Who is Mrs Smith in Persuasion?

Mrs Smith is Anne Elliot’s old school friend. She is a widow living in modest lodgings in Bath, in poor health and short of money.

What does Mrs Smith tell Anne about Mr Elliot?

She tells Anne that Mr Elliot is selfish and cannot be trusted. He treated her husband badly and did not help her after his death.

Does Mrs Smith get her money back?

Yes. At the end of the novel, Wentworth helps Mrs Smith recover her property in the West Indies, and her situation improves.

From Persuasion

Mrs. Smith

Anne’s loyal friend • Clever and brave

Anne’s cheerful, kind-hearted old school friend, who knows everyone’s real secrets in Bath.

Who is Mrs. Smith?

Mrs. Smith is Anne’s old school friend who lives in small, simple rooms in Bath. She has lost her husband and her money and is too unwell to walk, yet she greets Anne with a bright smile. Mrs. Smith is honest and wise, and she shares an important truth that helps Anne see someone clearly.

Mrs. Smith is a character in Persuasion, the 1817 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Mrs. Smith like?

cheerful
honest
loyal

Mrs. Smith’s story

Mrs Smith, once Miss Hamilton, was kind to Anne when Anne went to school grieving for her mother. Years later, Anne hears that her friend is widowed, poor and crippled by illness, living in cheap lodgings in Bath. Though Sir Walter and Elizabeth find the news embarrassing, Anne visits her anyway.

Mrs Smith is the model of a cheerful person who refuses to be crushed by bad luck. She is nursed by a kind woman, Nurse Rooke, and keeps her mind busy with small crafts that she sells. Through Nurse Rooke she hears a great deal of news, including about Mr Elliot, who was once her husband’s friend.

She tells Anne that Mr Elliot is not the good man he seems. He let her husband sink into debt, and when her husband died, he would not help her recover property that belonged to her in the West Indies. Her honest warning helps Anne decide, and in the end Captain Wentworth helps Mrs Smith get her property back.

“her cheerfulness and mental alacrity did not fail her”

Jane Austen, the narrator, on how Mrs Smith bears her troubles. From the original 1817 novel by Jane Austen.

A moment to remember

When Anne comes to visit, Mrs. Smith opens her arms wide and welcomes her like the dearest of friends.

Anne Elliot: her kind old school friend
William Elliot: the man who let her down
Captain Frederick Wentworth: the friend who helps with her property
Sir Walter Elliot: the baronet who looks down on her

Talk about it

Anne chose a friend for her kindness, not for money or fancy things. What makes someone a good friend?

Questions about Mrs. Smith

Who is Mrs Smith in Persuasion?: Mrs Smith is Anne Elliot’s old school friend. She is a widow living in modest lodgings in Bath, in poor health and short of money.
What does Mrs Smith tell Anne about Mr Elliot?: She tells Anne that Mr Elliot is selfish and cannot be trusted. He treated her husband badly and did not help her after his death.
Does Mrs Smith get her money back?: Yes. At the end of the novel, Wentworth helps Mrs Smith recover her property in the West Indies, and her situation improves.