Dramatis Personae in William Price of the ‘Thetis’
Historical characters
Sir William Wickham – the king’s spymaster
Edward Pellew – Admiral of the Mediterranean Fleet, Gibraltar station
Colonel Charles William Maxwell – governor of Freetown, Sierra Leone
Captain Henry Hyde – Acting in Maxwell’s place during a military action
My characters
Quarterdeck
William Price - Master and Commander, therefore known as ‘Captain.’
John Scully – first lieutenant. One time press’d from gaol, helped by William, worked hard for his slightly irregular commission, courtesy of working for Sir William Wickham
Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Erskine, second lieutenant; acting guide to Sam Price
Robert Pigeon, third lieutenant, not required but arranged by Admiral Pellew
Amelia Price, née Finch, surgeon, William’s wife, rescued from the pirate, Henry Burkett. Daughter and heiress of Amos Finch, American merchant with a fleet of ships.
Ziv Stark, Marine lieutenant
Michael Ashe, Marine Ensign, from Stackfield’s school
Hiram Gubbins, Sailing Master [technically non-commissioned officer] had sailed with Amelia’s father and turned evidence on the pirate Henry Burkett, and signed up to join the Royal Navy
John Smith the 3rd, ‘Smitty’ , Master’s Mate– wife, Anne. Son of a London bargee, done out of his inheritance by a greedy hand and left to drown as a child.
Wilfrid ‘Frid’ Percival, Supernumerary, second son of the Viscount of Withimere, kidnapped by Jeb Walden, and decided to stay as carpenter to avoid arranged marriage.
William Stackfield, Chaplain and schoolmaster to the boys; informally indentured for having trained schoolboys for positions where they could steal from the military; now alive to what he has done, willing to atone. [William Price on land]
Midshipmen etc
Colin Prescott, almost 15 years old, a resourceful and fun-loving youth
Sam Price, William’s younger brother
George and Albert Cosgrove – brothers who aided William when dealing with associates of pirates and barrators
Peter Lord, now nearly 14, but still small in stature, and fascinated by the ‘smutty.’
Seth Porkins, second son of Jake Porkins, Gunner on the ‘Endeavour’[his brother is Jethro]
Emma Green, joined as a midshipmen but rated Surgeon’s mate
Molly Grierson, Surgeon’s mate
Roger Wilson, marine drummer boy, son of Sgt. Wilson
Marines
Sergeant George Wilson, career marine, a quiet man, happy with his life but ambitious for his son.
Corporal Henry Collins
15 marines
Non-commissioned Officers
Martin Beck, Bosun
Rob Bailey, purser, club foot, an honest man
Erasmus Pollard, clerk, from debtors. Wife, Lizzie
Jeb Walden, Quartermaster, one of Will’s four poachers
Hugh ‘Taffy’ Pugh, Yeoman of the Powder Room, one of Will’s four poachers
Adam Peacock, Master at Arms, one of Will’s four poachers, Taff’s lover
Pete Jackson, Captain of the Maintop, one of Will’s four poachers
Panerace D’Aiguilar ‘Haybean’, sailmaker
Abel Hardy, Gunner
Dempsey, Coxwain
Alexander MacReady, cook, one time pastry cook, big brawny man with long sensitive fingers who does wonders with salt beef with red wine.
Others
Able Seaman[AB] Wick, a big, slow-thinking man, very loyal to Will, Scully, and Amelia, self appointed servant [and bodyguard] to the Orlop.
AB Everdale Jackson- came with Gubbins to turn evicence, but had not sailed with Amos Finch
AB Joe Ado, who doesn’t answer to Joe, being given an extra name when he escaped slavery and joined up. A very able topsman, climbs with great skill, and strong swimmer. One of life’s happy people.
James Mackie, turned evidence against smugglers [William Price Sails North], wife, Pymma, children, Janet, Robert, David, Eufemia
Cruft, widowed whilst at sea, children Polly, Jacky, Matty & Mark, Tommy
Jepps, one time East-India Company sailor, knows gems
Eight ex-slaves signed up to serve with William:
Joe, about 13
Peasy
Kwaku ‘Ducky’
Quiou ‘Garden’ [as in Kew Gardens]
Numbo
Koomi – a bully and hanged for mutiny
Ephraim [originally Efun, but misheard by the sailors]
Africa [originally Afriye, but misheard by the sailors]
Cubba, married with wife and children also saved
Yammi, lost his family
Cudjoe, lost his family
Beko, Cudjoe’s brother, a remarkable counter-tenor
Servants
Cassie, Amelia’s maid, sister of Aeneas
Kitty, Amelia’s maid
Kwasi, becomes Colin’s valet
Paul Harris, Frid Percival’s valet, a useful seaman, too
Ship’s Boys
Tom
Ned, calls Amelia ‘Mam’ to pretend he still has a mother of sorts
Pip
Aeneas, taken from the pirate, Henry Burkett
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