Short Fiction · Character

Mr. Purcell

A scholarly country priest whose fifty years of collecting local ghost stories left behind the manuscripts through which these strange tales reach us.

supporting

Also known as Purcell, the Late Francis Purcell, Francis Purcell, Frank, Francis, the late Frances Purcell, the late Rev. Francis Purcell, the Rev. Francis Purcell

First appearance: The Ghost and the Bonesetter

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

The late parish priest whose manuscript papers contain the story.

In the storyThe Ghost and the BonesetterOpen this moment free

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Francis Purcell spent half a century as a parish priest in the south of Ireland, quietly amassing old traditions, superstitions, and wonders from the people around him. His literary tastes, formed abroad, made him a curious and industrious collector rather than a mere clergyman, and his papers reveal a mind delighted by the marvellous and the whimsical. As residuary legatee, his friend inherits these manuscripts, and through them the reader enters a world where the dead are taxed with water-carrying and coffins are thrown over churchyard walls.

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See Mr. Purcell in The Ghost and the Bonesetter

Character Web

22 connections

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

Relationship types

Social
Other

Character groups

Haunting family histories
Ghost story narrators
Fairy and ghost storytellers
Diverse ghostly witnesses

+17 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 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

Con Donovan
social · ambivalent
Con Donovan
social · ambivalent
Con Donovan
social · ambivalent

Relationship notes

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See Mr. Purcell in The Ghost and the Bonesetter

In the story

Mr. Purcell appears across 19 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Ghost and the Bonesetter
The late parish priest whose manuscript papers contain the story.
The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh
The narrator and compiler of the account, identified as the late Father Purcell, who presents the story from the papers.
The Last Heir of Castle Connor
The narrator, a Catholic priest who recounts his friendship with young O'Connor and his later visit to the grieving mother.
The Drunkard's Dream
Narrator and clergyman who attends to Pat Connell and reflects on the nature of dreams.
Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess
The late Francis Purcell, P.P. of Drumcoolagh; the legacy from whom this narrative is extracted.
The Bridal of Carrigvarah
The narrator and clergyman who attends Ellen Heathcote's deathbed and recounts the story.
Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter
The narrator who presents the story as an extract from his legacy; he heard the tale from Captain Vandael.
Scraps of Hibernian Ballads
Narrator and collector of Irish ballads, presenting extracts from his legacy.
A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family
The late Francis Purcell, P.P. of Drumcoolagh, is the source of the narrative.
An Adventure of Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist Captain
The late Francis Purcell, whose legacy includes this narrative.
The Quare Gander
The narrator and collector of the story, riding from Emly to Tipperary.
The Sexton’s Adventure
The narrator who recounts the tale of Bob Martin and the supernatural events in Chapelizod.
Some Gossip About Chapelizod
Implied as the narrator or source of the gossip, recalling events from fifty years ago and the disbanding of the Royal Irish Artillery.
III: The Priest’s Adventures in the Glen
The priest who attempts to visit the castle but is repeatedly thwarted by supernatural phenomena.
The White Cat of Drumgunniol
The narrator who studies Irish records and is told the story by Dan Donovan.
Stories of Lough Guir
The narrator, recalling his boyhood visits to Miss Anne Baily at Lough Guir.
The Governess’s Dream
Narrator of the governess's story
VII: Chief Justice Twofold
Not directly present in this chapter, but the story is part of his manuscript.
Endnotes
Referenced as the author of the manuscripts, with editorial notes on his admiration for nature and the fair sex.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mr. Purcell unlock in the free preview.

See Mr. Purcell in The Ghost and the Bonesetter