Johnny Eames has much in common with the young Trollope; living meagerly on a clerkship of £80 a year, and in his loneliness and discouragement getting into all sorts of scrapes, borrowing money from the Jews and narrowly escaping marriage with a barmaid. Johnny’s hopeless love for Lily Dale was the guiding light of his life. By saying the life of Lord de Guest he came to be a favorite at Guestwick, and at the old Lord’s death received a substantial legacy. He was a cousin of Grace Crawley, and when Mr. Crawley was accused of stealing Mr. Soames’ check, he brought Mrs. Arabin back from Italy to clear up the mystery.

Caricatured as John Thomas in the burlesque Never, Never – Never, Never.