Orley Farm · Character

Mr. Moulder

A commercial traveler of enormous appetite and equally enormous opinions, who carries the Orley Farm scandal through England's inns and parlors.

supporting

Also known as Moulder, whereat Mr. Moulder, Whereupon Mr. Moulder, the great Moulder, LXVII Mr. Moulder, Moulder⁠, Mr. Moulder⁠

First appearance: A Convivial Meeting

As a supporting figure in Orley Farm, Mr. Moulder is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A fat commercial traveler who enters the room with Kantwise; initially hostile to Dockwrath but later shares information about Joseph Mason and his father's business.

In the storyThe Commercial Room, Bull Inn, LeedsOpen this moment free

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Mr. Moulder is a prosperous bagman whose dinners, brandy, and loud certainties make him a minor power among the men who move goods and gossip between London and the provinces. Fond of Dockwrath and contemptuous of anything he cannot chew or pay for, he treats the Orley Farm case as a fine story to be told over a chop. Through him Trollope shows how a legal quarrel becomes public property — retold, distorted, and relished far from any courtroom.

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See Mr. Moulder in A Convivial Meeting

Character Web

36 connections

A slice of how Mr. Moulder sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Legal professionals and family
Minor witnesses and tradesmen

+31 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it depicts the emotional and psychological peak of Madeline and…

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Relationships

Miriam Usbech
family · negative
Miriam Usbech is Mr. How this plays out →
Miriam Usbech
family · negative
Miriam Usbech is Mr. How this plays out →
Miriam Usbech
family · negative
Miriam Usbech is Mr. How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Mr. Moulder in A Convivial Meeting

In the story

Mr. Moulder appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Commercial Room, Bull Inn, Leeds
A fat commercial traveler who enters the room with Kantwise; initially hostile to Dockwrath but later shares information about Joseph Mason and his father's business.
A Convivial Meeting
President of the commercial table, he enforces the rule of equal payment for wine, leading to a heated argument with Dockwrath.
Mr. Dockwrath in Bedford Row
Travels in the same train as Dockwrath from Leeds, but in a first-class carriage; he is dismissive of Dockwrath and Kantwise.
Christmas in Great St. Helens
Hosts the Christmas dinner, boasts about his turkey and brandy, and engages in theological discussion.
John Kenneby Goes to Hamworth
Mentioned as part of the Christmas party that advised Kenneby to visit Hamworth.
John Kenneby's Courtship
Mr. Moulder returns home drunk and irritable, disrupting the planned evening. He falls asleep in his chair, snoring loudly.
Mr. Moulder Backs His Opinion
Accompanies Kenneby to Alston, argues with Dockwrath about the trial outcome, and offers a ten-pound bet to back his opinion.
John Kenneby's Doom
Hosts the supper party to celebrate Lady Mason's triumph, but becomes angry when guests suggest her guilt.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Moulder in A Convivial Meeting

See Mr. Moulder in The Commercial Room, Bull Inn, Leeds