Mrs. Hamley Penelope Wilton Mrs. Hamley, the squire's wife, takes Molly under her wing when she visits Hamley Hall. Already in failing health, she is broken-hearted to learn that her beloved eldest son, Osborne, has failed to live up to high expectations of academic success at Cambridge and fallen into debt while pursuing his studies there. The resulting falling out with his father causes Mrs. Hamley to take a turn for the worse, leading eventually to her premature death. Penelope Wilton was already a fan of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel before taking the role of Mrs. Hamley. "Gaskell was married to a clergyman and was out to change the moral order. She wasn't just a social commentator, though her observations are fantastically acute. She is kinder and less judgmental than Jane Austen. She is amused by people, but she doesn't pass judgment." Wilton and Michael Gambon, who plays Squire Hamley, have played opposite each other as husband and wife many times throughout their careers, in everything from Betrayal to Much Ado About Nothing. In addition, Wilton has appeared in several ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre productions, including Country Matters and The Tale of Beatrix Potter.