Sir Henry Baskerville in The Hound of the Baskervilles

Who is Sir Henry Baskerville?

Sir Henry Baskerville arrives from Canada as the rightful heir to Baskerville Hall after Sir Charles’s mysterious death. He wants to assume his inheritance and restore life to the estate, but he is unnerved by the family legend and by direct threats aimed to frighten him off the moor. Over the course of the narrative he brings the threatening pasted-note to Holmes (Chapter 4), reacts angrily to petty thefts and the missing boot incidents in London (Chapters 4–5), and follows Watson and Mortimer to Devon where he takes up residence at Baskerville Hall (Chapter 6). He participates in Watson’s watch of the household, helps pursue leads—joining attempts to capture the convict Selden (Chapter 9)—and is the intended victim in Stapleton’s plot, ultimately being wounded by the hound during the decisive ambush at Merripit House (Chapter 14). Sir Henry’s presence establishes the stakes of the investigation and drives Holmes and Watson’s protective and investigative actions throughout the book.

In the book: We meet Sir Henry as the new Baskerville heir just arrived from Canada, practical, good-humored, and a bit headstrong. He’s rattled by the eerie warnings tied to his uncle’s death, which is exactly why Holmes takes an interest—keeping him safe while figuring out what’s really haunting the family.

Personality

Practical

He follows Holmes’s and Watson’s advice to go to Baskerville Hall under guard and cooperates with surveillance and precautions (Chapters 5–6).

Good-humored

Watson observes his gentlemanly bearing and steady temperament on arrival at Baskerville Hall despite the house’s sinister appearance (Chapter 6).

Headstrong

He grows furious over the repeated petty thefts of his boots and at times pursues action himself rather than deferring entirely to Holmes (Chapters 4–5).

Courageous

He joins Watson in attempting to capture the convict Selden on the moor and later faces the danger of dining with the Stapletons as part of Holmes’s plan (Chapters 9, 13).

Vulnerable to fear

He is rattled by the pasted warning and by the distant, mournful cry of the hound, showing genuine nervousness on the moor (Chapters 4, 9).

Character arc

Sir Henry begins as a confident, practical heir eager to claim Baskerville Hall but quickly encounters a series of unnerving incidents—the anonymous pasted threat in London and the returned boot pranks—that reveal he is a target (Chapters 4–5). He shows resilience by accepting Watson and Mortimer’s counsel to travel to Devon and to follow Holmes’s precautions, and he takes part actively in investigations around the Hall, including the attempt to capture Selden and cooperating with surveillance (Chapters 6, 9). As events escalate—Barrymore’s revelations, the discovery of the letter fragment tied to Laura Lyons, and ongoing sightings on the tor—Sir Henry alternates between tranquil determination and visible alarm (Chapters 10–11). In the climactic ambush at Merripit House he is wounded by the hound despite the protective measures in place (Chapter 14). By the end of the action he remains the central endangered figure whose fate and safety motivate Holmes’s strategy and Watson’s vigilance; although physically harmed, his survival helps confirm Holmes’s deductions and brings the case to its resolution.

Relationships

• Dr. James Mortimer Family friend and adviser who brings Sir Henry to Holmes and accompanies him to Devon (Chapters 2, 6).
• Sherlock Holmes The detective who analyzes threats to Sir Henry, orchestrates protective measures, and leads the investigation from London (Chapters 2–5, 12–13).
• Dr. John Watson Holmes’s agent on the moor who accompanies and watches over Sir Henry and reports developments back to Holmes (Chapters 6–12).
• Mr. Barrymore Butler of Baskerville Hall whose secret signals and nocturnal behaviour Sir Henry helps confront and investigate (Chapters 6–9).
• Beryl Stapleton Beautiful woman at Merripit House who warns Sir Henry to leave the moor and later dines with him under her husband’s supervision (Chapters 7–9, 14).
• Jack Stapleton Naturalist and neighbour who ingratiates himself with Sir Henry and ultimately uses him as the intended victim in his plot (Chapters 7–14).

Quotes by Sir Henry Baskerville

“There is no devil in hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people, and you may take that to be my final answer.”

Chapter 4Sir Henry reacts defiantly to Holmes's warning about danger, establishing his determination to go to Baskerville Hall despite threats.

Why Sir Henry Baskerville matters

Sir Henry embodies the living stake of the Baskerville curse: his inheritance, presence, and vulnerability convert an old legend into an active, modern danger. His reactions—practical courage tempered by real fear—force the investigators to reconcile superstition with tangible criminal methods. Through his endangered role the novel examines themes of rational inquiry versus folklore, the responsibilities of lineage and property, and how personal courage and cooperation with scientific investigation (Holmes’s methods, Watson’s vigilance) can confront exploitation of myth for gain. Sir Henry’s survival and wound provide the human cost that validates Holmes’s deductions and exposes the villain’s cunning.

Chapters with Sir Henry Baskerville

• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• 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
• Dr. James MortimerMajor character
• Sir Charles BaskervilleMinor character
• Jack StapletonAntagonist
• Mr. BarrymoreMajor character
• Mrs. BarrymoreMajor character
• Beryl StapletonMajor character