Sir Henry Baskerville-A Character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Readify Wiki: A Better Way to Explore Books

Sir Henry Baskerville is Sir Charles Baskerville’s son and heir, and the intended target of Stapleton’s plan to obtain the Baskerville estate. His journey to the hall in Devon turns concern about Sir Charles’s death into an active investigation and makes him the person whose safety is at stake.

Identity and Introduction

Sir Henry is identified as the son and heir of Sir Charles Baskerville. James Mortimer is worried that he will be in danger when he goes to the hall in Devon, where the family inheritance is centered. The evidence establishes his position in the family and the threat surrounding his arrival, but gives little further account of his background or personal character.

The Investigation in Devon

Sherlock Holmes sends Dr. Watson to Devon with Sir Henry and James Mortimer. Watson attempts to determine who may have killed Sir Charles, while Holmes says he will remain in London. In fact, Holmes travels to Devon secretly and conducts investigations of his own. Sir Henry is thus present at the center of the inquiry, although the available account does not describe his own investigative methods or particular decisions.

The Threat to the Heir

Holmes discovers that Stapleton, a neighbor, killed Sir Charles. Stapleton is a butterfly collector and a distant relation of the Baskervilles; because he is poor, he seeks to kill Sir Henry so that he can inherit the hall. Sir Henry’s danger therefore arises from both his position as heir and Stapleton’s interest in the property. The revelation connects the earlier death to a continuing scheme against the next generation of the family.

Narrative Role

Sir Henry functions as the threatened successor around whom the investigation’s stakes gather. Mortimer’s concern brings the danger into view before Holmes identifies its cause; Holmes’s discovery then explains why Sir Henry is targeted. The evidence establishes that he accompanies Watson and Mortimer to Devon and is the object of Stapleton’s plan, but does not specify the plan’s further course or Sir Henry’s eventual fate.