Treasure Island

Jim Hawkins

Also known as Hawkins · young Hawkins · Master Hawkins

The narrator and son of the Admiral Benbow’s innkeepers. He joins the treasure voyage as cabin boy, discovers that Ben Gunn has moved Flint’s treasure, and returns home with his share.

Jim’s father

Jim’s ailing father and keeper of the Admiral Benbow inn; he dies early in the story.

Jim’s mother

Also known as Mrs. Hawkins

Jim’s mother and co-keeper of the Admiral Benbow. She insists on collecting Billy Bones’s debt from his sea-chest.

Billy Bones

Also known as the captain · Bill · Captain Bill

A former first mate of Captain Flint who lodges at the Admiral Benbow with papers and a map to Flint’s treasure. He fears his old shipmates and dies after receiving the black spot.

the barrow man

An unnamed man who brings Billy Bones’s sea-chest to the Admiral Benbow and tells the innkeepers how Bones found the place.

the seafaring man with one leg

A feared one-legged sailor whose identity is initially unknown; he is later revealed as Long John Silver. He escapes with some treasure and is never heard from again.

Dr. Livesey

Also known as the doctor

A local doctor and magistrate who joins the expedition, treats the sick, and helps recover the treasure. He uncovers Ben Gunn’s secret and organizes the ambush that saves Jim and Silver from the mutineers.

old Taylor

Also known as Taylor

The gardener who speaks with Dr. Livesey about a treatment for rheumatism.

Black Dog

A former shipmate of Billy Bones, missing two fingers on his left hand. He visits the Admiral Benbow to find Bones, later turns up at the Spy-glass tavern, and escapes pursuit.

the blind beggar

Also known as Pew

A cruel, blind former associate of Billy Bones who delivers the black spot and leads the raid on the Admiral Benbow. He is trampled by horses while fleeing.

Captain Flint

Also known as Flint

A notorious buccaneer whose former crew seeks his buried treasure. He gave Billy Bones the treasure’s location while dying in Savannah, and killed six of his men on the island.

the hamlet lad

An unnamed boy from the neighboring hamlet who rides to Dr. Livesey for help and returns with revenue officers.

the hamlet neighbors

Also known as the villagers

The unnamed people of the neighboring hamlet, who refuse to help defend the Admiral Benbow but provide a pistol and arrange for a boy to seek armed help.

Mrs. Crossley

A woman from the hamlet who lends Jim’s mother a bag for carrying the money owed by Billy Bones.

the revenue officers

Unnamed officers accompanying Supervisor Dance to the Admiral Benbow; their arrival saves Jim and his mother from the pirates.

Supervisor Dance

Also known as Mr. Dance

A revenue officer who leads the party that comes to the Admiral Benbow after the raid. He questions Jim and takes him to Dr. Livesey and the squire.

Dogger

A revenue officer who gives Jim a ride behind him on his horse.

Squire Trelawney

Also known as Mr. Trelawney · the squire · John Trelawney

A wealthy local gentleman who finances the voyage to recover Flint’s treasure and serves as its self-appointed admiral. He guards Captain Smollett at Ben Gunn’s cave during the treasure hunt.

Tom Redruth

Also known as old Redruth · Redruth

The squire’s gamekeeper and trusted servant. He joins the expedition and is killed by a mutineer while defending the stockade.

Joyce

A member of the trusted party aboard the Hispaniola and one of the squire’s servants. He is killed by a shot during the attack on the stockade.

Hunter

A member of the trusted party aboard the Hispaniola and one of the squire’s servants. He is knocked unconscious during the attack and later dies of his injuries.

Blandly

Also known as Mr. Blandly

The squire’s old friend, who finds and arranges the purchase of the Hispaniola. He plans to send a consort ship if the expedition has not returned by the end of August.

Long John Silver

Also known as John Silver · Silver · Barbecue

A one-legged former sailor and Bristol public-house keeper, skilled and charismatic, who leads the mutiny. He alternates alliances to survive, helps Jim during the final confrontation, then escapes with a sack of coins.

Long John Silver’s wife

An unnamed woman of colour who manages Silver’s inn. Silver says she has his savings and is on her way to meet him; he later escapes toward her.

Arrow

Also known as Mr. Arrow

The Hispaniola’s mate, hired through Long John Silver. He proves unreliable, becomes repeatedly drunk at sea, and disappears overboard.

the sailing master

An unnamed, capable but stiff man whom Blandly finds for the Hispaniola.

the boatswain

Also known as Job Anderson

The Hispaniola’s boatswain, later advanced to serve as mate. He joins the mutiny and leads the attack on the stockade, where Gray kills him.

the inn apprentice

An unnamed boy hired to help Jim’s mother at the Admiral Benbow while Jim is away.

the doctor’s maid

The unnamed maid who answers the door at Dr. Livesey’s house and reports that he has gone to the hall.

Dirk

A pirate whose warning whistles prompt the others to flee from the revenue officers.

Johnny

A pirate called out by Pew as he searches for his comrades.

Harry

A crewman at Silver’s tavern who runs after Black Dog when Silver orders him to catch the man.

Ben

A crewman at Silver’s tavern who joins Harry in pursuing Black Dog; the text does not establish whether he is the same as any other Ben.

Admiral Hawke

A celebrated admiral invoked by Silver while insisting that a customer must pay his tavern bill.

Tom Morgan

Also known as Morgan

An old, grey-haired sailor who drank with Black Dog at the Spy-glass tavern. He joins Silver’s mutineers and is among the pirates left on Treasure Island.

Captain Smollett

Also known as the captain · Mr. Smollett

The Hispaniola’s captain, hired on sealed orders. He distrusts the voyage’s secrecy and crew, commands the defense of the stockade, and later retires from the sea.

the Hispaniola messenger

An unnamed sailor who tells Squire Trelawney that Captain Smollett wants to speak with him.

the Hispaniola lookout

An unnamed crewman who sights land as the ship nears Treasure Island.

the youngest hand

An unnamed young crewman who admires Flint and is persuaded by Silver to join the mutiny.

George England

Also known as Cap’n England · England

A pirate captain with whom Silver says he sailed before joining Flint. Silver’s parrot is said to have sailed with him.

Bartholomew Roberts

Also known as Roberts

A pirate whose men, according to Silver, changed their ships’ names and hanged a surgeon who had amputated Silver’s leg.

the master surgeon

An unnamed, highly educated surgeon who amputated Silver’s leg and was later hanged by Roberts’s men at Corso Castle.

Captain Davis

Also known as Davis

A pirate whom Silver says was a formidable man, though Silver never sailed with him.

Israel Hands

Also known as the coxswain

The Hispaniola’s experienced coxswain, a careful seaman and close confidant of Silver. He joins the mutiny, mans Flint’s gun, and is killed after trying to attack Jim aboard the schooner.

Dick

A young crewman whom Silver persuades to join the mutiny. He carries a Bible and falls ill with fever during the treasure hunt.

Tom

An honest sailor who refuses Silver’s attempt to draw him into the mutiny. Silver kills him on the island.

Alan

An honest sailor whom Silver identifies as having been killed by the mutineers before Tom’s death.

Ben Gunn

Also known as Benjamin Gunn

A former pirate marooned on Treasure Island for three years. He found and moved Flint’s treasure to his cave before the Hispaniola arrived, helps the loyal party, and later receives a thousand pounds.

Ben Gunn’s mother

Ben Gunn’s pious mother, mentioned by him as a religious woman who predicted his wayward life.

the captain who marooned Ben Gunn

An unnamed captain of the ship whose crew searched Treasure Island for Flint’s treasure and left Ben Gunn behind.

Abraham Gray

Also known as Gray · the man Gray

The Hispaniola’s carpenter’s mate, initially among the mutineers. He joins Captain Smollett’s party, helps defend the stockade, kills Job Anderson, and later becomes a ship’s mate and part owner.

the faint-hearted mutineer

An unnamed member of the six mutineers left aboard the Hispaniola who is new to violence and nearly faints at a man’s death cry.

the flag-of-truce bearer

An unnamed pirate who accompanies Silver to the stockade carrying a white flag and helps Silver over the palisade.

O’Brien

Also known as the red-cap pirate

A young, bald Irish pirate aboard the Hispaniola, also identified by his red cap. He and Israel Hands quarrel while drunk; Hands kills him, and Jim later casts his body overboard.

the Duke of Cumberland

Also known as his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland

A royal figure whom Dr. Livesey says he served as a soldier; he is mentioned but does not appear in the story.

Captain Flint (parrot)

Also known as Silver’s green parrot

Long John Silver’s green parrot, named Captain Flint. She repeats “Pieces of eight” and alerts the pirates to Jim’s arrival at the block house; her voice haunts Jim’s dreams.

George Merry

Also known as George · the long, yellow-eyed man

A mutineer who challenges Silver’s leadership and helps lead the crew’s council to depose him. Silver kills him during the final confrontation.

Allardyce

A seaman from Captain Flint’s crew, one of the six men Flint killed on Treasure Island. Flint arranged his skeleton as a pointer toward the treasure; Tom Morgan recalls that Allardyce owed him money and took his knife.

the captain of an English man-of-war

An unnamed captain whom Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney meet at a port in Spanish America; he does not appear directly in the story.