Short Fiction · Character

Mr. Jennings

A gentle clergyman whose scholarly obsession with pagan metaphysics left him with a companion he can neither explain nor escape.

major

Also known as the Rev. Mr. Jennings, The Rev. Mr. Jennings, Poor Mr. Jennings, Richard Hamilton Jennings, Richard

First appearance: Green Tea

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Mr. Jennings is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The tormented clergyman who is haunted by a spectral monkey.

In the storyGreen TeaOpen this moment free

Jennings tells his story in a darkened Richmond drawing-room, his once-sweet face marked by a suffering he counts in days and weeks. He traces his torment to a book on the religious metaphysics of the ancients, written late at night and fed by strong tea, until the subject infected his mind and something answered. His quiet, precise narration of an intimate horror makes him the story's reluctant witness to his own ruin.

See Mr. Jennings in Green Tea Book page

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Character Web

33 connections

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Relationship types

Romantic
Professional
Other

Character groups

Carmilla story figures
Ghost story narrators
Dark family secrets
Chadleigh family curse

+28 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the narrator's horror and the r…

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Relationships

Mary Chadleigh
romantic · positive
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. How this plays out →
Sir Robert Ardagh
professional · ambivalent
Sir Robert Ardagh
professional · ambivalent
Mary Chadleigh
romantic · positive
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. How this plays out →
Mary Chadleigh
romantic · positive
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. How this plays out →
Sir Robert Ardagh
professional · ambivalent

Mary Chadleigh
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. Jennings are involved in a romantic relationship, marked by secrecy or societal obstacles.
Sir Robert Ardagh
Mr. Jennings and Sir Robert Ardagh have a professional relationship, possibly as lawyer and client or employer and employee.
Sir Robert Ardagh
Mr. Jennings and Sir Robert Ardagh have a professional relationship, possibly as lawyer and client or employer and employee.
Mary Chadleigh
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. Jennings are involved in a romantic relationship, marked by secrecy or societal obstacles.
Mary Chadleigh
Mary Chadleigh and Mr. Jennings are involved in a romantic relationship, marked by secrecy or societal obstacles.
Sir Robert Ardagh
Mr. Jennings and Sir Robert Ardagh have a professional relationship, possibly as lawyer and client or employer and employee.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Mr. Jennings in Green Tea

In the story

Mr. Jennings appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Green Tea
The tormented clergyman who is haunted by a spectral monkey.
I: Dr. Hesselius Relates How He Met the Rev. Mr. Jennings
Tall, thin, middle-aged clergyman with a shy and kind expression; suffers from sudden health breakdowns during church services; has a habit of glancing sidelong at the floor.
II: The Doctor Questions Lady Mary, and She Answers
The vicar is discussed by Dr. Hesselius and Lady Mary; his habits, past writing, and family history are revealed.
III: Dr. Hesselius Picks Up Something in Latin Books
Owner of the study and the marked Swedenborg volumes; his private note 'Deus misereatur mei' is discovered by Hesselius.
IV: Four Eyes Were Reading the Passage
Caught reading over the narrator's shoulder; admits to reading Swedenborg and expresses agitation about Dr. Harley; hints at a troubling personal condition.
V: Doctor Hesselius Is Summoned to Richmond
The Rev. Mr. Jennings writes to Doctor Hesselius, first expressing hope and then descending into despair; he ultimately summons Hesselius to his Richmond house to confess his troubles.
VI: How Mr. Jennings Met His Companion
The narrator's companion, who reveals the onset of his supernatural affliction and his scholarly obsession with pagan metaphysics.
VII: The Journey: First Stage
The narrator, who recounts his torment by a spectral monkey.
VIII: The Second Stage
Narrates his deepening torment by the spectral monkey, its interference with his ministry, and his growing desperation.
IX: The Third Stage
Describes his worsening condition, including auditory hallucinations and suicidal urges, and recounts a near-fatal incident at a coal mine.
X: Home
Found dead by suicide after a night of torment; his case ends tragically despite Hesselius's intervention.
Conclusion
Referenced as the patient who died by suicide before Dr. Hesselius could treat him.
The Familiar
Mentioned in connection with supernatural studies and Swedenborgian ideas.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Jennings in Green Tea