Henry Layton
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| Portrayed by Matthew MacFadyen | |
| Full Name | Henry John Layton |
|---|---|
| Title | Earl Parry, Baron Loseley |
| Associated Noble House(s) | Earldom Parry, Barony of Loseley, Marquessate of Crantock |
| Date of Birth | 20th June, 1783 |
| Father | Henry Layton (deceased) |
| Father's Rank | Earl |
| Mother | Louisa Layton |
| Mother's Rank | Dowager Countess |
| Town Residence | Layton House, 116 Park Street |
| Income | £18,000 p.a. |
| School | King's College School then Winchester |
| University | Cambridge (King's College) |
| Year Attained Title | 1805 |
Henry Layton is the 2nd Earl Parry and the nth Baron of Loseley. He is twenty-seven years old and divides his time between Loseley Park and London. Henry is outwardly frivolous and doesn't care about what people say about him or indeed what he says about them. He is also an intelligent man who would never actively hurt anyone who did not deserve it. He is an excellent singer.
Family
Henry Layton, Earl Parry (deceased) - father
Louisa, Dowager Countess Parry - mother
Catherine, Lady Kirkfries - sister
Lady Phoebe Layton/Sister Maria Agnes - sister
Archibald Treville-Layton, Marquess of Crantock - second cousin twice removed
Jane, Duchess of Welby (deceased) - cousin
Lady Madalene Rossington - first cousin once removed
Sophia, Duchess of Leighton (deceased) - paternal aunt
Nicholas, Duke of Leighton - cousin
Lord William Gosling - cousin
Constance Blackwood - maternal aunt
Richard Blackwood - cousin
Background
Early Years: 1783-1801
As the only son of an Earl who also had a Marquessdom to look forward to from a reclusive and childless great-uncle, Henry had a pampered childhood at Loseley Park in Berkshire. He grew up in a warm but rather odd family who delighted in thinking outside the box. His father encouraged him to be bright and interested in the world, and his mother was a forthright and strong female role model.
Having enjoyed singing from a very young age, he was packed off to King’s College Cambridge at the age of eight as a chorister, to irritate senior members of the clergy instead of his sisters. From King’s, he proceeded to Winchester where he was also a chorister until his voice broke. Being by then fed up with sacred music, he continued to develop his voice in a secular context later on at school and again at King’s, where he read philosophy.
Cambridge: 1801-1804
Henry read moral philosophy at King's College, Cambridge. He was a good student and actually interested in his subject but, like many men in his situation, concealed his work under a frivolous demeanor. He sang in the world famous choir which took up a large amount of his time and spent the rest of it in idleness, and sport (developing a talent for rowing). He graduated with Honours.
London Years
The death of his father in 1805 necessitated a change of lifestyle at least briefly. As the new Lord Parry, he had responsibilities for his mother, unmarried youngest sister and two country estates. Fortunately the Dowager was perfectly capable of running Loseley Park, from which Henry had no desire to force her to leave, and after necessary business was concluded Henry created a bachelor lifestyle for himself in London, spending the months out of season at friends' houses in the country, with his sister Lady Kirkfries in Scotland and, after Lady Phoebe's conversion, visiting her in Bavaria. He spends at least a couple of weeks every summer at Crantock Abbey in Cornwall, visiting his cousin Archibald Treville-Layton, whose heir he is.
In London, Henry enjoys the social scene. He has many friends, including Lord Emerson and Miss Prichard, Lord Louth and Lady Viola Fitzgerald. He has cultivated the persona of an outspoken eccentric for his own amusement and in order to deal with lovesick young women who are attracted to his good looks, title and large fortune. He enjoys all cultural activities - musical events (which he likes to turn into recital opportunities for himself), theatre, and even politics, now that he has a seat in the Upper House. His social consequence and overall charm means that he gets away with a lot more than other men.
When it comes to women, Henry has only had one long term mistress, the courtesan Cynthia St. James whom he saw (and was seen with) regularly between 1805 and 1809. Since then he has not formed any relationship. He has never actively looked for a wife but he has no objection to marriage if he felt there was a woman he should like to marry.
Current Season
So far the 1810 season has not appeared very different to any previous ones. Additional amusement has come from Charity Pritchard being out in society and the return of Lady Viola, but other than that, Henry continues to live his life much as he has done for the past few years.
He has recently been rather thrown by a perceived attachment between two of his oldest friends, Lord Emerson and Lady Viola Fitzgerald. For some reason, Henry finds the idea of a marriage between them (however far off in the future it may be) a threat to his bachelor lifestyle.
Another threat comes from the arrival in Town of his sister, Lady Kirkfries, from Scotland. She has been taking over his social schedule and introducing him to eligible women such as Sybilla Grenfell and even Helena Wriothesley. Thanks to his close friendship with Charity Pritchard, Henry has also found himself involved in sorting out Elise Hampton's love life, leading him to confront his cousin, the Duke of Leighton.
Henry's friendly relationship with Charity has become increasingly strained over the course of the season, climaxing in a scene between them at Emma Vickery's ball where she as good as admits she is romantically interested in him and he accidentally suggests she's behaving like a prostitute. Following some soul searching, Henry decides that he intends to marry her but must first win her back.
Henry's butler is named Forman.
Relationships
Friends
Lord Emerson: One of Henry's best friends. Many evenings have been spent with this gentleman happily avoiding debutantes.
Lord Louth: A friend Henry made in parliament. Henry respects him for his political acumen but sometimes takes his teasing a little far.
Georgiana, Lady Louth: Henry really admired Miss Templeton in 1810 and might have considered courting her had not Lord Louth got there sooner. Nowadays he flirts with her shamelessly.
Lady Viola Fitzgerald: Sharing a similar sense of humour and a desire not to be courted, they became good friends and remain so. Had Henry been looking for a wife when she first debuted, he might have been tempted to ask her and might well have been accepted. She's now firmly in the "friend zone".
Lilias, The Duchess of Brixton: Henry used to be good friends with the Duchess before the scandal with Lady Newburry. Henry said a few unwise things and they haven't been too close since. An olive branch was extended however with an invitation to the Brixton House Party.
Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff: Henry's estate lies close to Lady Richford's and he has met Lady Gwendolyn there on several occasions. Despite the difference in temperament, Henry admires her quite a lot.
Robert Vickery: A friend from school and university
Emma Vickery: Robert's sister and an attractive young lady
Aaron Abdullah: Henry got on with him well when fencing
Albert Mayoh: A casual acquaintance, but Henry enjoys his company
Romantic interest
Cynthia St. James: Mistress, 1805-1809. Parted with no hard feelings.
Helena Wriothesley: She wishes.
Charity Pritchard: Henry's closest female friend and someone he's known since she was much younger. Henry spoils her rotten but is also one of the few people to whom she listens. He has subsequently decided he wants to marry her.
Enemies
Lord William Gosling: Henry does not care for this man, finding him overly reckless and hasty
The Duke of Leighton: Henry has clashed with him over his supposed treatment of Elise Hampton
Croquembouche: Ridiculous name for a dog.
Thread Tracking
Sunday 14th April
The Emerson Ball
- A Night to Remember[3]: Arrival at the ball
- Her Sequined Gown[4]: First dance with Charity
- Prodigal Host[5]: With Blake after the third dance
- Fifth Dance[6]: With Gwen
- Today was a Fairytale[7]: With Charity, Juliet, Damien
Tuesday 16th April
- Musicale Reaction Thread[8]: Henry reacts to others' performances
- Musicale Performance Thread[9]: Henry sings at Viola's musicale
Friday 19th April (Brixton)
- Trump Cards and Carriage Bumps[10]: Henry arrives at Brixton with the Pritchards and meets the Fitzgeralds
- Kith, Kin & Kit[11]: Henry introduces Viola to her cousin Christopher Carlisle
- The Sound of Music[12]: Henry, Blake, Viola, and Charity do music in the evening
- Pieta![13]: With Charity and Olivia after the music
Saturday 20th April (Brixton)
- Experiences of (un)consciousness[14]: Henry finds Gwen in the library
- The revellers are entering...[15]: Henry arrives at the masquerade
- Misery Likes Company[16]: Henry interrupts Blake and Viola's tete-a-tete at the Masquerade
Monday 22cd April
- A Call and a Complaint[17]: Henry calls on Georgiana
Tuesday 23rd April
- When I take you out tonight with me[18]: Henry tales Charity driving
Saturday 27th April
- Embrasse-moi, je suis délicieuse![19]: With Helena at the Pendleston Masque
Monday 29th April
- Advance and Counter-Parry[20]: Fencing with Harun and Giuseppe
Tuesday 30th April
- Until the Fat Lady Sings[21]: With Victor and Eleanor Kincaide at the opera
Wednesday 1st May
- Wear No Disguise For Me[22]: With Dosie and Gwen at Vauxhall
Saturday 4th May
- La Belle Ecossaise[23]: Catherine arrives
Sunday 5th May
- Hills of the North in a Southern Church[24]: With Catherine and Georgiana after the service
Henry's Party
- Punch for Miss Pritchard[25]: With Charity
- ...du besoin d'avoir une femme dans ma confiance[26]: Henry introduces Charity to Cat
- If there was a prize for rotten judgement[27]: He and Charity join Blake and Viola
Monday 6th May
- Riding in Rotten Row[28]: With Catherine, Robert and Emma Vickery in Hyde Park
Tuesday 7th May
- I dearly love to laugh[29]: With Cat and Dosie in the milliner's
- From One Brother to Another[30]: Calls on Robbie Fitzgerald with Cat
Wednesday 8th May
- Layton v Pritchard, First Dance[31]: With Charity at Almack's
- Look around, we are all friends here[32]: A brief meeting with Lord Emerson and Lady Viola
Thursday 9th May
- The birdcatcher, the cat and the canary[33]: Helena calls on Henry and Catherine
- East West Fusion Ball[34]: Aaron Abdullah comes to dinner with him and Cat
Friday 10th May
- Single Men in Possession of Large Fortunes[35]: Henry crashes Nick and Victor in the club
Sunday 12th May
- Song of Songs[36]: Interrupting a tender moment between Emerson and Viola
- The Breakfast Club[37]: Henry and Cat have breakfast at Emerson House
- A Lady's Imagination is Very Rapid[38]: Catherine takes Henry to task over Charity
Monday 13th May
- Once Upon in Fair London Town[39]: Henry and Cat arrive at Emma Vickery's ball
- Well met by moonlight, proud Titania[40]: Henry dances the first set with Emma
- Dear heart, are those tears?[41]: An illuminating encounter with Charity
Wednesday 15th May
- For Miss Pritchard[42]: Flowers and a note for Charity
- Just an ordinary man[43]: With Clarence in their club
Thursday 16th May
- They have their exits and their entrances[44]: Arrival at the ball
- I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow[45]: First dance with Charity
- Bear with me, please[46]: Second dance with Camille
Henry is played by Rose.