The Executor

The Chronicles of Carlingford #.5

by Mrs. Oliphant

In the town of Carlingford John Brown had been Mrs Thompson's attorney, though he had not been employed to write her will. Upon her death, her will leaves her property to an estranged daughter, unknown in Carlingford. To everyone's astonishment, if the daughter is not found within three years, the property is left to John Brown. Mrs Thompson's nearest relatives in Carlingford, the very poor Christian family, are not mentioned at all.

This story depicts the impact of Mrs Thompson's will on several people, including John Brown, Mr and Mrs Christian, Bessie Christian, and her undeclared suitor Dr Rider. Finally John Brown does something which surprises even himself.

The Executor is the first of seven works set in the delightful country town of Carlingford. Although each work can stand alone, one episode in this story does explain the beginning of the third work, The Doctor's Family.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Victorian, Fiction, 19th Century

21 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1861

About the author

Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (née Margaret Oliphant Wilson) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. Her fictional works encompass "domestic realism, the historical novel and tales of the supernatural".

Margaret Oliphant was born at Wallyford, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, and spent her childhood at Lasswade (near Dalkeith), Glasgow and Liverpool. As a girl, she constantly experimented with writing. In 1849 she had her first novel published: Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland which dealt with the Scottish Free Church movement. It was followed by Caleb Field in 1851, the year in which she met the publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to contribute to the famous Blackwood's Magazine. The connection was to last for her whole lifetime, during which she contributed well over 100 articles, including, a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

Reviews

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story of about 40 to 45 pages that is not considered to be part of the six-volume Carlingford series, which starts with Carlingford #1, The Rector. This story is of similar length as The Rector and not only is set in Carlingford but also includes some characters that will make later appearances in the series. I’m not sure why this book isn’t part of the Carlingford series. Goodreads labels this book as Carlingford #.5, making it a sort of prequel to the series.
I chose to read The Executor because I was prepared to start reading #2 in the series, The Doctor's Family, and discovered that its lead character, Dr. Rider, makes his initial appearance in The Executor. I figured I could easily fit in a 43-page story beforehand just in case it contained some valuable insight.
After reading it, I can say that Mr. Rider’s brief appearance does not mandate that this story be read before The Doctor's Family. However, I do think this book should be read because it is a just a good story about some of the Carlingford residents. The plot involves the contents of the will of a cantankerous elderly lady and its impact on certain town residents. The opening scene is the opening of the will which is right after the lady’s funeral. There are disappointed expected legatees, a kindly and modest young woman who accepts her disappointment despite the hardship it will cause, a frustrated-by-everyone attorney who may benefit by the will, and a self-serving and self-confident maid. All these characters are well-drawn, especially considering the story’s brief length.
There is also plenty of wit in Mrs. Oliphant’s depictions and observations of the characters here. As a result, I found this story to be much closer in quality to Trollope’s level than either The Rector or Miss Marjoribanks. The short story length may have helped as I thought Miss Marjoribanks suffered from over-wordiness. I rate this story as 4 stars.

[Rebekah Giese Witherspoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Victober2020
Readers’ challenge: Read a Victorian book from a previous Victober TBR that you didn't get to

This short story, written by a new-to-me Victorian author, Mrs. Oliphant, was engaging and interesting. I enjoyed her writing style as well as her use of an omniscient narrator which reveals the thoughts of all characters, both men and women.

John Brown was not supposed to be an observant person, but somehow he saw the genteel people of Carlingford about the streets that day in a surprisingly distinct manner…coming out for their walks, and their shopping, and their visits, persuading themselves by such means that they were busy people, virtuously employed, and making use of their life.

The free ebook is available at gutenberg.org.

[~ Cheryl ~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I'm glad I read this 'prequel' of sorts (I read it out of order), but it wasn't an especially good read. However, as I'm glad to be getting acquainted with the town of Carlingford, this was an important episode because it helped explain a detail in The Doctor's Family.

If you're going to read the series, start with this one to get a better understanding of certain characters. It's short length makes for a quick read.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aligned with the Carlingford Series but not always listed as part of it, this is a short story apparently set before the series starts and has some reference to characters that appear later on. It concerns a surprising will and the steps that must be taken by its executor in order to fulfill its requirements. We have a villainous maid, a poor young girl in love and an executor who will not give up. Short and sweet with a mildly off-putting ending but possibly only with our contemporary mind set.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the death of old Mrs Thomson the next of kin are shocked to discover via a new will the existence of a daughter, Phoebe, who inherits all including £20,000. How does this affect their futures.
An enjoyable short prequel to the Carlingford series.
Originally published in 1861

[Pgchuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This opens with a bang with the beleaguered executor John Brown surprised by the will he is called to read and execute and declaring the testatrix must have been mad. It was a decent read, but has none of the humour of 'Miss Marjoribanks' which I read out of order. A gentle romance and I look forward to seeing some of the characters again in later instalments.

[Joan Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the town of Carlingford John Brown had been Mrs Thompson's attorney, though he had not been employed to write her will. Upon her death, her will leaves her property to an estranged daughter, unknown in Carlingford. To everyone's astonishment, if the daughter is not found within three years, the property is left to John Brown. Mrs Thompson's nearest relatives in Carlingford, the very poor Christian family, are not mentioned at all.
This story depicts the impact of Mrs Thompson's will on several people, including John Brown, Mr and Mrs Christian, Bessie Christian, and her undeclared suitor Dr Rider. Finally John Brown does something which surprises even himself.
The Executor is the first of seven works set in the delightful country town of Carlingford. Although each work can stand alone, one episode in this story does explain the beginning of the third work, The Doctor's Family.
Available for free download at www.oliphantfiction.com

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was a brilliant start to Mrs. Oliphant's "Carlingford Chronicles", although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the ending yet. This was my first of Oliphant's books and she strikes me as a mix of George Eliot, Jane Austen, and Elizabeth Gaskell. Definitely a new favourite author!!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elderly Mrs. Thomson dies, leaving behind a will that baffles and infuriates Mrs. Christian and Nancy, members of her family and household who thought they would benefit from the estate. Mrs. Thomson had a daughter who's been separated from her family for decades, and Mr. Brown is the executor of the will who has been called upon to seek her out.

The first chapter of the book is a series of sketches of the four characters who confronted each other over the will after Mrs. Thomson's funeral, and the remaining three chapters show how things shook out for them in the year after that.

I read this mostly because I saw that it was part of Oliphant's Carlingford series, and I hadn't yet read it. I wasn't all that satisfied with the ending, with its rushed and rather too convenient pairing of two of the characters.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story that encapsulates the best of Margaret Oliphant in style, plot and observant humour, and is a good start to the Carlingford series, although not a prequel nor anything like one. Some of the major Carlingford people make a cameo appearance, but have no rôle here. The plot is slightly convoluted and leads to a conventional, if unexpected ending, the characters are well drawn, and with kindness, and the whole is delightfully enjoyable.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story; a bit of a prequel to the rest of the Carlingsford novels. Margaret Oliphant draws characters well, but, in this short story, she leaves few indications in the narrative as to what is to come at the end. Result: I had to re-read several pages to try to make sure what had happened made sense.
Notwithstanding, I enjoyed spending time in this short tale.

[Jinah Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like this is not even a short story but a plot summary.

[Sylvia J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these sweet little stories. Well, I guess eventually I’m going to have to read a whole Mrs. Oliphant novel. Wow!

[Jean Hontz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but enjoyable

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story that forms an appropriate prequel to the chronicles.

[Zosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma narrativa pequena mas muito intrigante, que nos mostra como a sociedade pode ser hipócrita e preconceituosa, e como o "ter" vale mais do que o "ser". Gostei.