Mr. Richard Hale (Tim Pigott-Smith)
Richard Hale is Margaret's father. His profession of choice was the clergy. However, the plot progression depends largely on his decision to leave that profession. He has lived quietly with doubts about the specifics of his religion. However, when asked by a new Bishop to renew his avowals, he refuses saying that he "cannot swear publicly to doctrines [he] is no longer sure of." So, he uproots his family, leaves his parish, and transplants to the north where he becomes a tutor and teacher. There's not a lot of demand for cultural studies in the industrial north but he keeps a good attitude and does the best he can. Mr. Thornton is one of his more willing pupils, and they begin to cultivate a very good relationship. There circulates rumors about his being a renegade clergymen and foolish for uprooting his family based on a formality. However, despite his dismissal of the church, he is a very moral and steady man. He doesn't change a lot over the course of the movie. He's a constant presence of comfort and mediation. Following his wife's death, he dies peacefully, leaving Margaret an orphan.