Monks

Edward "Monks" Leeford is a character in the 1838 novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. He is actually the criminally-inclined half-brother of Oliver Twist, but he hides his identity. Monks' parents separated when he was a child, and his father had a relationship with a young woman, Agnes Fleming. This resulted in Agnes' pregnancy. She died in childbirth after giving birth to the baby that would be named Oliver Twist. Character history Background Monks was born from a loveless marriage and goaded by his own mother to hatred of Oliver, who, unknown to himself, is actually Monk's half-brother. Oliver has no idea of Monks's existence, but Monks knows of Oliver's existence; Monks also knows of the existence of a will left by his father (who despised him) which favours Oliver and not Monks; however, if Oliver ever should commit a criminal act he will be automatically disinherited, whereupon the money would go to Monks. Monks accidentally sees Oliver on the streets of London one day and tracks him to the elderly criminal Fagin's den, setting out to ruin him. Oliver Twist