BLACK HEARTS AND BLUE DEVILS – INDEX CHARACTERUM
THE LIVELY FAMILY – ORPHANS FROM THE VILLAGE OF NASH, SHROPSHIRE.
Miriam Lively – eldest sibling. Married to Jack Beckett for most of the narrative.
Abraham Lively – eldest brother. Becomes police sergeant in Blackheath.
John Lively
Josh (Joshua) Lively
Frank and Wilf – twins. Frank gets a job as a teacher at a Methodist school.
THE COPPERS.
Abe Lively – sergeant, Blackheath.
Josh Lively, constable.
Gordon Clark, constable
John Payne, constable
(Steven) Stride, constable
Samuel Salt, constable.
Inspector Millership – Old Hill.
P.C. Wothers – Millership’s ‘aide de camp’
Inspector Oakden – ‘detective’ inspector.
THE SHOULDER OF MUTTON
Cyril Crane – the Livelys’ uncle by marriage, and local crime boss.
Sabre – his mastiff-type dog.
(Mad) Mick O’Rourke – a trusted employee.
Jack Cutler – Cyril’s representative in criminal enterprise. Has other irons in the fire, however.
Boadicea (‘Bo’) – his beloved bull terrier.
JACK CUTLER’S MEN
Derek Woolley
Stephen Vyle
Anthony Duberley
THE ROYAL OAK
Miriam Beckett (nee Lively) – landlady.
Jack Beckett – her husband
Old Mary – an old servant.
Marlene – chambermaid/barmaid.
BLACKHEATH (AND DISTRICT) RESIDENTS
Doctor Wharton – local doctor and magistrate.
Alan Griesbach – a solicitor.
Reginald Phillips – an old soldier reliant on the workhouse.
Daisy Hackett – a prostitute.
Sissy Flavell – chainmaker. John Lively’s love interest.
(Jumping) Joe Darby – becomes world spring-jumping champion (a real historical character).
Azariah Parkes – local smallholder and councillor.
Samuel Barnett – young councillor.
George Haden Haden Best – local dignitary; historical character who built Haden Hill House.
Alice Cockin – Best’s adopted daughter (one of two, she earned some recognition as an artist).
Miss French – her chaperone.
Geraldine Ricketts – in the Salvation Army; enamoured of Josh Lively.
Jake Collins – a 12-year-old arrested for stealing apples.
Gideon Gross – Master of the workhouse in Tippity Green.
‘Barber’ Rock – a barber in Springfield.
The Blue Devils.
THE HAILSTONE
Sarah Bates – landlady, a widow.
Charles (Charlie) Spragg – her former lover.
Tom Pickerell – a customer.
VISITORS
Francis Thompson (alias Smith) – a poet (works include The Hound Of Heaven).
“Diana” – his (supernatural) muse.
Spring Heeled Jack.
The New York witch.
Martin – her familiar.
SMETHWICK SLOGGERS
Certain of the Wellings brothers (see below).
Plus, participants in the fight at the Royal Oak:
Paul Percival
Kevin Percival – his younger brother.
Roger Butler
Charlie Kelly
Dave Wilcox (fat slogger).
Bald Slogger
Skinny Slogger
THE WELLINGS BOYS
Gus (Augustus) Wellings – head of family after father’s death. A former slogger.
Doug (Douglas) – invalided out of Army.
Jonathan.
Christopher.
Phillip.
Donald.
Victor.
(Of these seven, only the first three are mentioned outside of chapter 12, ‘One Sunday In Smethwick’.)
CONNECTED TO THE OPAL MINE (10 years ‘ago’).
Gabriel Wellings – the orphans’ father
Rupert Hill – an ambitious wheeler-dealer.
Alan Hale – his confederate.
William Arrowsmith – the real name of ‘Alan Hale’.
Charles Swinnerton – an investor.
THE MAYHEM PLAYERS
Montgomery Moran – an impresario
Emma Saunders – an actress.
AT THE DOGFIGHT
Major Challoner – a dog-breeder.
Solomon Mallen a dog-breeder.
Roland – Anthony Duberley’s nephew.
THE INQUEST AT THE PEAR TREE INN.
Jacob Madden – coroner.
Bartholomew Brewer – jury foreman.
Henry Higgins and Michael Hickey – deceased.
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