# Lord Durrisdeer — The Master of Ballantrae character guide

> Lord Durrisdeer in The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Durrisdeer

**First appearance:** 0002-the-master-of-ballantrae

## Who they are

The elderly father of the Master and Mr. Henry, head of the Durie family.

## Relationships

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master)

_family_

The aging father favors the Master as his firstborn, causing deep familial discord and neglect of Mr. Henry.

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master)

_family_

The aging father favors the Master as his firstborn, causing deep familial discord and neglect of Mr. Henry.

## In the story

### [The Master of Ballantrae](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/the-master-of-ballantrae)

The father of the brothers, he is indecisive and favors the Master, contributing to the family's division.

### [I: Summary of Events During the Master’s Wanderings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/i-summary-of-events-during-the-master-s-wanderings)

The aging father, who reads by the chimney and pressures Miss Alison to marry Mr. Henry for financial reasons after the Master's death.

### [II: Summary of Events (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/ii-summary-of-events-continued)

Sits reading Livy; smooth-talking and pleasant; shares in the mourning for the Master; consoles Mrs. Henry.

### [IV: Persecutions Endured by Mr. Henry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/iv-persecutions-endured-by-mr-henry)

Intervenes to protect the Master from exposure, showing parental partiality and weakness.

### [Account of All That Passed on the Night of February 27th, 1757](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/v-account-of-all-that-passed-on-the-night-of-february-27th-1757)

Confronted by Mackellar in his bed; initially defensive of the Master, but moved by Mackellar's plea for Mr. Henry.

### [XI: The Journey in the Wilderness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/xi-the-journey-in-the-wilderness)

In Albany, keeps Mackellar busy with fabricated tasks; shows signs of heavy drinking and moral decline, hinting at his complicity in the plot against the Master.

### [XII: The Journey in the Wilderness (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/xii-the-journey-in-the-wilderness-continued)

Shows signs of severe mental instability, refuses to accept the Master's death, and dies of shock when the Master's corpse appears to briefly revive.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/lord_durrisdeer
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters