The Nebuly Coat · Character

Martin Joliffe

The Joliffes' dead son, remembered as a young man who came back from Oxford in debt and went about claiming he was a Blandamer.

supporting

Also known as Joliffe, Martin, young Martin Joliffe, dear Martin

First appearance: iii

As a supporting figure in The Nebuly Coat, Martin Joliffe is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Deceased half-brother of Euphemia, who spent his life trying to prove he was a Blandamer and died penniless.

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Martin never knew his father and did not live to see his family's decline reversed; he is known chiefly through the recollections of old servants and the grief of his sister Phemie. His Oxford debts forced Farmer Joliffe to sell his best team, and his insistence that he was a Blandamer left a stain of shame and possibility on the family name. He matters because his claim, and the question of whether it was madness or memory, is one of the threads the living cannot stop pulling.

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See Martin Joliffe in iii

Character Web

24 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Cullerne Church & Clergy
Joliffe & Blandamer Circle

+19 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Westray reaches his emotional and psychological peak here as he confronts the full weight of his "repugnant bu…

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Relationships

Lord Blandamer
psychological · negative
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the… How this plays out →
Mr. Sharnall
social · ambivalent
Mr. Sharnall
social · ambivalent
Lord Blandamer
psychological · negative
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the… How this plays out →
Lord Blandamer
psychological · negative
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the… How this plays out →

Lord Blandamer
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the Blandamer inheritance.
Mr. Sharnall
Martin and Sharnall have occasional conversations, with Sharnall showing a paternal interest in the young man.
Mr. Sharnall
Martin and Sharnall have occasional conversations, with Sharnall showing a paternal interest in the young man.
Lord Blandamer
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the Blandamer inheritance.
Lord Blandamer
Lord Blandamer exerts a manipulative influence over Martin, exploiting his claims to the Blandamer inheritance.

Relationship notes

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

See Martin Joliffe in iii

In the story

Martin Joliffe appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter II
Deceased half-brother of Euphemia, who spent his life trying to prove he was a Blandamer and died penniless.
Chapter IV
Discussed as the son of Sophia Flannery, who returned from Oxford with debts and claimed to be a Blandamer, making inquiries about the inheritance.
Chapter V
Mentioned as Miss Joliffe's late brother who treasured the painting and refused to sell it.
VII
Martin Joliffe is remembered as Anastasia's father, who wearied of her company and obsessed over the nebuly coat and peerage. His illness and death are recalled.
XX
His papers reveal his lifelong quest to discover his father's name and his belief that he was the rightful owner of Fording.
Chapter XXI
Mentioned as the pretender to the Blandamer title, now deceased.

Chapter companion notes

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See Martin Joliffe in iii

See Martin Joliffe in Chapter II