Archdeacon Brabazon

In the Nemesis, Archdeacon Brabazon is senior church clergyman based at the cathedral in Fillminster. Being a friend of Miss Temple who used to hold services at her school especially during Easter, Lent and other occasions. From here got to know Verity Hunt. Verity Hunt came to regard him as a friend and he later prepared her for confirmation. Brabazon's meeting with Miss Maple about two-thirds into story is a pivotal moment because it helped Miss Marple determine the main outline of what she was supposed to investigate.

After the death of Miss Temple, Brabazon came to Jocelyn St. Mary to attend the funeral service. He subsequently looked up Miss Marple when he learnt that Miss Temple had, before she died, asked to see her. The Archdeacon confirmed what Miss Temple had told Miss Marple: that her presence on the Famous Houses and Gardens bus tour was not merely tourism: she was on a pilgrimage. She was on her way to see the Archdeacon as Fillminster would have been the next stop after Jocelyn St Mary. Miss Marple thought Miss Temple wanted to ask the Archdeacon why Verity Hunt had broken off her engagement to Michael Rafiel. In response, the Archdeacon gave Miss Marple the entire background to what happened.

According to the Archdeacon, Verity Hunt had approached him and asked him to officiate at a secret marriage between Verity and Michael. The Archdeacon knew about Michael's bad reputation but also judged the two to be truly in love with each other. He agreed to the rather unusual procedure but the two did not turn up at the appointed time.

Brabazon did not believe that Verity had broken off the engagement when she had heard enough about Michael's reputation. Verity was a good-mannered girl and would certainly have got word to him if that was that case. Something must have happened to prevent her from keeping the appointment and this could only be that she was killed. As for the killer, the Archdeacon believed it could be Michael, perhaps suffering from a split personality or schizophrenia. He had experienced such people before.

The incident caused Brabazon a great deal of guilt and regret as he believed he had agreed to a course of action which "encouraged a very sweet and lovely girl to go to her death" because he did not know enough of human nature. Having said that, he nonetheless admitted to Miss Marple that he could not shake his instinct and belief that Michael and Verity truly loved each other.

Portrayals
In the BBC 1987 adaptation of the novel, Archdeacon Brabazon is portrayed by Peter Copley. His backstory is changed slightly but he plays roughly the same role in the plot. Here he is not at Fillminster but had gone to Australia. For many years he had wanted to go back to Abbey Ducis. And then he received an air ticket and a train ticket as part of Mr Rafiel's posthumous arrangements and he decided to take the opportunity. He returned just in time to be present at Elizabeth Temple's funeral.

In this adaptation, he did not look up Miss Marple. Miss Marple had noticed on the hotel message board that one of the last things Miss Temple had done was to try to contact Archdeacon Brabazon. She and Professor Wanstead therefore approached him after the funeral service when they saw him at the church. His account of what happened is fairly similar to that in the original novel. Here he related that Verity was insistent on marrying Michael because she believed in the redemptive power of love. He also agreed with Miss Temple's description of Verity of having a very rare quality, "a shining girl". This description is not used in the novel.