First published in 1879, Cousin Henry is one of Anthony Trollope’s later novels. In it, we are introduced to Indefer Jones, the elderly squire of a large manor in Carmarthen as he deliberates as to who to name as his heir. Will his beloved young niece Isabel Broderick inherit all that he owns, or will Indefer bow to convention and pass the property to his disagreeable nephew and sole male heir, Henry Jones? Rumours about a final will abound following Indefer’s death, as we are caught up in a story of pride and conscience, deceit and guilt.
Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.
