourteen and the aging boar and bull, advocating practical breeding and slaughter.
IX
Mentioned as sitting calmly in the front pew during Bodiham's sermon, provoking the rector's desire to shake him.
X
Plays the pianola with serene patience, treading out dance music and changing rolls when asked.
XI
Provides historical context about Sir Ferdinando Lapith and the privies; his face glows with enthusiasm when discussing the past.
XIII
Finishes printing his History of Crome and reads an episode aloud to the party.
XIV
Smiles indulgently as the owner of the library's first editions.
XVI
Suggests they join the ladies, breaking the philosophical discussion.
Chapter XVII
Deep in his account books, discovers that Sir Ferdinando ate seven dozen oysters on this day 350 years ago, delighting in the memorial coincidence.
XVIII
Walks home after the sermon, musing on the loss of indigenous country pleasures and the Puritan suppression of pagan dances.
XIX
Reads from his History of Crome, recounting the story of his grandfather George Wimbush and Sir Ferdinando Lapith.
XXII
Playing bowls with Mary on the terrace.
XXV
Announces the Bank Holiday Fair and its history, expressing his reluctance but noting the charitable necessity.
XXVIII
Takes Denis to see the oaken drainpipes and delivers a long discourse on his preference for the past over the present and his desire for a machine-secluded life.
XXX
Rings for the motor to be ordered, facilitating Denis's departure.

Chapter companion notes

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