Sense & Sensibility 2008 mystery child 

Mild spoilers. The new BBC production of Sense & Sensibility has aired in England and I promise not to speak of it again until after our US airing on March 30th & April 6th, but  I am feeling silly tonight and the photo of this young chap just gave me a case of the giggles.

This red-headed rotund charmer is whom I believe to be Master Harry Dashwood, the young son of Fanny & John Dashwood. He is a very minor character and mentioned only briefly in the novel.

Mrs. John Dashwood did not at all approve of what her husband intended to do for his sisters. To take three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy, would be impoverishing him to the most dreadful degree. She begged him to think again on the subject. How could he answer it to himself to rob his child, and his only child too, of so large a sum? And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount? It was very well known that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters? Sense & Sensibility, Chapter 2

In the novel he is also only four years old. It appears that the writer Andrew Davies has a sense of humour after all. By making this young chap a bit older, giving him red hair, a little Lord Fauntleroy costume and a few extra pounds, he steels the scene!

I was not able to find any information on-line about the name of the character or the actor who plays him. Does anyone know? My heart goes out to him when the neighborhood kids see him in this costume. He may never be able to live it down.

*photo credit Lady Grace at Live Journal