# Dr. Thorne — Framley Parsonage character guide

> Dr. Thorne in Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Dr. Thorne, Dear Dr. Thorne, Dr.

**First appearance:** 0027-xxviii-dr-thorne

## Snapshot

The county's shrewd, kind-hearted physician, who treats rich and poor alike and quietly guards the secret of Mary Thorne's birth.

## Who they are

Dr. Thorne moves easily between the great houses and the poor parishes, trusted by Lady Lufton and needed at Hogglestock. He is Mary's guardian and fiercest protector, and his refusal to explain her parentage makes him a puzzle to the county. His steady judgment and buried anxieties make him the moral hinge on which much of the plot turns.

## In the story

### [Dr. Thorne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxviii-dr-thorne)

Summoned to London by Miss Dunstable for advice and to attend her party; Mrs. Gresham considers him a potential match for Miss Dunstable.

### [Miss Dunstable at Home](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxix-miss-dunstable-at-home)

Attends with the Gresham party, feeling out of place in Miss Dunstable's grand setting. He is still reflecting on a previous conversation about Miss Dunstable's character.

### [Is There Cause or Just Impediment?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxxviii-is-there-cause-or-just-impediment)

Visits Boxall Hill but is reserved and embarrassed, avoiding being alone with Miss Dunstable, and gives no clear response to Mrs. Gresham's matchmaking hints.

### [How to Write a Love Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxxix-how-to-write-a-love-letter)

Wrestles with the idea of marrying Miss Dunstable, feeling ashamed yet unable to dismiss the thought; visits Lady Arabella and receives Miss Dunstable's acceptance.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/characters/dr_thorne
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/characters