The Vicar of Bullhampton · Character

Mr. Chamberlaine

A Salisbury prebendary and friend of Harry Gilmore, whose cautious doctrine that special cases are not worth taking up haunts the Vicar after Carry Brattle slips away.

supporting

Also known as the Rev. Henry Fitzackerly Chamberlaine, Harry

First appearance: The Rev. Henry Fitzackerley Chamberlaine

As a supporting figure in The Vicar of Bullhampton, Mr. Chamberlaine is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

His proposed visit is a matter for debate between Gilmore and the Fenwicks.

In the storyWhat Mr. Gilmore Thought About ItOpen this moment free

Mr. Chamberlaine is the senior clergyman whose sober view of pastoral rescue — that it is no good to take up special cases — the Vicar angrily concedes after Carry Brattle vanishes back into London. He is also the uncle pressing Harry Gilmore toward a more reasonable frame of mind about Mary Lowther, and a guest at the Bullhampton dinner where the chapel quarrel is dissected. His worldly prudence stands as the measured alternative to Fenwick's impulsive charity, and the novel keeps testing which of the two is right.

See Mr. Chamberlaine in What Mr. Gilmore Thought About It Book page

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Character Web

17 connections

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

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Other

Character groups

Central characters and family
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of the confl…

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In the story

Mr. Chamberlaine appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

What Mr. Gilmore Thought About It
His proposed visit is a matter for debate between Gilmore and the Fenwicks.
The Rev. Henry Fitzackerley Chamberlaine
The Rev. Henry Fitzackerley Chamberlaine, a prebendary of Salisbury, arrives at Hampton Privets; he is handsome, refined, and complacent, critical of Fenwick and unsympathetic to Gilmore's love.
XXVII: “I Never Shamed None of Them.”
Argues that special efforts for fallen women are useless and advises subscribing to penitentiaries.
Mr. Quickenham, Q.C.
Debates the legality of the chapel with Mr. Quickenham; defends the Marquis's right to grant the land.
The Vicar's Vengeance
The prebendary argues eloquently and forcefully for the chapel's removal, but fails to shake the Vicar's resolve.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Chamberlaine in The Rev. Henry Fitzackerley Chamberlaine

See Mr. Chamberlaine in What Mr. Gilmore Thought About It