Great Uncle Henry: A Pride & Prejudice Vagary

Henry Bennet is a second son born in 1739. His father, Thomas Bennet, concentrates all of his energy on his heir, James, who is more than 10 years older than Henry. The father has no use for his daughter, Felicity, who is 6 years Henry’s senior.By 1765 when Henry is 26, his brother is married, and the wife is expecting. By then Felicity had been married for some years and moved with her husband to the colony of Connecticut in the Americas. Other than a letter to say she has arrived, nothing more is heard from her.Henry did not choose any of the traditional professions for a second son, he rather had a sense of adventure wanting to travel to make his fortune in India. Until this point, his father had refused to allow him to leave thanks to the entail on Longbourn. To that end he had withheld Henry’s £5,000 legacy. However, now that his heir’s wife is about to birth their first child, the Bennet patriarch releases Henry’s funds.Off to India Henry goes to find his fortune. This tale starts with his life in India. There, he finds his fortune; the question is how big is it? After about 20 years in India, Henry decides to return to England.One of the first things Henry does is visit Longbourn. There he finds that his parents, and brother and sister-in-law are no longer alive. He meets Thomas and Fanny Bennet and is singularly unimpressed by both. It is before Jane is born.We see how he lives in England and how his interactions affect the trajectory of the lives of those around him. Where does he live, and who does he choose as his heir once he decides that his niece and nephew at Longbourn are not worthy? Will he influence the eventual results of the meeting between his grand-niece Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy? Read more