Mr. Barrymore in The Hound of the Baskervilles

Who is Mr. Barrymore?

Mr. Barrymore is the Baskerville family's longtime butler who greets Sir Henry and Dr. Watson on their arrival at Baskerville Hall. He runs the household with quiet authority but betrays moments of emotional strain tied to Sir Charles's recent death. Barrymore appears careful and discreet: he initially conceals information and behaves evasively when asked about strange noises in the night. Over the course of the investigation, his nocturnal activity at the western window (a muffled sob and a signaling candle) proves to be a signal to the escaped convict Selden, whom his wife shelters. Barrymore explains and seeks forgiveness for this concealment, pleading to let Selden go quietly to avoid further trouble. He cooperates when Holmes reveals parts of the case, accepts correction stoically, and supplies key factual material—most notably information about the burned fragment of a letter found in Sir Charles's grate. Though not a mastermind, Barrymore’s secret-keeping and loyalty to family and household create obstacles that Watson and Holmes must unravel to reach the truth.

In the book: He’s the Baskerville family’s longtime butler and house steward, the man who opens the great door of Baskerville Hall when Sir Henry and Dr. Watson arrive. Impeccably proper yet noticeably tense, he runs the household with quiet authority and drops just enough odd behavior to make you wonder what’s going on behind those solemn eyes.

Personality

Proper

He formally receives Sir Henry and Watson on their arrival at Baskerville Hall and conducts household duties with measured courtesy (Chapter 6).

Tense

Watson notes Barrymore shows signs of emotion when discussing Sir Charles’s death and future plans (Chapter 6).

Secretive

Watson observes Barrymore moving stealthily to the western window at night and initially refusing to explain his actions (Chapters 6, 8).

Loyal

Barrymore pleads for Selden’s quiet escape and asks Sir Henry’s forgiveness after revealing that his wife was aiding the convict (Chapter 10).

Stoical

When Holmes tells the household the truth of his investigation, Barrymore accepts the revelation with calm composure (Chapter 13).

Character arc

At first Barrymore presents as the exemplary steward of an old house: courteous, efficient and emotionally restrained when Sir Henry arrives (Chapter 6). Early oddities—the woman’s muffled sob and Barrymore’s evasions—make him a person of interest; Watson watches him and notes emotional signs that suggest more than mere professionalism (Chapters 6–7). Watson’s surveillance reveals Barrymore’s midnight visits to the western window and an apparent signal; confronted, Barrymore resists but his wife explains the truth: their brother is Selden, the escaped convict, and the candle is a signal for food (Chapter 9). Barrymore then pleads for leniency, revealing his motive as protection and loyalty rather than malice (Chapter 10). He supplies additional factual leads, such as the burned fragment initially found in Sir Charles’s grate (Chapter 10). Finally, when Holmes arrives and explains the investigation, Barrymore accepts the exposure without theatrical protest and cooperates with the detectives (Chapter 13). He moves from a figure of suspicion to a remorseful servant whose secrecy sprang from personal ties and a desire to avoid scandal; he does not become heroic or central to the plot's resolution, but his confessions and conduct remove obfuscation and help the investigators refocus on the real criminal plot.

Relationships

• Mrs. Barrymore His wife and co‑householder, emotionally connected and the intermediary who reveals Selden’s presence.
• Sir Henry Baskerville His employer, whom he serves formally and whose safety and household he helps to manage.
• Selden The escaped convict hidden and provisioned by the Barrymores, whose presence Barrymore helps conceal and later explains.
• Dr. John Watson The investigator who watches Barrymore closely, confronts him, and records Barrymore’s explanations for Holmes.
• Sherlock Holmes The detective who exposes the larger plot and to whom Barrymore ultimately submits the truth when Holmes explains the case.
• Sir Charles Baskerville The dead former master whose mysterious death and the burned letter fragment become part of the facts Barrymore helps disclose.

Quotes by Mr. Barrymore

“I was holding a candle to the window.”

Chapter 9Barrymore admits the physical act that Watson and Sir Henry had observed, prompting the search for an explanation.

“Please, please, as you are a gentleman, burn this letter, and be at the gate by ten o clock. Beneath it were signed the initials L. L.”

Chapter 10Barrymore recounts finding a burned fragment in Sir Charles's grate that bears a postscript signed L. L., introducing a key lead.

“There’s foul play somewhere, and there’s black villainy brewing, to that I’ll swear!”

Chapter 10Barrymore, upset, expresses his conviction that something evil is afoot on the moor, reinforcing local fear and suspicion.

Why Mr. Barrymore matters

Mr. Barrymore embodies the uneasy intersection of duty, discretion and personal loyalty within the old household. His secret‑keeping and emotional restraint illustrate how servants can both shield and obscure truth in a declining aristocratic estate. He complicates the investigators’ work not through malice but through protective loyalties, which highlights the novel’s theme that human motives (fear, compassion, self‑preservation) often lie behind seemingly supernatural events. By providing factual details once unmasked, Barrymore helps move the story from superstition toward rational explanation—showing Conan Doyle’s emphasis on careful observation and moral ambiguity rather than simple villainy.

Chapters with Mr. Barrymore

• Chapter 2
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15

More The Hound of the Baskervilles characters

• Dr. John WatsonNarrator
• SSherlock HolmesProtagonist
• Sir Henry BaskervilleProtagonist
• Dr. James MortimerMajor character
• Sir Charles BaskervilleMinor character
• Jack StapletonAntagonist
• Mrs. BarrymoreMajor character
• Beryl StapletonMajor character