# Mrs. Bantam — The House by the River character guide

> Mrs. Bantam in The House by the River by A. P. Herbert.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0003-iv

## Who they are

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

## Relationships

### [Stephen Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/stephen_byrne)

_professional_

Mrs. Bantam is the Byrne family's housekeeper, loyal to Stephen but increasingly disturbed by the household's secrets.

### [John Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/john_egerton)

_social_

John and Mrs. Bantam have a cordial but wary relationship, as she is aware of his disruptive influence in the household.

### [Mr. Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mr_egerton)

_professional_

Mr. Egerton, John's father, interacts with Mrs. Bantam as a fellow servant or employee, with a formal and distant dynamic.

### [Margery Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/margery_byrne)

_professional_

Margery and Mrs. Bantam have a mistress-servant relationship, though Mrs. Bantam often feels caught between Margery and Stephen.

### [Mr. Dimple](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mr_dimple)

_friendship_

Mr. Dimple and Mrs. Bantam are fellow servants and friends, often gossiping and supporting each other through the household drama.

### [The Chase](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/the_chase)

_psychological_

Mrs. Bantam is superstitiously fearful of The Chase, associating it with the family's dark secrets and misfortune.

### [Emily Gaunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/emily_gaunt)

_social_

Emily and Mrs. Bantam have a tense, wary acquaintance, as Mrs. Bantam distrusts Emily's influence over Stephen.

### [Mr. Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mr_egerton)

_professional_

Mr. Egerton, John's father, interacts with Mrs. Bantam as a fellow servant or employee, with a formal and distant dynamic.

### [Margery Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/margery_byrne)

_professional_

Margery and Mrs. Bantam have a mistress-servant relationship, though Mrs. Bantam often feels caught between Margery and Stephen.

### [Emily Gaunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/emily_gaunt)

_social_

Emily and Mrs. Bantam have a tense, wary acquaintance, as Mrs. Bantam distrusts Emily's influence over Stephen.

### [Stephen Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/stephen_byrne)

_professional_

Mrs. Bantam is the Byrne family's housekeeper, loyal to Stephen but increasingly disturbed by the household's secrets.

### [John Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/john_egerton)

_social_

John and Mrs. Bantam have a cordial but wary relationship, as she is aware of his disruptive influence in the household.

## In the story

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/chapters/v)

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

### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/chapters/vi)

Mrs. Bantam is referenced as someone who would understand Stephen's stories about Emily's character.

### [After the Inquest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/chapters/viii)

Egerton's housekeeper; testified that there was never a sack in the house, contradicting Egerton's story.

### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/chapters/xvii)

Announces the arrival of the Gaunt family to John.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mrs_bantam
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters