# Abbot Thomas — Short Fiction character guide

> Abbot Thomas in Short Fiction by M. R. James.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Thomas, Abbot Thomas von Eschenhausen of Steinfeld, Abbot Thomas von Eschenhausen, Steinfeld, the Abbot

**First appearance:** 0007-the-treasure-of-abbot-thomas

## Snapshot

A medieval abbot whose hidden treasure and hidden temper have outlasted his abbey, and whose name still makes antiquaries reach for their spades.

## Who they are

Abbot Thomas von Eschenhausen of Steinfeld was a man of God with a strong sense of property, and the treasure he concealed has drawn scholars and treasure-hunters for centuries. His reputation survives in documents and in the warnings of those who have gone looking for what he buried, and his character — pious, proud, and not entirely forgiving — is felt in every account of the search. He is the absent presence whose will the living must reckon with.

## In the story

### [Canon Alberic's Scrapbook](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/canon-alberic-s-scrapbook)

Mentioned as Abbot Thomas von Eschenhausen of Steinfeld in the context of the scrapbook's contents.

### [The Treasure of Abbot Thomas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/the-treasure-of-abbot-thomas)

Deceased abbot whose hidden treasure and cryptic riddle drive the plot; his malevolent spirit guards the treasure.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/i)

Abbot Thomas von Eschenhausen of Steinfeld, who concealed a treasure and left clues in a painted window; his works and death are described in the Sertum.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/iii)

Historical figure whose cipher and treasure are central to the story.

### [The Uncommon Prayerbook](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/the-uncommon-prayerbook)

Historical figure associated with the prayerbook's origins and its hidden secrets.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/chapters/endnotes)

Referenced indirectly through the account of the Premonstratensian abbey of Steinfeld and the lives of its abbots.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/characters/abbot_thomas
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_35_se/characters