Norman Eshley (30 May 1945 – 2 August 2025) was an English character actor and writer. He began his career on stage but was best known for his television roles, notably as Jeffrey Fourmile in the sitcom George and Mildred.
Early life Eshley was born in Bristol, England, on 30 May 1945. He attended Bristol Grammar School and then worked in a bank, before deciding to become an actor and training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Career Eshley started his career on stage and played in many Shakespearean roles before establishing himself as a theatre performer on the West End theatre circuit.
Eshley's first screen role was in the 1968 film The Immortal Story, directed by Orson Welles. He played a lead character, Steve Reding , in Blind Terror (1971) and appeared in the Pete Walker horror film House of Mortal Sin in 1975.
In 1969, Eshley appeared alongside Dudley Sutton in two very similar villainous roles: in the Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "Could You Recognise the Man Again?", and in the Department S episode "Handicap Dead". However, he is possibly best known for his role in the sitcom George and Mildred (1976–79) as the snobbish, right-wing estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile, the foil to George. He had previously featured in several episodes of the show's direct predecessor, Man About the House (1973–76), as Robin Tripp's brother Norman, who marries Chrissy (Paula Wilcox). In an earlier Man About the House episode, "In Praise of Older Men" (1974), Eshley played a sleazy married executive named Ian Cross who tried to seduce Chrissy.
In 1985, Eshley played the Reverend Redwood, a benevolent vicar who runs a social club with a view to rehabilitating ex-convicts in the Minder episode "Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread".
Eshley's other TV credits include: Thriller ("The Colour of Blood"/US title: "The Carnation Killer", 1973) as an escaped serial killer, Warship (1973–74), The Duchess of Duke Street, I, Claudius, The Sweeney (all 1976), Return of the Saint (1978), a former SAS colleague of Bodie in The Professionals episode "Kickback" (1980), a vicar in Minder (1985), Taggart (1990), Cadfael (1994), One Foot in the Grave (1997), Dangerfield (1998), and The Bill (1999–2000).
In 1988 he appeared in a public information film about road safety called Accident in Park Road. His character is seen driving a Ford Escort, before running over a child who dashes out between cars in front of him. He is questioned by Graham Cole who plays a policeman, a role Cole played as PC Tony Stamp in The Bill.
Along with Douglas Fielding, Eshley provided the narration for the Blind Guardian albums Nightfall in Middle-Earth and Legacy of the Dark Lands. He had roles in the BBC TV series New Tricks (2007) and A Christmas Campaign (short, 2011). In 2019, he appeared in the documentary The Immortal Orson Welles, directed by Chris Wade.
Eshley's final credit is a posthumous performance as Lord Lestrade in the audio drama Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day.
Personal life and death Eshley was married three times. In 1969, he married actress Millicent Martin in Brighton. The couple divorced in 1973. Eshley later married Lynette Braid in the 1980s; this marriage too ended in divorce.
In 1993, Eshley was a passenger in a car involved in a crash in the Dordogne, France. He sustained a punctured lung, a cracked sternum, a broken shoulder blade, a fractured arm, and head and neck injuries when cut from the wreckage.
In 2015, Eshley married Rachel Spiers, they lived in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, until his death from cancer at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on 2 August 2025, aged 80.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1968 The Immortal Story Paul, the sailor 1968 The Lost Continent Jonathan 1969 Crossplot Athol 1971 See No Evil Steve Reding 1976 House of Mortal Sin Father Bernard Cutler 1977 The Disappearance Young Husband 1980 George and Mildred Jeffrey Fourmile 2000 Empty Mirror Oz Riley 2011 A Christmas Campaign Creative Director Short film
Television Year Title Role Notes1968 A Most Unfortunate Accident Roger A Man of Our Times Simon Episode: "Sally Go Round the Moon" Mystery and Imagination Jean Lemaistre Episode: "The Telltale Heart" City '68 Jeremy Episode: "The System: The Fleapit"1968–1972ITV PlayhouseRoger/Jude2 episodes1969 Department S Red Episode: "Handicap Dead"Thirty-Minute Theatre Rab Episode: "Trespassers" Canterbury Tales Lover Episode: "The Merchant's Tale/The Manciple's Tale"1970 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Mike Hales Episode: "Could You Recognise the Man Again?" Parkin's Patch Vickory Episode: "Vickory"1972 The Regiment Simon Howarth Episode: "Christmas at the Cape" Play for Today Dave Osmond Episode: "The Bouncing Boy"1973 Justice Nick Adams Episode: "Malicious Damage" Thriller Arthur Page Episode: "The Carnation Killer" Between the Wars Vincent Episode: "Voyage in the Dark" Vienna 1900 Alfred Beratoner 2 episodes Warship Lieutenant Bob Last Series 1-21974–1976 Man About the House Ian Cross/ Norman Tripp 4 episodes1974 The Onedin Line Hon. Hugh Kernan Episode: "Port Out, Starboard Home" Zodiac Paul Deening Episode: "The Strength of Gemini" BBC Play of the Month Charles Hornblower Episode: "The Skin Game" And Mother Makes Five Mr. Witherspoon Episode: "To the Aid of the Party"1975 Whodunnit? Roy Sharp Episode: "Beware, Wet Paint"1976 Orde Wingate Cpl. Thomas Episode: "If I Forget Thee of Jerusalem"1976–1979 George and Mildred Jeffrey Fourmile 1976 The Sweeney Det. Sgt. Robert Hargreaves Episode: "Taste of Fear" The Duchess of Duke Street Wilson Episode: "A Matter of Honour" I, Claudius Marcus Vinicius 2 episodes Centre Play William Wilson Episode: "William Wilson"1977 Supernatural Edward Episode: "Viktoria" Yanks Go Home Lt. Beamish Cooke-Cooke Episode: "Cooke-Cooke" Secret Army Sgt. Clifford Howson Episode: "Growing Up"1978 1990 Tony Borden Episode: "Trapline" Out Turpitt Episode: "A Little Heart to Heart With Miss Bangor" Return of the Saint Detective George Caufield 2 episodes1979Crown CourtPeter FisherSerial: "Rebel at Law"1980 The Professionals Jimmy Keller Episode: "Kickback"1983 Maybury Larry Chalmers 2 episodes The Outsider Donald Harper Miniseries1985 Hilary Dr. Fenwick 1 episode Minder Reverend Redwood Episode: "Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread" The Black Tower Victor Holroyd Pilot1985–1986 Brookside Alun Jones11 episodes1986 Executive Stress Gascoigne 1 episode1987 Late Expectations Harry 1989 William Tell Woodsman Episode: "Goldilocks" After Henry Philip Episode: "Upstagers"1990 Taggart Commander Gunner Episode: "Death Comes Softly"1991 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Jon Walsh Episode: "Achilles Heel"1994 Cadfael Baron Huon de Domville Episode: "The Leper of St. Giles" All Night Long Roy Morris 1 episode1997 The New Adventures of Robin Hood Baron Royston Episode: "The Road to Royston" Thief Takers CI Samson Episode: "Road Rage" One Foot in the Grave Detective Inspector Rickles Episode: "Endgame"1998 The Broker's Man Leigh Dunwell Episode: "Playback" Get Real Martin Episode: "Hero" Dangerfield Superintendent Studley Episode: "Double Helix"1999–2000 The Bill Terry Riley/Mr. Gibbs 4 episodes1999 Murder Most Horrid DCI Reed Episode: "Whoopi Stone" Harbour Lights Mayor Episode: "The Last Supper" Goodnight Sweetheart Priestley Episode: "Something Fishie"2007 New Tricks Billy Pierce Episode: "God's Waiting Room"2017 The White Princess The Abbot Episode: "English Blood on English Soil"
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