Mr. Featherstone is a very rich and widely disliked man in Middlemarch. As he dies, his family members clamor around him not because they love him but because they hope to inherit some of his fortune. Featherstone writes two wills; the second, which overrules the first, gives all his land to his illegitimate son, Joshua Rigg.
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Mr. Peter Featherstone Character Timeline in Middlemarch
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Peter Featherstone appears in Middlemarch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1, Chapter 11
...says that she wishes Rosamond had gone to live with her uncle, a younger Mr. Featherstone, who would have been very generous with her. Mary Garth is living with him now...
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Book 1, Chapter 12
...out riding when they see a gig belonging to Mrs. Waule, one of their uncle Featherstone’s relations. They observe that, despite being enormously wealthy, the Waules and Featherstones stay close to...
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Featherstone insists that Mr. Vincy must not give Fred money to pay his debts, and says...
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...and Mrs. Waule greets her coldly. Rosamond says Fred will be in shortly, and Mr. Featherstone tells his sister she should leave. Mrs. Waule says she hopes a doctor will be...
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Once they are alone, Featherstone accuses Fred of using the promise of his inheritance to borrow money. Fred denies it,...
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Despite his anger, Fred still feels pity for Featherstone, who is neither loved nor respected. Featherstone asks Fred to read him the names of...
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At that moment Lydgate arrives, dreading his encounter with Featherstone, whom he imagines will have backwards views about doctors. Rosamond insists to Fred that they...
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...by their own thoughts. Rosamond dreams of impressing Lydgate’s high-ranking relatives, while Fred frets over Featherstone’s request for the letter from Bulstrode. His boasts about his inheritance from Featherstone were uttered...
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...son of a Middlemarch manufacturer. He guesses that Mrs. Waule was the one who told Featherstone about the debt and asks Rosamond if Mrs. Waule said anything about him. Rosamond replies...
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Book 2, Chapter 13
...spreading rumors about him. Vincy goes on to say that people are obviously jealous because Featherstone intends to leave most of his land to Fred. Bulstrode immediately chastises Vincy for spoiling...
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...been saying Fred has been borrowing money, a story that is clearly “nonsense,” but that Featherstone wants a note from Bulstrode denying it. However, Bulstrode replies that Fred has been borrowing...
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Book 2, Chapter 14
The letter from Bulstrode arrives the next day. Fred takes it to Mr. Featherstone, who reads it aloud while making angry comments. When he is done, he asks if...
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...everything will ultimately work out. He doesn’t see why his luck would run out now. Featherstone hands Fred five bank notes. Fred thanks him and goes to put them away, but...
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...she has no intelligence. Fred says it’s a shame she has to live at Mr. Featherstone’s and be bullied by him, but Mary replies that it’s not so bad. They flirt...
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At home, Fred gives the banknotes from Featherstone to Mrs. Vincy, telling her to keep them safe so he can use them to...
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Book 3, Chapter 23
...have always felt great affection for Fred and Rosamond. Before marrying Mrs. Vincy’s sister, Mr. Featherstone had been married to Caleb Garth’s sister, thereby creating a connection between the Garths and...
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...family members are somewhat lenient because they think he will be the main recipient of Featherstone’s estate. The narrator observes that rich young men are often treated with more forgiveness for...
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Years ago Featherstone gave Fred a horse, and in his desperation to pay his debt Fred tries to...
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Book 3, Chapter 25
Fred goes to Mr. Featherstone’s house, Stone Court, and dramatically announces to Mary that from now on she will only...
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...future for him. However, this makes her smile, and soon after, she runs to tell Featherstone Fred is there. Fred harbors no fears about his future due to the inheritance he...
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Book 3, Chapter 31
...engaged. That night, Lydgate finds Mr. Vincy returning from Stone Court with the news that Featherstone will probably soon die—news that has put Mr. Vincy in a decidedly happy mood. He...
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Book 3, Chapter 32
All of Featherstone’s relations are hoping to receive something in his will, even the poor ones to whom...
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Mr. Trumbull, the Middlemarch auctioneer, has a meeting with Featherstone, and as he is waiting to go up to Featherstone’s room the crowd of relatives...
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Book 3, Chapter 33
Mary often likes to sit in Mr. Featherstone’s room after midnight, keeping watch over him and immersing herself in her own private thoughts....
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When Mary continues to refuse to help, Featherstone begins to cry. He then asks her to call Fred instead and, panicked, she says...
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Book 4, Chapter 34
Featherstone is buried in May. He has left specific instructions for an extravagant, impressive funeral. Featherstone...
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...neighbors. The group discusses the funeral-goers, and Dorothea exclaims in horror at the idea that Featherstone was completely unloved when he died. Mrs. Cadwallader notices a stranger among the funeral crowd,...
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Book 4, Chapter 35
All of Featherstone’s relatives are hoping to get some of the limited amount of land and money that...
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Now that all Featherstone’s relatives are assembled, it is time for the reading of his will. Featherstone’s lawyer Mr....
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The rest of Featherstone’s property and land is all given to Joshua Rigg, who is also expected to take...
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Mr. Vincy angrily declares that Featherstone must have lost his ability to reason when he made the will. Standish and Trumbull...
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...serve as metaphors for the lives of the nobility. The narrator concludes by mentioning that Featherstone died before Lord Grey was elected Prime Minister and the Reform Act was passed.
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Book 4, Chapter 36
Mr. Vincy’s view of the world has been drastically transformed by the reading of Featherstone’s will. He furiously tells Fred that he’d better retake his college exam and pass this...
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Book 4, Chapter 40
...wouldn’t make a good clergyman, but also that they should feel sympathy for Fred after Featherstone implied he was going to leave him land, only to snatch it away at the...
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With Mary gone, Mr. Garth tells the story of how Featherstone asked her to burn one of the wills right before he died. Mrs. Garth says...
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