The Warden

Introduction

(1855)

This is the first of the six novels in Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire; Barchester Towers (1857), Doctor Thorne (1858), Framley Parsonage (1861), The Small House at Allington (1864), and The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867).

As the first in the Barsetshire Chronicles, The Warden introduces us to precentor and warden of Barchester Hospital Mr Septimus Harding, his single daughter Eleanor, his other daughter Susan married to archdeacon Dr Grantly, the latter’s father the Bishop and Mr John Bold, a zealous and charitable doctor who has too much money and consequently too much time on his hands for his own good. Or at least that is the modest opinion of Dr Grantly. Indeed, Mr Bold is so zealous that he questions the right Mr Harding’s wardenship has to the 800 pounds per annum in income from the almshouse. Surely the honourable Mr John Hiram, who left a will very long ago so 12 bedesmen could be cared for in their old age did not imply a lavish income for their warden and a mere one shilling and sixpence a day for the twelve very objects of his will? When even the leading newspaper The Jupiter (read: The Times) and Mr Popular Sentiment (read: Charles Dickens) get involved in the matter, Dr Grantly is moved to ask the advice of the most skilful lawyer in the land: Sir Abraham Haphazard, but has anyone asked Mr Harding’s opinion about it? Even though Bold and his party have no leg to stand on in challenging Mr Harding personally, surely a Christian conscience should ask questions? But such is not the mind of Dr Grantly and his father is not one to question that mind. Ultimately, he is old and frail and rather likes the company of Mr Harding… So there is nothing for it but for Eleanor to plead to her admirer Bold to abandon the case, although it does not relieve Mr Harding’s conscience unless the feelings of Mr Bold for his daughter were a major part of that… So Mr Harding leaves the hospital, but the bedesmen are no further, certainly not when the bishop (for once) positively refuses to do what his son tells him: to appoint a new warden. Barchester Hospital, therefore, left by Mr Hiram for caring for at least twelve old penniless men in their old age, is left to its own devices and crumbles like everything without loving attention. But everything will go on as before: the bishop and Mr Harding are still friends, Dr Grantly and his wife still happily married and John Bold and Eleanor… Good Heavens!--Submitted by kiki1982

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Recent Forum Posts on The Warden

Ethical considerations in The Warden

First! Quite a gentle and melancholy story, and a rather unusual plot. It was not as angry in tone as The Way We Live Now. However, I have several questions about the ethics of some of the characters: Mr Bold took up the case of the bedesmen (pensioners at the old folks' home) because he did not think Mr Hiram's historic will was being properly executed. Should he have taken up the case? He has a conflict of interest. He has nothing to gain by taking up the case, and plenty to lose, but the fact that he loves the warden's daughter means he cannot be independent. Actually, I don't think there is a conflict of interest problem, because Mr Bold is not acting as a legal arbiter. He does not have to press the cause of the bedesmen, but if does not then no one else will. Before he resigns, the warden considers taking a voluntary pay cut, but does not because he does not want to tie the bishop's hands or put his successor in the position where he would also have to take a pay cut. But if Mr Harding feels strongly that he is benefiting too much from Mr Hiram's will, then why should he not think the same of his successor? It is possible that Mr Harding was benefiting too much from Mr Hiram's will. £800 a year was a lot in those days. Mr Hiram wrote his will in Mediaeval times, and the intention of the will was that twelve old men who had no families to look after them would be cared for, and that a certain amount of money would pay someone to care for them. The revenues from Mr Hiram's estate had increased greatly over the centuries, much more than that needed to care for the old men. Like Dr Grantley says, Mr Hiram never intended to make gentlemen of the old men, and as Mrs Grantley says, the old men could not be happier than they are. They are too old and broken down to be able to enjoy spending it. The revenues from the estate would have worked out as about £100 a year for each of them. Strangely, Mr Harding thinks he would be quite poor on £160 a year to support himself and his daughter. However these old men were manual workers or farm labourers most their lives, so probably never earned that much. However £100 a year was not enough to be middle class. About £150 seems to be the minimum. If Mr Harding was getting paid too much then what would be the solution? I thought that perhaps Mr Harding should take a pay cut but that the extra money should go to caring for more bedesmen.

Posted By kev67 at Mon 14 May 2018, 10:15 PM in The Warden || 0 Replies

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