Red embossed pattern cloth with gilt title and design on the spine and front board.

F.B.A. provides an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feel and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available.

A solid Victorian novel with a happy ending

The action is centred on the town of Tewkesbury, scarcely disguised by the fictional name Norton Bury, in Gloucestershire. The story is narrated by Phineas, a friend of the central character. John Halifax is an orphan, determined to make his way in the world through honest hard work. He is taken in by a tanner, Abel Fletcher, who is a Quaker, and thus meets Phineas, who is Abel’s son. John eventually achieves success in business and love, and becomes a wealthy man.

A photographic postcard, probably from the early 20th century, depicts Dunkirk Mills, Inchbrook, near Nailsworth and Stroud, Gloucestershire, stating it was the “original Mills of ‘John Halifax Gentleman'”.

A discussion on a Stroud Fakebook [sic] page suggests that Enderley and the cottage were modelled on an area near Avening.

Dinah Maria Craik born Dinah Maria Mulock, often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik; 20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. She is best remembered for her novel John Halifax, Gentleman, which presents the mid-Victorian ideals of English middle-class life.