The House by the River · Character

Mrs. Bantam

A housekeeper or local woman who interacts with the main characters.

minor

First appearance: iv

Mrs. Bantam's tie to Stephen Byrne is one of the pressures that moves The House by the River—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

John's cook-housekeeper; gossips about Emily's disappearance and Stephen's story, irritating John.

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With Stephen Byrne (professional): Mrs. Bantam is the Byrne family's housekeeper, loyal to Stephen but increasingly disturbed by the household's secrets. With John Egerton (social): John and Mrs. Bantam have a cordial but wary relationship, as she is aware of his disruptive influence in the household. With Mr. Egerton (professional): Mr. Egerton, John's father, interacts with Mrs. Bantam as a fellow servant or employee, with a formal and distant dynamic.

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See Mrs. Bantam in iv

Character Web

21 connections

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

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Byrne Household Staff
Community and Family Collectives
Protagonist

+16 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where John Egerton,…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Stephen Byrne
professional · ambivalent
John Egerton
social · ambivalent
Mr. Egerton
professional · neutral
Margery Byrne
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Dimple
friendship · positive
The Chase
psychological · negative
Emily Gaunt
social · negative
Mr. Egerton
professional · neutral
Margery Byrne
professional · ambivalent
Emily Gaunt
social · negative
Stephen Byrne
professional · ambivalent
John Egerton
social · ambivalent

Stephen Byrne
Mrs. Bantam is the Byrne family's housekeeper, loyal to Stephen but increasingly disturbed by the household's secrets.
John Egerton
John and Mrs. Bantam have a cordial but wary relationship, as she is aware of his disruptive influence in the household.
Mr. Egerton
Mr. Egerton, John's father, interacts with Mrs. Bantam as a fellow servant or employee, with a formal and distant dynamic.
Margery Byrne
Margery and Mrs. Bantam have a mistress-servant relationship, though Mrs. Bantam often feels caught between Margery and Stephen.
Mr. Dimple
Mr. Dimple and Mrs. Bantam are fellow servants and friends, often gossiping and supporting each other through the household drama.
The Chase
Mrs. Bantam is superstitiously fearful of The Chase, associating it with the family's dark secrets and misfortune.
Emily Gaunt
Emily and Mrs. Bantam have a tense, wary acquaintance, as Mrs. Bantam distrusts Emily's influence over Stephen.
Mr. Egerton
Mr. Egerton, John's father, interacts with Mrs. Bantam as a fellow servant or employee, with a formal and distant dynamic.
Margery Byrne
Margery and Mrs. Bantam have a mistress-servant relationship, though Mrs. Bantam often feels caught between Margery and Stephen.
Emily Gaunt
Emily and Mrs. Bantam have a tense, wary acquaintance, as Mrs. Bantam distrusts Emily's influence over Stephen.
Stephen Byrne
Mrs. Bantam is the Byrne family's housekeeper, loyal to Stephen but increasingly disturbed by the household's secrets.
John Egerton
John and Mrs. Bantam have a cordial but wary relationship, as she is aware of his disruptive influence in the household.

Relationship notes

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

See Mrs. Bantam in iv

In the story

Mrs. Bantam appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

V
John's cook-housekeeper; gossips about Emily's disappearance and Stephen's story, irritating John.
Chapter VI
Mrs. Bantam is referenced as someone who would understand Stephen's stories about Emily's character.
After the Inquest
Egerton's housekeeper; testified that there was never a sack in the house, contradicting Egerton's story.
Chapter IX
Loyally defends John Egerton, insisting no sack was ever in the house; her inter-prandial addresses focus on the ineptitude of the law and John's high character.
XVII
Announces the arrival of the Gaunt family to John.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mrs. Bantam unlock in the free preview.

See Mrs. Bantam in iv

See Mrs. Bantam in V