Mrs. Clements Character Analysis in The Woman in White

Mrs. Clements is a servant who was employed by Mrs. Catherick and who took care of Anne Catherick for part of her childhood. Later in life, she also takes care of Anne and accompanies her on her secret journeys to Limmeridge and Blackwater, after Anne has escaped from the asylum. Mrs. Clements lived in Old Welmingham and was present when the scandal between Mrs. Catherick and Sir Percival Glyde took place (when Sir Percival broke into the vestry to forge the marriage certificate of his parents, who were never really married). Although Mrs. Clements does not know what the scandal was about, she tells Walter that the secret has something to do with the vestry of the church, which leads to Walter’s discovery of Sir Percival’s secret. This also indirectly contributes to Sir Percival’s demise as Walter’s investigation motivates Sir Percival to break into the vestry to destroy the evidence, where he accidentally starts a fire and is killed. Mrs. Clements loves Anne Catherick like a daughter and is devastated by the news of her death. She is Anne’s closest friend and a mother figure to her throughout the novel.

Mrs. Clements Character Timeline in The Woman in White

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Clements appears in The Woman in White. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...she found her friend in London. Anne tells him that she has found her friend, Mrs. Clements , and that Mrs. Clements is very kind to her, although no one is as... (full context)

Anne tells Walter that she has known Mrs. Clements since she was a little girl. He asks about her mother and father, and Anne... (full context)

When she hears Anne scream, Mrs. Clements rushes back towards the grave and verbally attacks Walter for scaring Anne. Anne recovers slowly... (full context)

...with Marian but, when Marian enters the farm, she is told that Anne Catherick and Mrs. Clements left unexpectedly and will not return. Mrs. Todd, who lives at the farm, can tell... (full context)

...days. Meanwhile, Mr. Gilmore has also sent a servant to look for Anne Catherick and Mrs. Clements and to follow and observe them. Mr. Gilmore is confident that Sir Percival will be... (full context)

Class, Industry, and Social Place Theme Icon

...dinner, the servant that Mr. Gilmore has dispatched returns and tells them that he followed Mrs. Clements and Anne Catherick as far as Carlisle but could trace them no further. Mr. Gilmore,... (full context)

...heard nothing of him since then. She also hasn’t heard anything about Anne Catherick or Mrs. Clements , and even Sir Percival’s lawyer, Mr. Merriman, has given up the hunt for them.... (full context)

...try and get to Sir Percival through the secret. He decides to find and question Mrs. Clements , Anne Catherick’s companion. He hopes that she will tell him something about Mrs. Catherick... (full context)

...case, his luck changes when he receives the reply from Todd’s Corner which gives him Mrs. Clements ’ London address. (full context)

When Walter arrives at Mrs. Clements ’ house, she is desperate to find out if he knows where Anne is. Walter... (full context)

When Anne recovered, she became obsessed with going to Blackwater to speak to Laura. Mrs. Clements eventually agreed to take her, and the pair rented a house in a village nearby.... (full context)

...overweight man who said that he had been sent by Laura to receive a message. Mrs. Clements told him that she was the person he should give the message to, and the... (full context)

...he saw Anne’s condition and went out to secure her some medicine, which worked wonders, Mrs. Clements says. Mrs. Clements and Anne met the man and his wife again on the train... (full context)

Mrs. Clements is heartbroken over Anne’s disappearance, as Anne was like a daughter to her. Walter believes... (full context)

Walter asks if the scandal was about Mr. and Mrs. Catherick, but Mrs. Clements tells him it was about Mrs. Catherick and Sir Percival Glyde. Mr. Catherick found jewelry... (full context)

...village after the scandal, but Mrs. Catherick remained, despite her tattered reputation among the neighbors. Mrs. Clements tells Walter that Mrs. Catherick is provided for by Sir Percival Glyde, who sends her... (full context)

Mrs. Clements tells Walter that Mrs. Catherick worked for a man called Major Donthorne, at a place... (full context)

Walter realizes that Mrs. Clements has told him everything she can and makes to leave. Before he goes, he takes... (full context)

...Catherick admits that she never really cared much for her daughter and was glad that Mrs. Clements took her off her hands. However, she did not like Mrs. Clements either and decided... (full context)

...the Count has let the house until the following summer. He also goes to see Mrs. Clements again—as he promised he would—and tells her the truth about Anne’s death. This interview reminds... (full context)

...Laura died. So, Count Fosco began to track down Anne Catherick and accidentally met with Mrs. Clements at the boat house. (full context)

Mrs. Clements trusted Count Fosco and took him to see Anne Catherick, who was dying of heart... (full context)

He told Mrs. Clements to take Anne to London and sent Madame Fosco to follow them there, under the... (full context)

While Madame Fosco took Mrs. Clements away in a cab—allegedly to see Laura—Count Fosco sent Anne a note which said that... (full context)