# Mr. Stapleton — The Hound of the Baskervilles character guide

> Mr. Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Stapleton, the Stapletons

**First appearance:** 0008-vii-the-stapletons-of-merripit-house

## Snapshot

The mild-mannered naturalist with a butterfly net, a beautiful sister, and a hold over her that no one quite names.

## Who they are

Stapleton lives at Merripit House with his sister Beryl, collecting specimens and playing the friendly neighbor to Sir Henry. He is guarded, dry, and quietly forceful — Watson notices a hidden fire beneath the calm and a marked influence over his sister, who glances at him for approval as she speaks. His knowledge of the moor and his convenient proximity to every clue make him both the most useful and the most unsettling figure in the early investigation.

## Relationships

### [Sir Henry Baskerville](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/sir_henry_baskerville)

_rivalry_

Stapleton, secretly a Baskerville heir, plots to murder Sir Henry to inherit the estate, feigning friendship while planning his death.

### [Sir Charles Baskerville](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/sir_charles_baskerville)

_rivalry_

Stapleton, as a secret Baskerville relative, engineered Sir Charles's death to clear his path to the inheritance.

### [Miss Stapleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/miss_stapleton)

_family_

Miss Stapleton is actually the wife of Mr. Stapleton, though he passes her off as his sister to further his schemes.

### [Miss Stapleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/miss_stapleton)

_family_

Miss Stapleton is actually the wife of Mr. Stapleton, though he passes her off as his sister to further his schemes.

### [Sir Henry Baskerville](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/sir_henry_baskerville)

_rivalry_

Stapleton, secretly a Baskerville heir, plots to murder Sir Henry to inherit the estate, feigning friendship while planning his death.

### [Sir Charles Baskerville](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/sir_charles_baskerville)

_rivalry_

Stapleton, as a secret Baskerville relative, engineered Sir Charles's death to clear his path to the inheritance.

### [Sir Henry Baskerville](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/sir_henry_baskerville)

_rivalry_

Stapleton, secretly a Baskerville heir, plots to murder Sir Henry to inherit the estate, feigning friendship while planning his death.

### [Miss Stapleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/miss_stapleton)

_family_

Miss Stapleton is actually the wife of Mr. Stapleton, though he passes her off as his sister to further his schemes.

## In the story

### [The Curse of the Baskervilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/ii-the-curse-of-the-baskervilles)

Mentioned as a mutual friend concerned about Sir Charles's health.

### [VII: The Stapletons of Merripit House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/vii-the-stapletons-of-merripit-house)

Introduces himself as a naturalist; discusses the legend of the hound and Sir Charles's death; invites Watson to Merripit House.

### [VIII: First Report of Dr. Watson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/viii-first-report-of-dr-watson)

Guarded about supernatural beliefs; shows disapproval of Sir Henry's attention to his sister; has a dry glitter in his eyes and a firm set of lips.

### [IX: Second Report of Dr. Watson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/ix-second-report-of-dr-watson)

Mentioned as disapproving of Sir Henry's courtship of Miss Stapleton.

### [Death on the Moor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/xii-death-on-the-moor)

Arrives at the scene of Selden's death and reacts with shock, but quickly composes himself.

### [XIV: The Hound of the Baskervilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/xiv-the-hound-of-the-baskervilles)

Flees into the Grimpen Mire after the hound is killed; presumed dead.

### [XV: A Retrospection](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/chapters/xv-a-retrospection)

Revealed as the true criminal, a Baskerville descendant who plotted the murders.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters/mr_stapleton
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hound_of_the_baskervilles/characters