Uppercross Cottage is the home of Charles and Mary Musgrove, a modernized farmhouse that serves as Anne Elliot's primary residence during her stay in the country and becomes the central setting for her reunion with Captain Wentworth and the unfolding of the Musgrove family's social life.

The Reigning Power Not Neglected is a principle of social and political conduct articulated by Charles Musgrove in Persuasion, which holds that one should honor and attend to the current authority or head of a family rather than currying favor with the heir presumptive. It stands in direct opposition to the self-interested maneuvering of Mr. William Walter Elliot, who neglects Sir Walter Elliot for years only to seek reconciliation when his own prospects are threatened.