Person

Book/Story

Cross-Refs.

Family

Description

*CROMWELL, [Oliver] (1599–1658)

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Commander-in-Chief of the English army who became Lord Protector of England after the beheading of Charles I and suspension of Parliament. He stayed in power for 15 years.

*DICKENS, Charles (1812–70)

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

British novelist who wrote mainly about the lower-middle classes and the effects on them of the Industrial Revolution.

ACKERLEY, Colonel

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

A neighbor of the Fortescues, a bachelor of 45 or more, who lives at the White House. He is one of the church wardens, “an estimable fellow—a pukka sahib, as he would himself say,” “with a manner rather typical of the army, but otherwise inoffensive”; “a cheery-looking man, going grey, with regular features and a short moustache.”

BOSANQUET, Lilian

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Nephew: Peter Fortescue

Nieces: Celia Malcolm, Margaret Fortescue.

The Fortescues’ aunt, a middle-aged lady of comfortable proportions and placid demeanor who is slightly deaf. She tries to conjure up the Monk using a planchette.

BOWERS

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife: Emma Bowers

Butler to the Fortescues at the Priory.

BOWERS, Emma

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Husband: Bowers

Cook and housekeeper at the Priory, she has been with the Fortescues since their childhood; a formidable woman who is not afraid of ghosts.

BROWN

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Inquiry agent set on James Fripp by Charles Malcolm.

CHAS.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

See: MALCOLM, CHARLES

COGGIN

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as a servant at the Priory.

CROWSLAY, Miss

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

A regular annual guest at the Bell Inn in Framley; mentioned by Wilkes as an artist.

DISTRICT INSPECTOR

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

See: TOMLINSON, District Inspector

DRAYCOTT, Michael (Inspector)

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

See: STRANGE, Michael

Well-known member of the Scotland Yard.

DUVAL, Louis

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

A French artist who lives not far from the Priory and frequents the Bell Inn in Framley. He speaks with a distinct accent and is unmistakably an artist, with quite long black hair, a flowing, carelessly tied piece of silk around his neck, a pointed beard, a broad-brimmed hat, and “fingers stained with paint.” He is drunk most of the time and goes in fear of the Monk.

FELLOWES, Mrs.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as housekeeper to Mr. Titmarsh; she is very respectable and lives at High Barn.

FFOLLIOT, Mr.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

A guest at the Bell Inn in Framley; referred to by Wilkes as an artist.

FLINDERS, Constable Henry

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Described as “bucolic,” he is the local policeman of Framley and is called in by the Priory occupants to clear up the mysterious happenings there. A zealous officer of the law, with limited imagination and intelligence, he is all for pulling the Priory down if it’s haunted.

FORTESCUE, Margaret

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Familial nickname: “Peg”

Brother: Peter Fortescue

Sister: Celia Malcolm

Brother-in-law: Charles Malcolm

Inherits the Priory, along with her siblings, and appears unafraid of the strange and inexplicable happenings that occur there. Single, she lives in the city, where she shares an apartment with her brother, Peter, but she finds herself unexpectedly attracted to Michael Strange.

FORTESCUE, Peter

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Sisters: Celia Malcolm, Margaret Fortescue

Brother-in-law: Charles Malcolm

Co-owner of the Priory along with his sisters. He is interested in investigating the “ghost” said to haunt the Priory.

FRIPP, James

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Jimmy

Commercial traveler selling Suck-All vacuum cleaners and staying at the Bell Inn in Framley. A thin, wiry little man, with “a very sharp face and pale eyes that darted from object to object with a quickness that gave a disagreeable impression of shiftiness”.

JANE

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as housemaid at the Priory. She becomes hysterical at the efforts of the zealous Constable flinders to investigate the happenings at the Priory.

JENKINS

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as a man who brought in the typed version of Charles Malcolm’s statement to the police.

MALCOLM, Celia

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Husband: Charles Malcolm

Brother: Peter Fortescue

Sister: Margaret Fortescue

Co-owner of the Priory along with her brother and sister, she is afraid of the strange occurrences there and wants to leave the premises as soon as possible. She is only sustained through this time by the presence of her husband and brother.

MALCOLM, Charles

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Familial Nickname: “Chas.”

Wife: Celia Malcolm

Brother-in-law: Peter Fortescue

Sister-in-Law: Margaret Fortescue

Barrister at law, an intrepid young man with a wry sense of humor. He gets deeply involved in solving the mysterious happenings at the Priory.

MARSON

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as head of Suck-All Cleaners.

MARTIN, Alphonse

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Chief Agent of an English goods manufacturer, caught in the act of smuggling forged notes into France. His capture eventually leads Draycott to Framley.

MASON, Bill

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife: Peggy Mason

Mentioned in passing as an erstwhile suitor of Margaret Fortescue and friend of Peter Fortescue.

MASON, Peggy

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Husband: Bill Mason

Close friend of Margaret Fortescue in London.

MASTERMANS, The

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as the occupants of the Manor House.

MATTHEWS, Old Mrs. Flora

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Nephew: Peter Fortescue

Nieces: Celia Malcolm, Margaret Fortescue

Previous owner and occupant of the Priory.

MATTHEWS, Sergeant

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Member of the Mansfield police and assistant to Inspector Tomlinson.

MILBANK

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife: Mrs. Milbank

Solicitor to the Fortescues and in charge of their affairs related to the Priory; also a family friend.

MILBANK, Mrs.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Husband: Milbank

Wife of the Fortescues’ family solicitor and friend.

MONK, The

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

a.k.a.: Le Moine

Ghost of a dead monk that is supposed to haunt the Priory.

Literary note: The allusion is presumably to The Monk, a popular Gothic novel by Matthew Lewis, published in 1796.

PARKER

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as Mrs. Bosanquet’s servant in London.

PENNYTHORNE

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife: Mrs. Pennythorne

Vicar of Framley, a skeptic and non-believer in the ghost said to haunt the Priory.

PENNYTHORNE, Mrs.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Husband: Pennythorne

The vicar’s wife, with a very sharp tongue and an inclination to tear all her neighbors’ characters to shreds; she wears a pince-nez and white kid gloves.

PONSONBY, Dr.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Resident in Mansfield, mentioned in passing.

PUTTOCK, Dr.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Divisional Surgeon, police doctor in charge of Louis Duval’s autopsy.

ROBINSON, George

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing by Mr. Millbank as a prospective buyer for the Priory.

ROOTE, Dr.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife: Mrs. Roote

The local doctor of Framley; reportedly an alcoholic; an untidy individual of about forty.

ROOTE, Mrs.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Wife of Dr. Roote; a good-looking blonde grown a little haggard and with rather a harsh voice.

SPINDLE

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Barman at the Bell Inn in Framley.

STRANGE, Michael

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

See: Draycott, Michael

A guest at the Bell Inn in Framley claiming to have come for a fishing holiday. A nice-looking, powerful, and very dark young man of about thirty, “with very black brows that grew close over the bridge of his nose, and a mouth that was rather grim in repose.” Interested in Margaret Fortescue but regarded suspiciously by the rest of the Fortescue clan.

TILLMAN, Ben

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing by Wilkes as the man who kept the “mill up to Crawshays.”

TITMARSH, Ernest

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

An entomologist who lives at Crossways and has very odd habits due to his hobby of collecting moths; a neighbor of the Priory who makes a habit of trespassing on other people’s property, especially at night in pursuit of specimens.

TOMLINSON, District Inspector

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

At Manfield, a wiry man of medium height, foxy hair, a meticulously waxed moustache, and cold blue eyes which nevertheless can twinkle; he is very competent and business-like, shows a great deal of common sense and a quiet sense of humour, and pays more attention to the happenings at the Priory than is apparent from his attitude.

WILKES

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Owner of the Bell Inn in Framley, “a landlord of such comfortable proportions and benevolent mien that he might well have stepped from the pages of Dickens; he likes to tell stories about the Monk and how he has seen the ghost.

WILLIAMS

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Mentioned in passing as person against whom Draycott handled a case.

WILLIAMS, Miss

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

Regular annual guest at the Bell Inn in Framley; mentioned by Wilkes as an artist.