# Adam Wayne — The Napoleon of Notting Hill character guide > Adam Wayne in The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mr. Wayne, Wayne, Provost Wayne, Provost Adam Wayne **First appearance:** 0001-the-napoleon-of-notting-hill ## Snapshot A boyish Notting Hill idealist who takes the King's absurd charter literally, and will defend his red-and-yellow borough with tears, sword, and blood. ## Who they are Wayne is the young Provost of Notting Hill, the one man in England who treats Auberon Quin's joke charter as a sacred trust rather than a farce. Where the King sees comedy, Wayne sees a gift of liberty worth dying for, and his earnestness unsettles everyone around him. His refusal to wink back at the joke turns a municipal prank into a real war, making him the story's unlikely engine. ## Relationships ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne, the serious and fanatical Provost of Notting Hill, and Auberon Quin, the jester King who started the whole conflict as a joke, are locked in a philosophical and practical opposition between romantic seriousness and absurdist comedy. ### [Mr. Buck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_buck) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and James Barker are direct enemies in the conflict, with Barker leading the forces against Wayne's Notting Hill rebellion. ### [Mr. Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_turnbull) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Turnbull are opponents in the war, with Turnbull being one of the military leaders opposing Wayne's forces. ### [General Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/general_wilson) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and General Wilson are military adversaries, with Wilson commanding forces against Wayne's army. ### [Mr. Lambert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_lambert) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Lambert are enemies in the district war, with Lambert opposing Wayne's cause. ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne, the serious and fanatical Provost of Notting Hill, and Auberon Quin, the jester King who started the whole conflict as a joke, are locked in a philosophical and practical opposition between romantic seriousness and absurdist comedy. ### [Mr. Buck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_buck) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne, the serious and fanatical Provost of Notting Hill, and Auberon Quin, the jester King who started the whole conflict as a joke, are locked in a philosophical and practical opposition between romantic seriousness and absurdist comedy. ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and James Barker are direct enemies in the conflict, with Barker leading the forces against Wayne's Notting Hill rebellion. ### [Mr. Buck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_buck) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and James Barker are direct enemies in the conflict, with Barker leading the forces against Wayne's Notting Hill rebellion. ## In the story ### [The Napoleon of Notting Hill](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/the-napoleon-of-notting-hill) Introduced as the fervent Provost of Notting Hill, he declares war to defend Pump Street. ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-ii) Intractable Provost of Notting Hill, red-haired and young, who declares his sword for the King and his determination to defend his city. ### [The Charter of the Cities](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-charter-of-the-cities) A pale-faced boy with burning blue eyes is noted among the audience, foreshadowing his future role as the fervent Provost of Notting Hill. ### [The Council of the Provosts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-council-of-the-provosts) Mentioned as the new Provost of Notting Hill who refuses to allow the road to go through Pump Street, causing conflict with Buck. ### [III: Enter a Lunatic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-enter-a-lunatic) Enters as the Provost of Notting Hill, pledging his sword to the King. He reveals his deep, sincere patriotism for Notting Hill, arguing that its streets and gardens are sacred and worth fighting for. He is young, earnest, and willing to shed blood for his cause. ### [Book III: The Mental Condition of Adam Wayne and The Remarkable Mr. Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-iii) Provost of Notting Hill, shown pacing Pump Street and recruiting shopkeepers; his mind transforms London's artificiality into a romantic, sacred landscape. ### [The Mental Condition of Adam Wayne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-mental-condition-of-adam-wayne) The central figure of the chapter; a failed poet turned passionate patriot of Notting Hill, who sees the ordinary streets and railings as romantic and heroic. ### [The Remarkable Mr. Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-remarkable-mr-turnbull) Provost of Notting Hill, recruiting shopkeepers for the coming war; shows a mix of earnest idealism and psychological insight, though often baffled by others' reactions. ### [The Experiment of Mr. Buck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-the-experiment-of-mr-buck) Wayne appears in full ceremonial robes, refuses all offers for Pump Street, and invokes the Charter of the Cities. He apologizes for his earlier outburst and shows magnanimity toward Buck, but remains steadfast in his refusal. ### [Book IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-iv) Leads a sortie on horseback from Pump Street; barricaded in Pump Street by dawn after the chaotic night. ### [The Battle of the Lamps](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-battle-of-the-lamps) Provost of Notting Hill; barricaded in Pump Street, the target of the massive coordinated attack. ### [III: The Great Army of South Kensington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-the-great-army-of-south-kensington) Leads the defense of Notting Hill, delivers a stirring speech, kills Lambert in combat, and ultimately forces the surrender of the allied army by threatening to flood the valley. ### [Book V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-v) Leads the final charge, expresses joy in the battle, and later reconciles with Auberon Quin, declaring they are two lobes of the same brain. ### [I: The Empire of Notting Hill](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-empire-of-notting-hill) Provost Wayne, now older, speaks to the crowd and predicts defeat in the coming war, stating that they ought to be defeated. ### [II: The Last Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-last-battle) Leads his army in the final battle, fights with superhuman strength, kills Buck with a tree branch, and delivers a final speech before the tree falls. ### [Two Voices](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-two-voices) Defends the heroic and irreplaceable nature of Notting Hill, accepts Quin's confession, and proposes they wander the world together. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/adam_wayne - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters