---
type: Person
title: Charles Bingley
description: Wealthy, easy-tempered tenant of Netherfield Park, close friend of Mr.
  Darcy and suitor of Jane Bennet.
resource: raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt
tags:
- netherfield
- hertfordshire
- gentry
aliases:
- Mr. Bingley
timestamp: '2026-07-16T18:15:29Z'
citadel_version: 0.3.0
---

Charles Bingley leases [Netherfield Park](../misc/netherfield-park.md), a large fortune from the
north of England reported at "four or five thousand a year."[^s1] He inherited nearly a hundred
thousand pounds from his father, who had meant to purchase an estate of his own but died before
doing so; Bingley himself has not yet decided whether to buy one.[^s2] The narration describes him
as "good-looking and gentlemanlike," with "a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners."[^s3]
He is close friends with [Fitzwilliam Darcy](../persons/fitzwilliam-darcy.md), who is "endeared to"
him by "the easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper."[^s4] His sisters are
[Caroline Bingley](../persons/caroline-bingley.md) and Mrs. Hurst, who keeps house with her
husband Mr. Hurst.[^s5]

At the Meryton assembly he dances with [Jane Bennet](../persons/jane-bennet.md) twice and calls
her "the most beautiful creature I ever beheld."[^s6] He promises to give a ball at Netherfield,
and later confirms the engagement once Jane has recovered from her illness there.[^s7] He and his
household, including Darcy, leave for London partway through the courtship;
[Elizabeth Bennet](../persons/elizabeth-bennet.md) suspects his sisters and Darcy are working to
keep him away from Jane, though this is Elizabeth's own inference rather than anything Bingley
states himself.[^s8]

## Return and engagement

Nearly a year later, Bingley returns to [Netherfield Park](../misc/netherfield-park.md) to shoot,
and soon calls at Longbourn with [Darcy](../persons/fitzwilliam-darcy.md).[^s9] He resumes attending
Jane closely, and after several visits proposes to her privately at Longbourn; Jane accepts,
"the happiest creature in the world."[^s10] Bingley later confesses to Jane that he had been
"totally ignorant" she had spent the previous spring in town — a fact his sisters and Darcy had kept
from him.[^s11] Bingley and Jane marry and remain at Netherfield only a twelvemonth before buying an
estate in a county neighbouring Derbyshire, at his sisters' wish, bringing them within thirty miles
of [Elizabeth](../persons/elizabeth-bennet.md).[^s12]

## See also

- [Netherfield Park](../misc/netherfield-park.md)
- [Jane Bennet](../persons/jane-bennet.md)
- [Fitzwilliam Darcy](../persons/fitzwilliam-darcy.md)
- [Caroline Bingley](../persons/caroline-bingley.md)
- [Elizabeth Bennet](../persons/elizabeth-bennet.md)

## Sources

[^s1]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 716-717 — Bingley's fortune, as reported by Mrs. Long via Mrs. Bennet (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s2]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 1184-1192 — Bingley's inheritance and undecided estate purchase (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s3]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 983-985 — Bingley's appearance and manner (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s4]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 1203-1206 — Bingley and Darcy's friendship (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s5]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 979-981 — Bingley's party at the assembly, including his sisters and Mr. Hurst (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s6]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 1037, 1059-1061 — Bingley's admiration of Jane and their two dances (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s7]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 2345-2350 — Bingley confirms the Netherfield ball (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s8]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 5429-5436 — Elizabeth's suspicion that Bingley's sisters and Darcy influence him (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s9]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 12356-12358; 13653-13656 — Bingley's return to Netherfield and his call at Longbourn with Darcy (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s10]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 12948-12953 — Bingley's proposal and Jane's acceptance (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s11]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 13901-13903 — Bingley's ignorance of Jane's stay in town (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s12]: [raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt](../../raw/pride-and-prejudice.txt), lines 14412-14417 — Bingley and Jane's move near Derbyshire (ingested 2026-07-16)
