Jeremy Johns

Jeremy Johns is the trusted personal servant of Jonathan Strange. He attends his master when the latter goes to visit Arabella Woodhope with a view to persuading her to marry him; when he moves to London; and when he goes to the Peninsula. He does not, however, depart with him on his continental tour or go with him into the Pillar of Darkness.

Perhaps the most striking instance of Johns' loyalty to his master occurs after the (supposed) death of Mrs Strange. Having discovered while in Venice that his "dead" wife is a prisoner in a fairy brugh - and having then himself become trapped in the Pillar of Darkness - Strange is in a pitiable state. He can no longer be sure of reality or trust his own senses. He writes desperately to Arabella's brother, Rev. Henry Woodhope, begging him to investigate her death and when Woodhope denies him he writes at once to Johns, asking him to carry out the exhumation which the clergyman indignantly refused. This Johns immediately and unquestioningly does. Here is loyalty indeed! It is one thing for a gentleman (and he a clergyman, and brother to the lady concerned) to disturb the peace of the grave: for a mere servant to do so courts the heaviest wrath of the law. Yet we hear that Johns undertakes this repugnant task without hesitation, and then sends back word which confirms to Strange that his fears are true. Few servants would render such unflinching service.

Nevertheless the first meeting between the two had hardly been auspicious. It happened at Ashfair, where Johns was then attending on the elder Mr Strange, who, as was his habit, was making a game of honest service by plaguing him with petty and troublesome requests. On a malicious late-night whim he sent Johns on a wild-goose-chas in search of a bottle of sherry wine. Having searched the house and failed to find one in the usual places, Johns bethought him of the private apartments of the younger Mr. Strange - acting upon the (correct) supposition that a single young gentleman would be highly likely to possess the very thing he sought.

Making a search of the rooms, which he believed to be empty, he discovered a bottle inside one of a pair of boots, took it out and exultantly poured a bumper. At this point he raised his eyes to see, by way of a mirror, that the rooms were not in fact empty and that Jonathan Strange was observing his procedure with silent incredulity. Johns offered no explanation of his actions at the time, but later Strange interviewed him at length and was favourably impressed by his ready wit and firmness of purpose. By the time Strange is setting off on his courtship of Miss Woodhope Jeremy Johns is riding with him as his valet and general factotum[22].