Hartley - Eyam

He has never been in a fight or held a shovel. KATHERINE MOMPESSON Bright and sharp-witted, she arrives in Eyam after a period of illness. Most likely what we now call post-natal depression. She is a few years older than William and this often proves to be valuable in her ability to see the world and its people more clearly. She is desperate for a fresh start. Both her and William are more free-spirited in their services and she has long encouraged the act of singing.

Not afraid to get her hands dirty. MR THOMAS STANLEY In todays terms he is a Puritan. Long-standing religious leader of Eyam who was exiled when the act of uniformity was passed. Beloved by as many of the villagers as he is feared. Unwavering faith but now destitute and widowed. He arrives a broken man.

REVEREND SHORELAND ADAMS Sir Savilles previous appointment. A bloated, corrupt man of the church who for years has plundered what little material wealth the church and parishioners of Eyam possessed. JOHN HANCOCK A giant man of the land and natural leader. A free miner. He has a smallholding, upon which he mines for lead and farms livestock. He fought in the Civil War for the Parliamentarian cause.

The Hancocks neighbour is Mary Talbot, who is Johns dearest friend. ELIZABETH HANCOCK A woman of the land. Strong as an ox but exhausted from the hell that is her daily life of washing ore and maintaining a barren outcrop of land. She is ready for a change. MARY TALBOT Fierce and proud, she has worked on the land all her life. She would be the first on the picket line and the last to walk away.

She suffered at the hands of marauding soldiers during the Civil War. UNWIN One of lifes natural schemers and opportunists. Local poacher and trader of meat. Adept with a knife and acerbic wit. Would have fought in the war for whichever side was winning at the time. He is a terrible fighter but loves a scrap after all, its the taking part that counts.

MARSHALL HOWE Church sexton. Was a lead miner. Always hungry and late for his dinner. Finally and happily married late in life. Prone to helping himself to the property of those he buries, and handy with his fists. HARRIET STUBBS Turns twelve during the play.

Shes wild and inquisitive. Raised by no one but smacked by all. As likely to be found kicking a dead cat as she is to sneak into your house and watch you sleep. MARY COOPER A loudmouth self-opinionated Puritan, who is as adapt at hypocrisy as she is at suppressing her son, who she loves with all of her heart. Her house gives her the perfect vantage to be the communitys most nosy neighbour, and boy does she make use of it. She is Francis Bockinges sister-in-law and has recently relinquished her land to Sheldon.

The money left from both of her deceased husbands estates is running dry, which is why she is forced to rent out her room. EDWARD COOPER A walking pair of eyes. Hes nineteen but has the worldly knowledge of someone half his age. His father died in the mines and he has been wrapped in cotton wool ever since by his overbearing mother, who will do almost anything to keep him safe, even if that means quashing his spirit. When George Viccars arrives, his world explodes, and all the confusion he has often felt begins to make sense. GEORGE VICCARS Early twenties.

An itinerant tailor who is exceptional at his job. He is from a large northern town and is as easy in the company of wealthy clients as he is with those who have not a penny to their name. He truly knows who he is. As befitting a man who travels, his life has been hard and often wrought with danger, as he navigates the precarious highways of northern England. JOHN SYDALL Once he was the village yob and drunk who was a tenacious miner, but one morning, whilst lying in a pile of his own excrement, he saw the light of God. Stanley took him in and taught him to read.

Unfortunately in Stanleys absence nobody has been able to curb Sydalls natural ferociousness and anger. He has stopped working in order to share the word of God as loudly and with as much vengeance as the good Lord has bestowed upon him. ELIZABETH SYDALL Long-suffering wife and devoted mother. She is employed by Sheldon as a maid, and since her husband stopped working, this has been the familys sole source of income. Every inch of her being is in love with John Wilson and in any other lifetime she may have been the person her daughter Emmott is. EMMOTT SYDALL The epicentre of any party.

Emmott may end up starting a revolution. She was the apple of her fathers eye until she hit puberty and started to question the world. Having watched her mother live in fear, it is an emotion she has promised to never let dictate her own life. Rowland is the roots to her tree. ROWLAND TORRE Solid muscle. He would walk through a wall rather than step over it.

He is not a man prone to sentiment so love is a baffling but completely genuine experience for him. JOHN WILSON Elizabeth Sydall was his childhood sweetheart but their relationship was never able to be made true as he was enlisted to fight in the war. He was presumed dead in the war. He survived horrific wounds and after many years of trekking finally found his way home, only to find Elizabeth had married John Sydall. Since his return he has turned down potential suitors and remains unmarried. He now works back in the mines and will do anything in his power to protect the woman he loves.

FRANCIS BOCKINGE Injured by an accident working in the mines, Franciss stutter has become more pronounced since he has been forced to work for Sheldon. His wife Jude was the last person Howe buried before the play starts, and her loss weighs heavily upon him. A deeply selfless man, he places great faith in Stanley who has always taken care of him. Edward Coopers uncle. PHILIP SHELDON A bastard who revels in being a complete arsehole. He once was a free miner, with the most productive piece of land.