Sir Edward Palliser

In the short story Sing a Song of Sixpence, Sir Edward Palliser, KC is a famous and highly successful criminal barrister. At the time of the events in the story, he had retired and was living a contented and reclusive life in his house at 9, Queen Anne's Close in Westminster where he spent his time building up a criminological library and writing books.

Ten years before the events in the story, Sir Edward had been a passenger on board the Siluric coming back from America. During the voyage, he had met a young 17 year old girl named Magdalen Vaughan. Although he was much older than her, being almost sixty, he had been attracted to her and had made love to her. On parting, he promised that if she ever needed help, if there was ever anything he could do for her, he would do it.

Some three weeks before the events in the story, Lily Crabtree, Magdalen's great aunt and mistress of the house where she lived, was murdered. The police could not solve the case. It was thought that no one had come in from outside. And yet, of the occupants in the house, all seemed to have alibis or did not have the opportunity. After the death, the remaining occupants continued to eye one another with suspicion and this was getting to them. Magdalen approached Sir Edward for help in investigating the case, claiming the promise he had made ten years earlier. Sir Edward was reluctant to be dragged out of retirement. He also doubted what he could do. However, Magdalen's simple trust appealed to him. He also felt obligated by the promise, even though it was typical of the cliched promises people made after a brief friendship.

Rising to the challenge, Sir Edward did solve the case. Although satisfied with the outcome, he told Magdalen that if she should ever need a friend again, she should approach a younger man--he wanted to retire into his seclusion again.