Between January 1855 and November 1856, Trollope completed

, a sequel to the first of his novels to be set in the imaginary county of Barsetshire,

.

begins when Rev. Harding is criticized for receiving, as part of his salary,

of the increased income from the charitable bequest supporting Hiram’s Hospital, an almshouse of which he is the spiritual director or warden, while the stipend of its inmates has remained constant. Seeing some justice in the attacks, the timid and conscientious Harding, whose character has been unfairly mauled in the press, resigns the wardenship. Though

was a critical success, several contemporary reviewers faulted it for its refusal to take sides on its central issue: the misuse of charitable trusts by the…

2211 words

Citation: Nardin, Jane. "Barchester Towers". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 November 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6445, accessed 25 November 2024.]