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Mr. Murray
Admirer and eventual husband of Rosalie Murray, Sir Thomas Ashby is an immoral aristocrat devoted to drinking, gambling, and conducting romantic affairs. Mrs. Murray, pleased by Sir Thomas Ashby’s money and social status, encourages Rosalie to marry him despite having heard rumors of his bad reputation. Rosalie’s governess Agnes counsels against the marriage, but no one listens to her. After the wedding, Sir Thomas Ashby and Rosalie have a baby—and Sir Thomas is angry at Rosalie because the baby is a daughter. He drinks heavily, is unfaithful to Rosalie, and is jealous of Rosalie’s admirer Harry Meltham. He and Rosalie are living together unhappily in the countryside when, after their honeymoon, Agnes pays a short visit to Rosalie.
Sir Thomas Ashby Quotes in Agnes Grey
The Agnes Grey quotes below are all either spoken by Sir Thomas Ashby or refer to Sir Thomas Ashby. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 9: The Ball Quotes
“Sir Thomas is young, rich and gay; but an ugly beast, nevertheless; however mamma says I should not mind that after a few months’ acquaintance.”
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Agnes has returned from her vacation and her sister Mary’s wedding to her employment in the Murray household, where Agnes’s pupil Rosalie proceeds to tell her about the ball the Murrays held to introduce 18-year-old Rosalie as a marriageable young woman to society. Rosalie, giving a rundown of the men who admired her at the ball, describes one, Sir Thomas Ashby, as an “ugly beast” but adds that her mother Mrs. Murray has told her she won’t “mind that after a few months’ acquaintance.” This rather disturbing quotation foreshadows how Mrs. Murray will encourage her daughter to marry an immoral Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos
“But if I could always be young, I would always be single. I should like to enjoy myself thoroughly, and coquet with all the world, till I am on the verge of being called an old maid; and then, to escape the infamy of that, after having made ten thousand conquests, to break all their hearts save one, by marrying some high-born, rich, indulgent husband, whom, on the other hand, fifty ladies were dying to have.”
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When Agnes asks her pupil Rosalie Murray which of her admirers she likes best, Rosalie grudgingly admits that she will probably marry Sir Thomas Ashby for the status that comes with his wealth and title—but that she “would always be single” if she “could always be young.” Rosalie’s actual lack of interest in marriage gestures both toward the limited opportunities available to middle-class Victorian women and the bad education she has received from her mother Mrs. Murray, which has taught her how to snare a husband but not how to be a wife. First, Rosalie does not want to get Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut te
Chapter 17: Confessions Quotes
[B]esides my hope in God, my only consolation was in thinking that, though he knew it not, I was more worthy of his love than Rosalie Murray, charming and engaging as she was; for I could appreciate his excellence, which she could not: I would devote my life to the promotion of his happiness; she would destroy his happiness for the momentary gratification of her own vanity.
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Rosalie Murray, though engaged to Sir Thomas Ashby, has been trying to steal the clergyman Mr. Weston’s heart to bolster her ego and to keep herself entertained. Additionally, Agnes, who loves Mr. Weston, has heard that he is likely to leave the village because he cannot get along with his colleague and fellow clergyman Mr. Hatfield at the village church. Tormented by the thought of losing Mr. Weston either due to Rosalie’s flirtation or to Mr. Hatfield’s hostility, Agnes comforts herself with “hope in God” and with her judgment that she is more worthy of Mr. Weston that her romantic Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta it
Chapter 18: Mirth and Mourning Quotes
“Tilly, though she would have made a fine lad, was not quite what a young lady ought to be[.]”
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After Rosalie Murray marries Sir Thomas Ashby, Rosalie’s mother Mrs. Murray begins to concentrate on the marriageability of her younger daughter, Matilda. Up to this point, Mrs. Murray has deplored but allowed Matilda’s stereotypically “masculine” interests in horseback riding, hunting with dogs, and learning to swear from her father Mr. Murray and from his male servants. With Rosalie married off, however, Mrs. Murray begins imposing her ideals of femininity on Matilda—with the consent of Mr. Murray, who acknowledges that “Tilly” (a nickname for Matilda) is “not quite what a young lady ought to be” even “though she would have made Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint
“It seems unnatural: but some people think rank and wealth the chief good; and, if they can secure that for their children, they think they have done their duty.”
“True: but is it not strange that persons of experience, who have been married themselves, should judge so falsely?”
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After Rosalie Murray marries Sir Thomas Ashby, Agnes and Mr. Weston meet by chance and end up discussing whether Rosalie will be happy in her marriage. As both Agnes and Mr. Weston have heard alarming rumors about Sir Thomas Ashby’s immorality, both worry that Rosalie will be miserable—and both blame Rosalie’s mother for encouraging the marriage despite having heard the same alarming rumors about Sir Thomas Ashby. The exchange between Agnes and Mr. Weston demonstrates their shared values, foreshadowing their future happy marriage. Agnes judges it “unnatural” that “some people,” including Mrs. Murray, “think rank and wealth the chief good.” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia sol
Chapter 19: The Letter Quotes
“[I]f he married a richer wife, misfortunes and trials would no doubt have come upon him still; while I am egotist enough to imagine that no other woman could have cheered him through that so well: not that I am superior to the rest, but I was made for him, and he for me[.]”
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Agnes’s father Richard Grey has died after a long illness. The day following his funeral, Agnes’s mother receives a letter from her estranged, wealthy father offering to support her economically and write Agnes and Mary into his will—if she will admit that she made a mistake in marrying poor clergyman Richard Grey against her family’s wishes and admit regrets. This letter exemplifies the cruelties that infest social hierarchies throughout the novel: Agnes’s grandfather, a high-status and wealthy man, attempts to coerce his lower-status, impoverished daughter into forswearing her loving marriage immediately after her beloved husband has died. Upon reading the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut
Chapter 21: The School Quotes
Alas! how far the promise of anticipation exceeds the pleasure of possession!
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Rosalie Murray—now Rosalie Ashby—has returned from her honeymoon with her new husband Sir Thomas Ashby and taken up residence in his estate, Ashby Park. The “anticipation” of owning Ashby Park helped convince Rosalie to accept Sir Thomas Ashby’s proposal, but when Rosalie writes to Agnes inviting Agnes to visit her, she mentions that that anticipation “exceeds the pleasure of possession.” In other words, Rosalie enjoyed the idea of owning Ashby Park prior to her marriage far more than she enjoys actually owning Ashby Park now that she’s married. Rosalie’s admission that “the pleasure of possession” has disappointed her underscores two Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui s
Chapter 22: The Visit Quotes
“It’s the husband’s part to please the wife, not hers to please him; and if he isn’t satisfied with her as she is—and thankful to possess her too—he isn’t worthy of her, that’s all.”
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Agnes is visiting her former pupil Rosalie Murray, now Rosalie Ashby, at the estate of her husband Sir Thomas Ashby. When the miserable Rosalie reveals to Agnes that Sir Thomas Ashby’s conversation is objectionable and that he drinks too much, Agnes suggests that Rosalie use her own education and accomplishments to induce her husband to behave better. Rosalie’s scornful response—that “it’s the husband’s part to please the wife, not hers to please him”—highlights the differences in Agnes’s and Rosalie’s views on marriage, which derive from the different educations they received from their family. Rosalie’s mother wanted Rosalie to marry the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur lab
Chapter 23: The Park Quotes
“But you knew what he was before you married him.”
“No; I only thought so: I did not half know him really. I know you warned me against it, and I wish I had listened to you: but it’s too late to regret that now. And besides, mamma ought to have known better than either of us, and she never said anything against it—quite the contrary.”
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While Agnes is visiting Rosalie at Rosalie’s new home, Ashby Park, Rosalie admits to Agnes that she hates her new husband Sir Thomas Ashby. When a shocked Agnes objects that Rosalie knew “what he was”—that is, that she was fully aware of what his character and behavior were like—before she married him, Rosalie explains that this wasn’t really the case. That Rosalie only learns her husband’s vices after she has legally bound herself to him for life shows the perils of girls’ education and of women’s limited roles in the Victorian era. Rosalie, a sheltered middle-class Victorian girl in a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima
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Sir Thomas Ashby Character Timeline in Agnes Grey
The timeline below shows where the character Sir Thomas Ashby appears in Agnes Grey. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9: The Ball
...this idea and begins describing her admirers, including a married nobleman (to Agnes’s horror) and Sir Thomas Ashby . Evidently Sir Ashby, though wealthy, is an “ugly beast,” but Mrs. Murray has told...
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...the most entertaining and Mr. Hatfield the most intelligent, she guesses she’ll end up accepting Sir Ashby , the “wickedest.” Agnes asks why Rosalie would do that if Sir Ashby is a...
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Chapter 14: The Rector
Rosalie laments that Mrs. Murray will only let her flirt with Sir Ashby , lest his mother come to believe that Rosalie is a bad girl—even though Sir...
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Chapter 16: The Substitution
Rosalie tells Agnes that Sir Ashby will likely propose to her at a ball next Tuesday—and so, before then, she means...
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Chapter 17: Confessions
...Ashby Ball. The next morning, Rosalie tells Agnes that she has accepted a proposal from Sir Thomas Ashby and expresses glee at “becoming mistress of Ashby Park”—yet she also seems fearful of the...
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The wedding is scheduled for six weeks later, in June. Sir Ashby travels to London to deal with business, which helps keep the engagement quiet. Meanwhile, one...
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Chapter 18: Mirth and Mourning
On June 1, Rosalie marries Sir Ashby . After the ceremony, she says goodbye to Agnes in the school room, promises not...
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...he doesn’t know: while Rosalie’s worst problem is “thoughtlessness,” he has heard bad things about Sir Ashby . He asks Agnes whether Mrs. Murray wanted the marriage. Agnes says the lady did,...
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Chapter 21: The School
...an aside that if Agnes likes children, Rosalie’s baby daughter should be an added incentive—though Sir Ashby hasn’t forgiven Rosalie for having a girl. She also mentions that, as far as Ashby...
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Chapter 22: The Visit
...sitting room where she can take her meals if she doesn’t want to eat with Sir Ashby and his mother. Agnes, to Rosalie’s evident relief, says she would prefer to take her...
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...blames her mother-in-law—whom, she claims, criticizes Rosalie for leaving the drawing room after dinner if Sir Ashby comes in, even though he’s frequently drunk. Agnes suggests that Rosalie could try to use...
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Chapter 23: The Park
...she loathes him. When Agnes asks who he is, Rosalie explains that he’s her husband, Sir Thomas Ashby . Agnes points out that Rosalie knew what Sir Ashby was like when she married...
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Rosalie bursts into tears. Agnes pities Rosalie both for having married Sir Ashby and for misunderstanding what a good life consists of. She advises Rosalie to work improvements...
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