The iconic period drama, A Woman of Substance, has just been revived on Channel 4 – this time starring Brenda Blethyn as the formidable Emma Harte.
And with sweeping Yorkshire scenery, lavish gowns, and some notably raunchy scenes, the series is beginning to heat up.
But there’s one particularly scandalous man stirring up trouble at Fairley Hall.
Enter the brooding, morally questionable Squire Adam Fairley, played by Emmett J. Scanlan, who has left viewers asking, “What actually is a Squire?!”
Here’s Squire Adam Fairley’s title explained.
What is a squire?
The definition of a “squire”, according to the Oxford dictionary, is: “a man of high social status who owned most of the land in a particular country area.”
So, historically, squires were wealthy landowners who controlled most of the land in a local village.
These men belonged to the “landed gentry” (the upper-middle class), but ranked below a Lord.
So while a squire had land, money and status, he wasn’t technically a noble.
But "village squire" often managed local affairs as well, acting as a “Justice of the Peace”
Somewhat concerning for this village, with such a villainous scoundrel as their Squire…
Who is Squire Adam Fairley?
A country gentleman, Squire Adam Fairley is the master of the Fairley Hall estate and the owner of a mill.
Emmett J. Scanlan, who plays the Squire, describes his character: "He's lost, vulnerable, broken, angry, disillusioned, and vengeful. He’s the Lord of the manor, an ex-military boy, a cavalry man.”
“There are so many toxic relationships in his life – with his wife, his wife’s sister, his two sons and his bottle of brandy.”
The central antagonist in A Woman of Substance, Adam Fairley is an unfaithful partner to his wife, Adele, and a dysfunctional father to his two sons, Edwin and Gerald.
He creates a scandalous love triangle between the two sisters Adele Fairley and Olivia Wainwright.
And we can’t wait to see what unfolds in tonight’s episode…
A Woman of Substance is currently streaming on ITV and ITVX on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
