Henry Crawford

Who is Henry Crawford?

Henry Crawford is a clever, charming young gentleman from London who comes to stay with his sisters at the Parsonage near Mansfield Park. He is witty, lively and a wonderful actor, and he loves to make people like him. But his charm hides a restless, careless heart, and his games with other people’s feelings cause a great deal of trouble.

Henry Crawford is a character in Mansfield Park, the 1814 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Henry Crawford like?

• charming
• clever
• fickle

Henry Crawford’s story

Henry is the brother of Mary Crawford and the half-brother of Mrs. Grant, the wife of the Mansfield clergyman. He owns a fine estate called Everingham in Norfolk. Though Maria Bertram is engaged to Mr. Rushworth, Henry flirts with both Maria and her sister Julia, enjoying the attention. At Sotherton he leads Maria past a locked gate, and in the family play he takes the part opposite her.

When Sir Thomas returns and the play ends, Henry leaves for London without a word to Maria. Later he comes back and decides, just for fun, to make Fanny fall in love with him. Instead he falls truly in love with her. He uses his uncle, an admiral, to get William promoted to lieutenant, then proposes to Fanny. When she refuses, he keeps trying, and even visits her in Portsmouth, where he behaves kindly to her family.

Henry’s good side does not last. In London he meets Maria again, now Mrs. Rushworth, and the two run away together. It is a great scandal, and Henry loses Fanny forever. The book says plainly that if he had kept to the right path, he might have won her.

A moment to remember

At the locked iron gate at Sotherton, Henry spots a narrow gap and coaxes Maria to squeeze through with him rather than wait for the key.

Family and friends

• Mary Crawford: sister
• Fanny Price: young woman he loves and proposes to
• William Price: sailor he helps to promote
• Edmund Bertram: friend and neighbor