# Jeremiah Madden — The Damnation of Theron Ware character guide

> Jeremiah Madden in The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Jerry Madden, old Jeremiah, Mr. Madden

**First appearance:** 0001-part-i-ii

## Snapshot

A small, gray-whiskered Irish immigrant whose fortune and buried children have made him both the town's benefactor and its quiet tragedy.

## Who they are

Madden is the wealthy Catholic layman whose money and goodwill underwrite much of the town's religious and civic life, and whose household centers on his brilliant daughter Celia. He has outlived a dozen children to the damp Western air, and the fear that Celia may share their fate hangs over his generosity. He matters because his fortune, his faith, and his losses make him the human knot tying together the Protestant minister, the Catholic priest, and the woman who will unsettle Theron's certainties.

## In the story

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-ix)

Portrayed as a humble, hardworking Irish immigrant who rose from famine survivor to wealthy wheelwright; he is unpretentious, meditative, and devoted to his family and work.

### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvi)

Mentioned as the father of Michael and Celia, described as a peasant with a heart of gold, grieving over his son's illness.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/jeremiah_madden
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters