In Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Red-Headed League,” Jabez Wilson is a pawnbroker.
Wilson runs a small pawnbroking business in London when his assistant, Vincent Spaulding, tells him about a strange vacancy reserved for red-haired men. Wilson is paid to copy the Encyclopaedia Britannica in an office, only to discover that the league suddenly disappears. Holmes realizes the scheme is designed to keep Wilson away from his shop.
The occupation matters because the pawnbroker’s premises are central to the criminals’ plan. While Wilson is occupied elsewhere, Spaulding—actually the criminal John Clay—and an accomplice dig a tunnel from the shop toward the bank next door. Holmes arrives in time to stop the attempted robbery.
The story is famous for its comic premise and carefully constructed diversion. Jabez Wilson is sometimes described simply as a shopkeeper, but pawnbroker is the specific occupation given in the story and explains the setting of his business.