Jarvis Lorry is a character in

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

' 1859 novel, ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...

''.

Overview

Jarvis Lorry is one of the oldest employees of Tellson's Bank, and he frequently deals with the bank's offices in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. He is a

confirmed bachelor "He never married" was a phrase used by British obituary writers as a euphemism for the deceased having been homosexual. Its use has been dated to the second half of the 20th century, and it may be found in coded and non-coded forms, such as when ...

and a man of business, describing himself as not much else than a speaking machine. He nevertheless shows an awkward sympathy towards

Dr. Alexandre Manette Doctor Alexandre Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel ''A Tale of Two Cities''. He is Lucie's father, a brilliant physician, and spent eighteen years "in secret" as a prisoner in the Bastille prior to the French Revolution. He is ...

and his daughter

Lucie Lucie is the French and Czech form of the female name Lucia. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Lucie Ahl, British tennis player * Lucie Arnaz, American actress * Lucie Aubrac, member of the French Resistance * Lucie Balthaz ...

. While serving in Tellson's Paris office, Lorry takes the infant Lucie to safety in London after her father is imprisoned in the Bastille. When the novel begins in 1775, the 60-year-old Lorry receives a message from

Jerry Cruncher Jeremiah "Jerry" Cruncher is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel ''A Tale of Two Cities''. Overview Jeremiah "Jerry" Cruncher is employed as a ''porter'' for Tellson's Bank of London. He earns extra money as a Resurrectionists ...

, another Tellson's employee, informing him of Dr. Manette's release. He escorts the now-adult Lucie to reunite with her father in Paris, but is troubled by what they will both find on their arrival, and brings them back to London. Five years later, when

Charles Darnay Charles Darnay, Charles D'Aulnais or Charles St. Evrémonde is a fictional character in the 1859 novel ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens. Overview Darnay is a wealthy gentleman who spends time in both France and England during the time o ...

is arrested on suspicion of treason against the British Crown, Lorry arranges for the barristers Stryver and Sydney Carton to defend him. Following Darnay's acquittal, Lorry becomes an intimate friend of the Manettes, and of Darnay when he marries Lucie. In 1792, with the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

ongoing, Lorry travels to Paris in order to look after the Tellson's branch there and remove important documents for safekeeping. When Darnay separately travels to Paris and is arrested as a fugitive aristocrat, Lorry remains there and begins working to free him, as well as providing assistance to the Manettes. He gradually softens toward Carton and is deeply touched by the latter's decision to sacrifice his life so Darnay can escape. Carton's final, unspoken thoughts before his execution mention his belief that "the good old man" Lorry will die peacefully in ten years' time and leave his estate to Darnay, Lucie, and their family.

Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals

In the 1935

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

film adaptation, Jarvis Lorry is portrayed by

Claude Gillingwater Claude Benton Gillingwater (August 2, 1870 – November 1, 1939) was an American stage and screen actor. He first appeared on the stage then in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1939, including the Academy Award-nominated ''A Tale of Two ...

. In the 2008

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

adaptation of ''

'', Jarvis Lorry is played by Michael Hayward-Jones.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorry, Jarvis A Tale of Two Cities characters Fictional bankers Literary characters introduced in 1859 Male characters in film Male characters in literature Fictional English people