Henry Crawford is a character in Mansfield Park. He is the owner of Everingham, in Norfolk, which is worth four thousand pounds a-year.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Henry grew up with his mother, sister, and elder half-sister. He became close with both his sisters. When his mother died, he and Mary were sent to live with their new guardian, their paternal uncle, Admiral Crawford. He and his wife took a liking to their nephew and niece. Henry became his uncle's protégé, while Mary became her aunt's favorite. Since they had lost their common parent with their elder half-sister, they fell out of touch.
Henry attended Westminster School and Cambridge University, and during his education, he came up with a plan of improvement for Everingham, which he completed within three months of his twenty-first birthday.
When their aunt died, the admiral invited his mistress to stay with them—a very scandalous thing to do.
Stay in Northamptonshire[]
Their now-married elder half-sister, Mrs. Grant, invited Henry and Mary to come and stay with her and her husband at the parsonage near Mansfield Park in Northamptonshire. He and his sister, both used to a very luxurious and fashionable style of living, were apprehensive at first at staying in a country parsonage with a woman whom they had not seen for years. Henry offered to escort Mary back to London at a moment's notice[1]. This was unnecessary, as they were immediately sucked in to life at the parsonage and they rekindled their good relationship with their elder half-sister and her husband. Mrs. Grant immediately began to matchmake, envisioning a marriage between Henry and Julia Bertram.
Henry and Mary took a liking to the Bertrams and vice versa. The Miss Bertrams were charmed from Henry's humor and Mary's good looks, as well as the overall fashion of their personages. Henry was attracted to the eldest Miss Bertram, Maria, simply because she was engaged to James Rushworth, as he claimed he liked engaged women far better than those who were not, simply because the former are usually more satisfied with themselves[2].
Character traits[]
Crawford represents the quintessential male who does not wish to settle down and enjoys gallivanting in London, not so very different from Tom Bertram. Mary challenges Mrs. Grant to see him settled, but warns Mrs. Grant that the Bertram girls may get their hearts broken[1].
Henry is not described as handsome, but he was lively and had pleasant manners to make him attractive.
Notes and references[]