John was born in South London where his father, Matthias Carrington, was a lower-class worker. His mother, Dorthea Carrington, was a cleaning lady. He (John) grew up in the slums with five brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers, James and Henry, became sailors, Charlie went to work in the coal mines, Breck became a burglar, and Dennis went to work as a clerk for a lender. As the age of eight he was apprenticed as a clerk to a Mr. Daniel Harthorn.
Harthorne was a severe man who would beat John whenever he slacked in his work. He continued in this position until he reached eighteen years of age, and then he himself became a lawyer. John worked for several years until a rich relative of his, his Aunt Betsy Roth (his father's sister), died and left him a great fortune of 10,000 pounds a year. It was a considerable fortune to him, and at once he left his position and went to live in a town called Harbertonford in the country, far removed from his life in the City. By that time, his sisters had both married to working men, and Breck had been caught by the police and had been hung; his father had died in an accident (or so they say), and his mother had gone to work as a nanny for a wealthy family somewhere in Hartfordshire. From that point on, John has been living alone, although he is lonely and longs to have a wife. He tires of life in Harbertonford, as the society is dreary and dull, and he has become bored with the scenery.
John has come to Wickerton after receiving a mysterious invitation to join the Montgomerys for dinner. He does not know who sent him the letter, or for what purpose, nor who the Montgomerys are. However, upon arrival in the town, he becomes quite attached and is seeking a place to live. |
