Person

Book/Story

Nicknames

Family

Description

(UNKNOWN SURNAME), Jane (MIP)

PENHALLOW

A maid at Trevellin.

(UNKNOWN SURNAME), Jimmy

PENHALLOW

Familial nickname : "Jimmy the Bastard"

Father : Adam Penhallow

Half-brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow, Clay Penhallow.

Half-sister: Charmian Penhallow

Aunt: Clara Hastings

Jimmy the Bastard is the illegitimate son of the master of Trevellin, kept as a general servant. He is lazy, and bears little goodwill towards the family, the male members of which wouldn't hesitate to beat him if he neglected his duties in too blatant a fashion. He is aware that Penhallow's death will lead to him being "kicked out of the house without ceremony or compunction" and is considering emigrating to America. His actions precipitate the concluding tragedy of the story

AJAX

PENHALLOW

Horse belonging to Clara Hastings, offered to Clay Penhallow as : "a comfortable, safe ride". (MIP)

BEELZEBUB

PENHALLOW

A 'disreputable' black cat with a nocked ear, belonging to Adam Penhallow.

BLAZEY Jnr, Mr

PENHALLOW

Sleeping partner in the firm of Messrs. Blazey, Blazey, Hastings and Wembury (MIP)

BLAZEY Snr., Mr (deceased)

PENHALLOW

Former partner in the firm of Messrs. Blazey, Blazey, Hastings and Wembury (MIP)

BUGLE, Martha

PENHALLOW

Former mistress of Adam Penhallow, currently acting as his nurse and personal attendant. One of the few inhabitants of Trevellin who is genuinely fond of its master.

DEMON COLT, The

PENHALLOW

Colt bred by Raymond Penhallow for sale.

DICKY

PENHALLOW

Ailing roller-canary belonging to Delia Ottery (MIP)

HASTINGS, Clara (nee Penhallow) Age 63

PENHALLOW

Son: Clifford Hastings

Brother: Adam Penhallow

Nephews: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow, Clay Penhallow, Jimmy (illegitimate)

Niece: Charmian Penhallow

A widow, whose name "conjured up a vision of gaping plackets, frowsty flannel blouses, gold chains and brooches, and wisps of yellowy-grey hair escaping from a multitude of pins". She has lived as a pensioner under her brother's roof for years, and is interested only in horses and her fern garden, being largely indifferent to the quarrels of the rest of the household. She is a kindly person, fond of her nephews, but is becoming increasingly disturbed by her brother's irrational behaviour and wanton cruelty.

HASTINGS, Clifford Age 39

PENHALLOW

Wife: Rosamund Hastings

Mother: Clara Hastings

Daughters: Isabel Hastings, Daphne Hastings, Monica Hastings

Uncle: Adam Penhallow

Cousins: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Charmian Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

The family solicitor, " blessed with an uncritical, friendly, disposition". He has been blackmailed by Adam Penhallow into taking Adam and Faith's son Clay on as a pupil. He is a fond father.

HASTINGS, Daphne (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father : Clifford Hastings

Mother : Rosamund Hastings

Sisters : Monica and Isabel

HASTINGS, Isabel (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father : Clifford Hastings

Mother : Rosamund Hastings

Sisters : Monica and Daphne

HASTINGS, Monica (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father : Clifford Hastings

Mother : Rosamund Hastings

Sisters : Isabel and Daphne

HASTINGS, Rosamund Age 34

PENHALLOW

Husband: Clifford Hastings

Daughters: Isabel , Daphne , Monica

"A good, if rather frigid wife; an excellent mother; a competent housekeeper; and an attentive hostess". She dislikes and disapproves of the Penhallows, and spends as little time as possible in their company. She thinks it is "disgraceful" that Clifford has been forced to accept Clay as a pupil, but goes along with it because the alternative is to have her mother-in-law move in, which she certainly would not want.

HAYLE

PENHALLOW

Head-gardener to the Penhallows. (MIP)

LANNER, Reuben

PENHALLOW

Wife : Sybilla Lanner

Niece Loveday Trewithian

"A spare, grizzled man", Reuben "called himself Penhallow's butler" and has been in Penhallow's servce for many years. He is a casual servant, generally behaving in the familiar fashion of old retainers and only doing what he chooses.

LANNER, Sybilla

PENHALLOW

Sybilla is the housekeeper and cook at Trevellin, "easy-going, slovenly, wasteful…" and ruling the kitchen despite Faith's early attempts to take over.

LIFTON, Dr. Wilfred

PENHALLOW

Adam Penhallow's doctor; he "was neither brilliant nor modern". An attack of influenza leads to his partner's being called to Penhallow's deathbed, and hence to the discovery of the murder.

LOGAN, Detective Inspector

PENHALLOW

'A sensible looking man of about 45', functioning in the book in a purely official role as an investigator. He is unacquainted with the deceased and his household, and therefore discounts as exaggerated some of the testimony with which he is presented. His lack of understanding of the family dynamics leads to a very unsatisfactory conclusion to the case.

LUCKETT

PENHALLOW

Under-gardener and part-time chauffeur to the Penhallows. (MIP)

MAWGAN

PENHALLOW

Stud-groom at the Trevellin stud-farm (MIP)

MORPETH, Leila

PENHALLOW

A.k.a : 'The Pink Fondant'

Shares a flat with Charmian Penhallow in London : "a very feminine blonde, who resembled nothing so much as a pink fondant", described as "the object of [the Penhallows'] masterful sister's passionate solicitude." The younger Penhallows were "transfixed with amazement at the spectacle of Charmian hovering protectively over an opulent female of generous proportions, who had a habit of referring to herself as 'poor little me' in accents suggestive of extreme childhood".

OTTERY, Delia

PENHALLOW

Sister : Rachel Penhallow

Brother: Phineas Ottery

Nephews : Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Niece: Charmian Penhallow

"..stupid, and very shy. She had developed into the old maid of fiction". A foolish woman, much given to irritatingly twee and sentimental remarks which embarrass and disgust her nephews, of whom she is dotingly fond. She lives with her brother, and keeps birds. Actions she took in the long-ago past lead unexpectedly to the tragic conclusion of the story.

OTTERY, Phineas

PENHALLOW

Sisters : Rachel Penhallow, Delia Ottery

Nephews : Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Niece: Charmian Penhallow

A smug, hypocrite with "soft, white hands", living with his sister Delia. He hates Penhallow, and dreads the possibility of a scandal.

PENHALLOW, Adam Age 61

PENHALLOW

A.K.A. "the Master", "The Guv'nor"

Wife 1 : Rachel Ottery (deceased)

Wife 2: Faith Clay Formby

Sons: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow, Clay Penhallow, Jimmy (illegitimate)

Daughter: Charmian Penhallow

Sister: Clara Hastings

"A mountainous ruin of a man, with a hawk-nose jutting between bloated cheeks; fierce malicious eyes staring beneath brows that were still jet-black and bushy; and an arrogant, intemperate mouth" , largely bed-ridden with "dropsy". He is a domestic tyrant, determined to keep his family under his thumb. He is cruel, bullying, easily angered, moody and extravagant, and is becoming increasingly despotic and eccentric, flinging money around with "with a lavish hand, just as his fancy dictated. " He is also sexually incontinent, and cares nothing for his wife's feelings about it. He is quite ready to indulge in blackmail to get what he wants or to flaunt Jimmy the Bastard on a visit to the Vicar and his wife. He drinks and eats to excess.

PENHALLOW, Aubrey Age 28

PENHALLOW

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

PENHALLOW, Bartholomew Age 25

PENHALLOW

Familial Nickname : "Bart"

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow (twin)

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

Father of an illegitimate child by "Polperrow's bitch of a daughter" and of several others not mentioned by name. Encouraged to run wild by his father , but secretly planning to settle down with Loveday Trewithian when his father gives him the Trellick farm, despite the fact that she would be considered inferior to him by his relations. He does not realise how much Conrad, his twin, dislikes this relationship. He is a simple man, unable to appreciate the deviousness of others, and has a hasty temper

PENHALLOW, Bertram (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father: Ingram Penhallow

Mother: Myra Penhallow

Brother: Rudolph

PENHALLOW, Charmian Age 30

PENHALLOW

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

Charmian wears "the most masculine garments she could find", and shares a flat in London with a very feminine blonde. She has inherited money from a godmother, and is therefore independent of her father. She is united with her brother Aubrey in condemning the philistinism of the rest of the family, and visits only when necessary. She is strong-minded, practical, ruthless and as domineering as her father.

PENHALLOW, Clay

PENHALLOW

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Faith Penhallow

Half-brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow, Jimmy

Half-sister: Charmian Penhallow

Aunt: Clara Hastings

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

Clay is a mother's boy, uninterested in any of the sporting pursuits of his half-brothers, and has been sent to study at Cambridge, although his career there "was not fulfilling its early promise". He is ill-at-ease with his brothers, and has been encouraged by his mother to regard them with fear. He dislikes and is frightened by Penhallow, and is extremely unwilling to follow the course he has laid out for him.

PENHALLOW, Conrad Age 25

PENHALLOW

Familial nickname : "Con"

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow (twin)

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

"The cleverer, yet the weaker of the twins", with a "jealous devotion" for his brother. He is working as a land agent for a local firm, although he treats this employment rather casually. He is extremely jealous of his twin's relationship with Loveday Trewithian and hates Loveday..

PENHALLOW, Eugene Age 35

PENHALLOW

Wife: Vivian Penhallow

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

"He enjoyed the convenient sort of ill-health which prevented his engaging on any disagreeable task, but permitted his spending whole days following the hounds whenever he felt inclined to do so". He loves Vivian, but "takes the line of least resistance" and won't allow her to persuade him to leave the family home, because he is comfortable there, and too indolent and unenterprising to care about making his own way. He is very acute about family relationships and a 'natural love of mischief' makes him seek out and play on his siblings' weaknesses.

PENHALLOW, Faith (nee Formby) Age 39

PENHALLOW

Husband: Adam Penhallow

Son; Clay Penhallow

Stepsons: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Stepdaughter: Charmian Penhallow

Faith is a weak person, brought up by an aunt, "the type of woman who found little difficulty in glossing over such information as did not fit into her dream-pictures". She suffers from her nerves, and tends to brood over her wrongs and "work herself up into a state". She no longer loves her husband, her devotion being reserved for her only son, in whose defence she "could find the courage to fight", and it is this devotion which precipitates her husband's murder. She is generally despised or ignored by her stepchildren, and has been unable to find friends in the neighbourhood. She depends for sympathy and comfort on her maid, Loveday Trewithian.

PENHALLOW, Ingram

PENHALLOW

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Raymond Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

Second son of Adam Penhallow, Ingram has inherited his mother's private fortune, and lives in the Dower House. He has a stiff leg fom the war, in which he was awarded the Military Cross. He is much given to platitudes, and shares his father's patriarchal views. He has a violent dislike of his elder brother Raymond.

PENHALLOW, Joshua

PENHALLOW

Ancestor of Adam Penhallow and former owner of Penhallow estate, during whose time 'the estate was resettled' (MIP)

PENHALLOW, Myra

PENHALLOW

Husband: Ingram Penhallow

Sons: Bertram, Rudolph

"A leathery woman with sharp features and an insistent voice". She is interested only in her own home.

PENHALLOW, Rachel (deceased) (nee Ottery)

PENHALLOW

Husband : Adam Penhallow

Sons: Raymond Penhallow, Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Daughter: Charmian Penhallow

Brother: Phineas Ottery

Sister: Delia Ottery

A robust, hard-riding and strong woman, first wife of Adam, whose shadow hangs over Faith Penhallow

PENHALLOW, Raymond Age 39

PENHALLOW

Familial nickname : "Ray"

Father: Adam Penhallow

Mother: Rachel Penhallow

Stepmother: Faith Penhallow

Brothers: Ingram Penhallow, Eugene Penhallow, Aubrey Penhallow, Bartholomew Penhallow, Conrad Penhallow

Sister: Charmian Penhallow

Half-brothers: Clay Penhallow, Jimmy

Aunts: Clara Hastings, Delia Ottery

Uncle: Phineas Ottery

Cousin: Clifford Hastings

Raymond has "a rather grim cast of countenance, a decided chin and no small-talk". He is stubborn, taciturn, hard-working and "passionately loved every stone, every blade of grass" on the estate, but irrationally resents that he was not born there. A hard-headed businessman with an excellent eye for a horse, he is effectively the manager of Trevellin, but is unable to prevent his father's reckless extravagance. When he tries to bend his father to his will, a shocking revelation turns his world upside down; the consequences are tragic.

PENHALLOW, Rudolph (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father : Ingram Penhallow

Mother : Myra Penhallow

Brother: Bertram

PENHALLOW, Vivian (nee Arden) Age 28

PENHALLOW

A.K.A. : "Mrs. Eugene"

Husband : Eugene Penhallow

"Passionately devoted" to her hypochondriac husband, Vivian enjoyed a bohemian life with him in the early years of their marriage. She hates being obliged to live at Trevellin as a guest, and quarrels with most of the family. She is easily manipulated by Eugene because she is 'passionately determined to guard him from every wind that blew" and defends his bad health against the ribald disbelief of his brothers. She is not afraid of Penhallow, and stands up to him, but is unable to persuade him to release his dominance of Eugene.

PLYMSTOCK, Police Sergeant

PENHALLOW

Involved in investigating the murder

POLPERROW (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Father of a daughter by whom Bart Penhallow has got an illegitimate child.

PROBUS, John (MIP)

PENHALLOW

An old friend of Adam Penhallow.

RAME, Dr.

PENHALLOW

An "earnest and severe gentleman" called to the murdered man's deathbed because the usual doctor is suffering from influenza. "Younger than his partner, said to be a clever man and very up-to-date"

SALTASH (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Sold a hunter to Ingram Penhallow

THUNDERBOLT (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Sorrel horse belonging to Bart Penhallow.

TIDEFORD

PENHALLOW

Tenant of the Penhallow estate with whom Raymond Penhallow has an interview immediately after his father has made a shocking revelation to him. (MIP)

TIMMY

PENHALLOW

Canary belonging to Delia Ottery 'indefatigably singing in a gilded cage' (MIP)

TREWITHIAN (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Daughter: Loveday Trewithian.

TREWITHIAN, Loveday

PENHALLOW

Uncle : Reuben Lanner

Aunt : Sybilla Lanner

Faith Penhallow's personal maid "quiet and pretty-behaved, with her soft ladyfied speech, and her eyes looking slantways under her long lashes". She is very sympathetic and maternal with Faith. She is also passionately in love with Bart Penhallow, but knows that their marriage would be frowned on by his family. She is not a schemer, but is nonetheless aware that she needs to manage Bart carefully in order to keep their relationship secret until Bart has been given the farm promised him by his father.

VENNGREEN, Mrs

PENHALLOW

A "Churchwoman of rigid principles" who rarely visits the Penhallows because she disapproves of their morals.

VENNGREEN, Reverend John

PENHALLOW

"An easy-going gentleman of comfortable habit of body"; with "a gift for over-looking the obvious which amounted to genius". He visits Trevellin despite the presence of Jimmy the Bastard.

WARBSTOW, Major

PENHALLOW

Chief Constable; appears in one chapter as a device allowing the Detective Inspector to summarise the case so far for his benefit.

WEENS (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Head-groom at the Trevellin hunting stables.

WELLS, Simon (MIP)

PENHALLOW

Curate to the Rev. Venngreen, a "lean and severe Midlander"

WEMBURY,. Mr (MIP)

PENHALLOW

A "valetudinarian" solicitor, partner on the firm of Messrs. Blazey, Blazey, Hastings and Wembury.