# Mr. Anstey — The Red Thumbmark character guide

> Mr. Anstey in The Red Thumbmark by R. Austin Freeman.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Anstey

**First appearance:** 0002-i-my-learned-brother

## Snapshot

Thorndyke's junior counsel, a whimsical barrister who trades banter with his colleague even as he prepares to dismantle the prosecution's case.

## Who they are

Anstey is the legal mind paired with Thorndyke's scientific one, a man who leans over in court to tell Jervis and Polton to join Thorndyke on the dais because they may as well see the fun. Off the clock he is pseudo-frivolous, demanding to know what is for lunch before agreeing to anything, but in the courtroom his questions are precise and his instincts sharp. He matters because he translates Thorndyke's experiments into admissible courtroom moments, and his easy camaraderie with the doctor gives the defense its human texture.

## In the story

### [XII: It Might Have Been](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/chapters/xii-it-might-have-been)

Visits Jervis, expresses confidence in Reuben's acquittal, and praises Thorndyke's tactics.

### [A Startling Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/chapters/xiv-a-startling-discovery)

Present in court as counsel for the defense, already in wig and gown.

### [XVI: Thorndyke Plays His Card](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/chapters/xvi-thorndyke-plays-his-card)

Defense counsel who delivers a powerful closing argument summarizing the evidence of forgery.

### [At Last](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/chapters/xvii-at-last)

Disrobed and in his usual whimsical character; agrees to join the luncheon.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/characters/anstey
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_thumbmark_se/characters