# Mrs. Catherick — The Woman in White character guide

> Mrs. Catherick in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Catherick

**First appearance:** 0014-x

## Snapshot

Anne's mother, a woman of rigid respectability whose carefully guarded past with Sir Percival is the buried hinge on which the whole mystery turns.

## Who they are

Mrs. Catherick married a decent man only after Sir Percival Glyde had already compromised her, and the secret she keeps has made her cold, pious, and evasive. Her husband vanished after a violent confrontation with Percival, and she has never forgiven or forgotten. When Walter comes asking about Anne, her guarded answers and her fear of Percival reveal that she holds a key she will not willingly surrender.

## Relationships

### [Sir Percival Glyde](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/sir_percival_glyde)

_rivalry_

Mrs. Catherick harbors a bitter, vengeful hatred for Sir Percival, who seduced and abandoned her and ruined her reputation.

### [Anne Catherick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/anne_catherick)

_family_

Anne is Mrs. Catherick's troubled and estranged daughter, with a relationship marked by neglect and resentment.

### [Marian Halcombe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/marian_halcombe)

_social_

Marian seeks out Mrs. Catherick to gather information about Sir Percival's past, leading to a tense and guarded interaction.

### [Laura Fairlie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/laura_fairlie)

_social_

Laura has a brief, indirect connection to Mrs. Catherick through the mystery of Anne and Sir Percival, but they are not close.

### [Sir Percival Glyde](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/sir_percival_glyde)

_rivalry_

Mrs. Catherick harbors a bitter, vengeful hatred for Sir Percival, who seduced and abandoned her and ruined her reputation.

### [Sir Percival Glyde](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/sir_percival_glyde)

_rivalry_

Mrs. Catherick harbors a bitter, vengeful hatred for Sir Percival, who seduced and abandoned her and ruined her reputation.

### [Marian Halcombe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/marian_halcombe)

_social_

Marian seeks out Mrs. Catherick to gather information about Sir Percival's past, leading to a tense and guarded interaction.

### [Anne Catherick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/anne_catherick)

_family_

Anne is Mrs. Catherick's troubled and estranged daughter, with a relationship marked by neglect and resentment.

### [Marian Halcombe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/marian_halcombe)

_social_

Marian seeks out Mrs. Catherick to gather information about Sir Percival's past, leading to a tense and guarded interaction.

### [Laura Fairlie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/laura_fairlie)

_social_

Laura has a brief, indirect connection to Mrs. Catherick through the mystery of Anne and Sir Percival, but they are not close.

### [Laura Fairlie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/laura_fairlie)

_social_

Laura has a brief, indirect connection to Mrs. Catherick through the mystery of Anne and Sir Percival, but they are not close.

### [Anne Catherick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/anne_catherick)

_family_

Anne is Mrs. Catherick's troubled and estranged daughter, with a relationship marked by neglect and resentment.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/i)

Visited Blackwater Park secretly; inquired about Sir Percival and Lady Glyde; seems to have given up on finding her daughter Anne.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/v)

Anne's mother; Walter hopes to gain her assistance in the investigation.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/vii)

Described as a harsh, secretive woman who may have let slip Sir Percival's secret to Anne; her address at Welmingham is sought by Walter.

### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/viii)

Defiant and uncooperative when Walter visits to inquire about Sir Percival's past.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/ix)

Subject of Walter's interview; her terror at the mention of the vestry confirms her complicity in Sir Percival's secret.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/xi)

Sends an unsigned, disguised letter to Walter after the inquest.

### [The Story Continued by Mrs. Catherick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/the-story-continued-by-mrs-catherick)

Narrates her own story, detailing her actions and motivations regarding Anne and the secret.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/i)

Her narrative is read by Walter; she associates Walter with a calamity and death he tried to prevent.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters/mrs_catherick
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/characters