The Master of Ballantrae · Character

Mr. Henry

The dutiful younger son who stays behind to hold the estate together, only to find himself cast as the villain in his own household.

major

Also known as Henry, Harry, Henry Durie, poor Mr. Henry

First appearance: The Master of Ballantrae

As a major figure in The Master of Ballantrae, Mr. Henry is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The younger brother, Henry, is steady, dutiful, and remains at Durrisdeer to support the government, resenting his brother's favor.

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Henry Durie is the cadet who does the work while his brother takes the glory, managing Durrisdeer's affairs from boyhood and enduring his father's preference for the absent James. He has 'an excellent gift of silence,' but it curdles into a cold, resentful temper as he shoulders burdens no one thanks him for. His painful position — neither fish nor flesh, heir in name only — makes him the story's most sympathetic and most quietly dangerous figure.

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Character Web

15 connections

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

Relationship types

Rivalry
Family
Social
Other

Character groups

Durrisdeer Household & Allies
Protagonist
Minor Characters & Acquaintances

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the narrator's dread and the re…

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Relationships

The Master
rivalry · negative
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for… How this plays out →
Mrs. Henry
family · ambivalent
Colonel Burke
rivalry · negative
Jessie Broun
social · negative
The Master
rivalry · negative
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for… How this plays out →
The Master
rivalry · negative
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for… How this plays out →
Mrs. Henry
family · ambivalent
Jessie Broun
social · negative
Mrs. Henry
family · ambivalent
Colonel Burke
rivalry · negative
Colonel Burke
rivalry · negative

The Master
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor.
Mrs. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.
Colonel Burke
Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause.
Jessie Broun
A local woman who spreads malicious gossip about Mr. Henry, deepening his social isolation.
The Master
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor.
The Master
Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor.
Mrs. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.
Jessie Broun
A local woman who spreads malicious gossip about Mr. Henry, deepening his social isolation.
Mrs. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.
Colonel Burke
Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause.
Colonel Burke
Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause.

Relationship notes

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

See Mr. Henry in The Master of Ballantrae

In the story

Mr. Henry appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Master of Ballantrae
The younger brother, Henry, is steady, dutiful, and remains at Durrisdeer to support the government, resenting his brother's favor.
I: Summary of Events During the Master’s Wanderings
The younger son, honest and solid, becomes heir after the Master's presumed death; he suffers from false rumors of betrayal and social ostracism.
II: Summary of Events (Continued)
Welcomes Mackellar warmly; is kind but unhappy; bears the burden of the Master's memory and Mrs. Henry's coldness; sends Mackellar to pay Jessie Broun.
IV: Persecutions Endured by Mr. Henry
Suffers silently as the Master manipulates his wife and undermines his position; confronts the Master over Jessie Broun.
Account of All That Passed on the Night of February 27th, 1757
Shaken and sobbing after the duel, unable to act; Mackellar forces him to drink brandy and leaves him in the hall.
VI: Summary of Events During the Master’s Second Absence
Falls deathly ill after the duel; during delirium speaks only of trivial matters and childhood memories of the Master; slowly recovers but shows no memory of the tragedy, causing fear of mental unsoundness.
VIII: The Enemy in the House
Confronts the Master with controlled anger, dismisses John Paul, and struggles with the emotional strain of his brother's return.
X: Passages at New York
Now called Lord Durrisdeer, he has prepared a public humiliation for the Master, offering him a choice between leaving or staying under strict conditions.

Chapter companion notes

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