# Miss Dunstable — Framley Parsonage character guide

> Miss Dunstable in Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Miss Dunstable, the rich Miss Dunstable

**First appearance:** 0028-xxix-miss-dunstable-at-home

## Snapshot

A rich, sharp-tongued heiress who has refused dukes and fortune hunters alike, and now buys an estate chiefly to spite a duke.

## Who they are

Miss Dunstable's money makes her the most courted woman in Barsetshire, yet she has loved none of the men of rank and fashion who have offered for her, and she has said she could only marry a man indifferent to her fortune. Her friendship with the plain country doctor, Dr. Thorne, puzzles his niece and amuses London, since the lady is past forty and the gentleman past fifty. When she purchases Chaldicotes and throws herself into the election fight, she becomes a decisive force in the county's affairs.

## In the story

### [Chaldicotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/iii-chaldicotes)

Engages Mark in a pointed debate about clerical incomes and expresses a desire to preach.

### [Mr. Harold Smith’s Lecture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/vi-mr-harold-smith-s-lecture)

Engages in witty repartee, enjoys the jokes about Harold Smith, and insists on hearing Mrs. Proudie's story about Mr. Slope.

### [Sunday Morning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/vii-sunday-morning)

Offers to join Mark in hiring a gig, showing willingness to hurry.

### [Gatherum Castle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/viii-gatherum-castle)

Travels with Sowerby and Mark; converses with the Duke of Omnium about the parrot and aviary; displays self-possession.

### [Mrs. Proudie’s Conversazione](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xvii-mrs-proudie-s-conversazione)

Attends Mrs. Proudie's conversazione, engaging in witty banter with the bishop and reflecting on her own loneliness and the corrosive effect of her wealth on her character.

### [The Triumph of the Giants](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxiii-the-triumph-of-the-giants)

Suggests Christian resignation to Mrs. Harold Smith, who scoffs at the idea.

### [Magna Est Veritas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxiv-magna-est-veritas)

Rejects Sowerby's marriage proposal after insisting on truth, but offers financial assistance.

### [South Audley Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxvii-south-audley-street)

Sowerby's sister reports her refusal of his proposition, ending his hope of financial deliverance through marriage.

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

Hosts a grand conversazione, determined to gather all of society, including Dr. Thorne, and shows anxiety about the attendance of Tom Towers.

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

Hosts a grand party at her home, Cranbourn House, displaying wit and social acumen. She manages the awkward encounter between Lady Lufton and the Duke of Omnium with characteristic humor.

### [The Goat and Compasses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxxii-the-goat-and-compasses)

Mentioned as a potential source of a loan, on the advice of Mrs. Smith.

### [Mr. Sowerby Without Company](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xxxvii-mr-sowerby-without-company)

Wealthy woman who, through Mrs. Harold Smith, agrees to buy Sowerby's property and fund his election expenses, showing business acumen and a forgiving nature.

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

Engages in a candid conversation with Mrs. Gresham about her wealth and the difficulty of finding genuine affection, comparing herself to a two-headed sheep.

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

Agrees to Dr. Thorne's decision in a letter, accepting his terms despite Mary's interference.

### [Touching Pitch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xlii-touching-pitch)

Determined to buy up Sowerby's property and contest the county against the duke, she drives the financial negotiations.

### [Nemesis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/framley_parsonage_se/chapters/xlvii-nemesis)

Purchases Chaldicotes and supports Sowerby's candidacy; later marries Dr. Thorne.

## Links

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