The Witch of Blackbird Pond Characters

Kit Tyler is the novel’s fiery, headstrong, loyal protagonist. Kit grew up in Barbados, where she was raised by her plantation-owning grandfather who pampered and loved her. After her grandfather dies, 16-year-old Kit can’t support… read analysis of Katherine “Kit” Tyler

Hannah Tupper is an old woman who becomes one of Kit’s closest friends. The Puritans in Wethersfield discriminate against Hannah because of her religion (she is Quaker, not Puritan). Their prejudice betrays their… read analysis of Hannah Tupper

Nat Eaton is a sailor whom Kit meets on the Dolphin, the ship that brings Kit from Barbados to Wethersfield, Connecticut. Feisty, opinionated, and adventurous, Nat strikes up a friendship with—and develops a crush… read analysis of Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton

Matthew Wood is Kit’s uncle, Rachel’s husband, and Mercy and Judith’s father. He embodies many norms of Puritan society: he is stern, unwelcoming to outsiders, and inflexible in his political and religious… read analysis of Matthew Wood

Mercy Wood is Kit’s cousin, Judith’s sister, and Matthew and Rachel Wood’s daughter. She has beautiful grey eyes and uses crutches, having lost the use of one leg due to a childhood… read analysis of Mercy Wood

Judith Wood is Kit’s cousin, Mercy’s sister, and Matthew and Rachel Wood’s daughter. Judith is beautiful and materialistic, which the book makes clear when Judith fawns over the fine clothes that Kit… read analysis of Judith Wood

William Ashby is a wealthy and respected Puritan man in Wethersfield. He begins the book as a loyalist to England, but as soon as Governor Andros increases his taxes, William begins to advocate for Connecticut… read analysis of William Ashby

John Holbrook is a studious and deeply devout Puritan man who arrives in Wethersfield to study theology and medicine under Reverend Bulkeley. John respects Reverend Bulkeley for his knowledge, but he struggles to reconcile… read analysis of John Holbrook

Prudence is Goodwife Cruff and Goodman Cruff’s young daughter. She is a timid, scrawny, and underfed child, and her mother calls her stupid and treats her cruelly. Prudence adores Kit from the beginning of… read analysis of Prudence

Goodwife Cruff is Prudence’s mother and Goodman Cruff’s husband. From the beginning of the book, Goodwife Cruff dislikes Kit for her differences. Kit is indeed unlike many of the Puritans in Wethersfield: she… read analysis of Goodwife Cruff

Goodman Cruff is Prudence’s father and Goodwife Cruff’s husband. Because Goodwife Cruff commands more authority in their marriage, the novel calls him “too spineless to stand up […] against his shrew of a… read analysis of Goodman Cruff

Sir Francis Tyler is Kit’s grandfather whom she grew up with and loved dearly. Kit and her grandfather live in Barbados, and Kit has to move to Connecticut after he dies because she can’t… read analysis of Grandfather (Sir Francis Tyler)

Reverend Bulkeley is a Puritan reverend and a doctor. John Holbrook comes to Wethersfield to study with Reverend Bulkeley because of the Reverend’s expertise in theology and medicine. Reverend Bulkeley is also a royalist: he… read analysis of Reverend Bulkeley

King James II was the real-life king of England from 1685 to 1688. In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, King James wants to solidify and extend his control of the American colonies. So, he… read analysis of King James

Governor Andros was the real-life governor that King James of England appointed to govern a collection of New England colonies—including Connecticut Colony, where The Witch of Blackbird Pond takes place. Governor Andros’s appointment means that… read analysis of Governor Andros

John Woodbridge is a reverend in Wethersfield. Along with Mr. Eleazer Kimberley, John Woodbridge witnesses Kit’s disastrous school lesson, in which she has some students act out a part of the Bible. Puritans… read analysis of John Woodbridge

Mr. Eleazer Kimberley is the schoolmaster in Wethersfield. He has authority over Kit and Mercy, who both teach in the town. He is outraged when he finds out that Kit has the children acting… read analysis of Mr. Eleazer Kimberley

Thomas Tupper was Hannah Tupper’s husband who died before the events of the novel. Prior to arriving in Wethersfield, Thomas and Hannah lived in Massachusetts, where they were persecuted for being Quakers. The… read analysis of Thomas Tupper

The constable arrests Kit when Goodman Cruff charges her with witchcraft. The constable accepts the Cruffs’ flimsy evidence and suspects that Kit may be a witch, allowing his prejudice to get the better of him… read analysis of The Constable

The constable’s wife is kind to Kit while Kit is locked in the constable’s shed prior to her trial. Unlike the other townspeople, the constable’s wife doesn’t think that Kit is a witch, and… read analysis of The Constable’s Wife

Captain Talcott is the magistrate who examines Kit during her trial. He listens to all the evidence on hand before making a judgement, which allows him to reach the right conclusion: that Kit is not… read analysis of Captain Talcott

Captain Eaton, Nat’s father and Mrs. Eaton’s husband, is the captain of the Dolphin, the ship Kit sails on from Barbados to Connecticut. When Kit arrives in Wethersfield, Captain Eaton is annoyed… read analysis of Captain Eaton

Mrs. Eaton is Captain Eaton’s wife and Nat’s mother. She and Kit became friends during Kit’s journey from Barbados to Connecticut, as they “share[] the bond of being the only two women aboard… read analysis of Mrs. Eaton

Thankful Peabody is a woman who gets married near the end of the book. While at the wedding, Judith wistfully observes the event’s splendor—at this moment, she is planning on marrying John, who isn’t… read analysis of Thankful Peabody