Our Mutual Friend · Character

Gaffer Hexam

A Thames waterman who fishes corpses from the river for a living, raising Lizzie and Charley on the profits of the drowned.

supporting

Also known as Gaffer Hexam, Gaffer, Jesse Hexam

First appearance: On the Look Out

As a supporting figure in Our Mutual Friend, Gaffer Hexam is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A rough, bird-of-prey-like man who scavenges corpses from the Thames for money.

In the storyOn the Look OutOpen this moment free

See Gaffer Hexam in On the Look Out Book page

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Gaffer works the river's dark economy, hauling bodies from the tide and treating the dead as a trade rather than a horror, which places him at the edge of the law and outside ordinary society. His fierce, possessive bond with Lizzie and his contempt for Charley's respectable ambitions create the family fracture that drives the opening of the book. He matters because the mystery of the river and the Hexams' fate begins in his boat.

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The fuller portrait of Gaffer Hexam sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Gaffer Hexam in On the Look Out

Character Web

25 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Minor characters and background figures
Social climbers and schemers
Veneering dinner guests

+20 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
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Betty Higden’s life…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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In the story

Gaffer Hexam appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

On the Look Out
A rough, bird-of-prey-like man who scavenges corpses from the Thames for money. He rebuffs Riderhood's claim of partnership, asserting a twisted moral code.
Another Man
Father of Charley and Lizzie; the boatman who found John Harmon's body in the Thames.
Cut Adrift
Returns home to find Charley gone; reacts with anger and suspicion, calling his son 'unnatural' for wanting learning.
The Sweat of an Honest Man's Brow
Accused by Riderhood of murder and confession; not present in the chapter.
The Bird of Prey Brought Down
Found dead, drowned and entangled in his own rope; his body is recovered and laid on the shore.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Gaffer Hexam unlock in the free preview.

See Gaffer Hexam in On the Look Out