Which militia officer marries Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice?

George Wickham is the militia officer who marries Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

Wickham is a charming but financially reckless officer whom Elizabeth initially trusts. He claims that Darcy treated him unjustly, but Darcy’s letter later reveals that Wickham squandered money intended for him and attempted to elope with Darcy’s fifteen-year-old sister, Georgiana, for her fortune.

Wickham’s relationship with Lydia becomes disastrous when the pair run away together without marrying. Because Lydia’s disgrace could damage the prospects of all the Bennet sisters, the family faces a serious social and financial crisis. Darcy secretly finds the couple, pays Wickham’s debts, and purchases him a military commission so that the marriage can take place.

Lydia later returns to Longbourn boasting that Wickham is married to her, while accidentally revealing Darcy’s role in resolving the scandal. Wickham remains an attractive but morally unreliable figure. He is not to be confused with Colonel Fitzwilliam, another military man connected with Darcy, or William Collins, the clergyman who proposes to Elizabeth.