Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty

Gabriel Varden is an honest and well-respected locksmith from Chigwell who lives in Clerkenwell with his wife Martha, his daughter Dolly, his apprentice Simon Tappertit, and their housemaid Miss Miggs. To his wife’s dismay, Gabriel is a frequent patron of the Maypole and often associates with the residents of Chigwell as often as he does those in London. His many friends and good standing allow him to mingle in several different circles of society. When he is kidnapped by the mob, he does not allow them to force him to open the lock to the jail, holding firmly to his principles even in the face of death. With this and his other noble actions throughout the novel—particularly his assistance to the Rudges—Dickens portrays Gabriel Varden as one of the most virtuous and exemplary characters.

In contrast, his wife Martha and daughter Dolly both must undergo major changes in character throughout the novel. Martha is often antagonistic to Gabriel for no reason, believing she is right in all circumstances. It is said that “Mrs Varden was most devout when most ill-tempered” (58), as she often only turns to religious texts when she is trying to make a point. She finally learns that she may not always know what is best when she becomes involved in funding what eventually becomes the Gordon Riots and is embarrassed by the destruction her efforts have caused. Her daughter Dolly is described as “a coquette by nature, and a spoilt child” (321) and begins the novel lacking emotional maturity. She rejects Joe Willet, whom she has feelings for, because he has wounded her pride by not fighting hard enough for her. Dolly recognizes the error of her ways shortly after turning down Joe, and even more so when she sees him five years later: She feels guilty for all the time they lost and all the suffering he underwent.

Sim Tappertit hates everyone in the Varden household except Dolly, whom he is attracted to. He cares for little other than himself and is especially vain when it comes to his own legs, which he ironically loses at the end of the novel. He is the “captain” of a group of other apprentices who believe they are systemically wronged by their employers and want more power over them. His vanity is later appealed to when he becomes part of a Protestant supremacist movement.

Miggs is more false and combative than Martha, whose antics she encourages. Though she claims to hate all men, she is obsessed with Sim and is the one to figure out his involvement with the ’Prentice Knights and helps him in the riots. She is also staunchly anti-Catholic, but changes her alliances based on who is in control and can offer her the most help. Both Miggs and Sim function as lower-level villains and are also the comedic relief of Barnaby Rudge. They both end the novel neither entirely happy nor sharing the fate of the most villainous characters of the story.

Old John Willet is the landlord of the Maypole Inn in Chigwell and lives there with his son Joe and the Maypole’s hostler Hugh. Old John is very sure of himself and believes everything he says is incredibly eloquent and insightful, an idea that is bolstered by his “cronies,” Tom Cobb, Phil Parkes, and Solomon Daisy. Old John, though another source of comedic relief in the novel, is also emotionally abusive toward his son Joe and turns his cronies against him as well, forcing him to leave the Maypole.

Joe stays at the Maypole as long as he can but ultimately feels he would be happier joining the army. He also leaves the Maypole as Dolly, with whom he is in love, rejects him. Despite his father’s bullying, Joe is known for his heroism, and he saves Dolly from an attacker and performs other heroic acts in the American Revolution, where he loses an arm. When he returns to England after five years, he also does his part to save Dolly and Emma from their kidnapping and helps Haredale escape the mob with the help of Edward. Old John’s treatment of Joe changes drastically after the Maypole is attacked by rioters and after he sees his son has lost an arm in the war. He is ultimately forgiven by Joe and lives out the rest of his days near his family and the Maypole. Joe marries Dolly and has a family with her.

Hugh is one of the primary villains of Barnaby Rudge. Though his character is somewhat redeemed at the very end of his life, all of his prior actions—from his attack on Dolly, to the destruction he causes in the riots—are motivated by immoral and selfish intentions. Hugh’s mother was executed when he was very young and he only learns that his absent father is Sir John Chester in the last days of his life. Old John describes him as “animalistic” and knows he will do whatever he needs to in order to survive. His hatred of Catholics brings him into Lord George Gordon’s movement, yet his hunger for power and supremacist beliefs push him to the center of the riots. He persuades Barnaby to join as well under false pretenses, yet when he is steps from the gallows he deeply regrets this decision.

John Chester, later Sir John Chester, MP, is a wealthy and conniving man obsessed with his own image. Though as bigoted as any of the rioters, he keeps his hands clean from the actual riots and other less proper dealings, only getting involved with things when they become absolutely critical. He plays a major role in separating his son Edward from Emma Haredale, whom he loves, as he needs Edward to marry an heiress in order to repay his debts and allow him to keep his comfortable lifestyle.

Chester’s animosity toward Haredale is well-known throughout Chigwell. Geoffrey Haredale, brother of the murdered Rueben Haredale, is brutish and headstrong but nevertheless loves his niece, Emma. Though he cares for her, the one thing Haredale and Chester agree on is that Emma and Edward should not be together. However, unlike Chester, Haredale is able to see the wrong in his actions and ultimately gives the two his blessing to continue the relationship. After Haredale’s estate, the Warren, is burned down due to the machinations of Chester, the two men meet in its ruins and duel one another. Haredale kills Chester but flees to a monastery to avoid detection.

A counterpart to Joe Willet, Edward Chester is also described by Dickens as kind and heroic. He also leaves England in 1775 due to the mistreatment of his father, returning five years later with the fortune he has amassed in the West Indies (a hub of the African slave trade at the time). Emma experienced the trauma of her father’s murder at a young age and still carries it with her, but is nevertheless kind to those around her. However, when she is captured by the rioters she is able to present herself to her captors so “that there was not a man among them but held her in some degree of dread” (711). Despite the early wishes of their guardians, Emma and Edward marry and start a family in the West Indies, coming back to visit the family of Dolly and Joe at the Maypole.