The Wonderful Visit · Character

Mrs. Mendham

The Curate's sharp-eyed wife, she runs the parish in practice, keeps a fire burning even in summer, and knows exactly what is due to her.

supporting

Also known as Mendham, the Mendham

First appearance: xxiv the angel explores the village

As a supporting figure in The Wonderful Visit, Mrs. Mendham is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Identified as the Curate's wife; leads the group of tennis players in a horrified retreat upon seeing the Angel.

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Mrs. Mendham hears the Angel story from her husband over bootlaces and firelight and immediately begins turning it into something usable, weighing whether the Vicar is mad, whether the Curate should write to the Bishop, and whether Hilyer could dismiss him anyway. She is not cruel so much as managerial: she sees the parish as a machine she operates and the Angel as grit in it. Her gossip is the mechanism by which private strangeness becomes public scandal.

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See Mrs. Mendham in xxiv the angel explores the village

Character Web

14 connections

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

Relationship types

Rivalry
Social
Other

Character groups

Village Authority Figures
Protagonist

+9 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

This is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Sir John Gotch’s violent…

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Relationships

The Angel
rivalry · negative
The Vicar
social · negative
The Curate from Iping Hanger
social · negative
Lady Hammergallow
social · negative
The Angel
rivalry · negative
The Vicar
social · negative
The Vicar
social · negative
The Angel
rivalry · negative
The Curate from Iping Hanger
social · negative
Lady Hammergallow
social · negative
Lady Hammergallow
social · negative

The Angel
Mrs. Mendham is suspicious and hostile toward the Angel, viewing him as a disruptive and improper presence in the village.
The Vicar
Mrs. Mendham is a parishioner who frequently criticizes the Vicar's decisions, especially regarding the Angel.
The Curate from Iping Hanger
Mrs. Mendham and the Curate share a gossipy alliance, reinforcing each other's disapproval of the Angel.
Lady Hammergallow
Lady Hammergallow and Mrs. Mendham are allies in social conservatism, united in their disdain for the Angel.
The Angel
Mrs. Mendham is suspicious and hostile toward the Angel, viewing him as a disruptive and improper presence in the village.
The Vicar
Mrs. Mendham is a parishioner who frequently criticizes the Vicar's decisions, especially regarding the Angel.
The Vicar
Mrs. Mendham is a parishioner who frequently criticizes the Vicar's decisions, especially regarding the Angel.
The Angel
Mrs. Mendham is suspicious and hostile toward the Angel, viewing him as a disruptive and improper presence in the village.
The Curate from Iping Hanger
Mrs. Mendham and the Curate share a gossipy alliance, reinforcing each other's disapproval of the Angel.
Lady Hammergallow
Lady Hammergallow and Mrs. Mendham are allies in social conservatism, united in their disdain for the Angel.
Lady Hammergallow
Lady Hammergallow and Mrs. Mendham are allies in social conservatism, united in their disdain for the Angel.

Relationship notes

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See Mrs. Mendham in xxiv the angel explores the village

In the story

Mrs. Mendham appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

X: At the Vicarage
Identified as the Curate's wife; leads the group of tennis players in a horrified retreat upon seeing the Angel.
XVI: The Curate (Continued)
Mentioned as part of the group of ladies playing lawn tennis who were alarmed by the Angel.
XVIII: After Dinner
Mentioned as having played tennis; the Vicar defends her against the Angel's implied criticism.
XX: After Dinner (Continued)
Questions the story, suggests the Vicar is mad, and insists on proper behavior; proposes writing to the Bishop.
XXI: After Dinner (Continued)
Mentioned as a source of anxiety for the Vicar, her tongue 'hanging above him like the sword of Damocles.'
XXVI: The Angel Explores the Village (Continued)
Passes the Angel with a distant nod, avoiding being seen talking to him.
XXVIII: Lady Hammergallow's View
Referenced by Lady Hammergallow as having suspicious ideas about the Angel, which Lady Hammergallow dismisses.
XXXI: Mrs. Jehoram's Breadth of View
Skeptical and scandalized by the stranger's dress and behavior; gossips with Mrs. Jehoram.
LIII: The Epilogue
Now the vicar's wife, she shows the visitor the new monument and provides a dismissive, reductive account of the Angel and Delia's deaths, revealing her shallow concern for social status and her inability to grasp the wonder of what occurred.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mrs. Mendham unlock in the free preview.

See Mrs. Mendham in xxiv the angel explores the village

See Mrs. Mendham in X: At the Vicarage