Carolynne

   Carolynne is  from Marblehead, MA and  the daughter of a sea captain. She traveled the trade routes with her father, after her mother died, which brought her to the Virginia colony where she met and married the owner of The Goose & Bull Tavern (est. 1684). When her husband was killed in a brawl she took over the ownership and the running of The Goose & Bull, an unusual position for a woman at this time.    The men appreciate her tasty victuals and libations and the herbal remedies she prepares in her stillroom.

Loretta

    ‘Retta was born to an inn keeper and his wife in Western New York.  After causing much mayhem at home, she was sent to live with her uncle in Massachusetts.  Dressed as a boy, ‘Retta worked in her uncle’s shipyard and by the age of sixteen could do anything a man could do in the yard.  Having a pint one evening with the boys, ‘Retta watched as a whaling ship docked at the pier.  Pushing herself back into the corner, she watched a man, destined to be the love of her life, enter the tavern.  ‘Retta stowed away on the whaling ship and managed to stay hidden for six days.  Called into the Captain’s cabin, she confessed her gender and her infatuation for one of his crew.  She was unceremoniously dropped off in Norfolk, Virginia without so much as knowing her love’s name.  There she met Pamela who  has vowed to make a “lady” out of ‘Retta. 

Seamus

Christopher

    Christopher spent most of his life as a pickpocket and cutpurse in the streets of Port Royale, Jamaica. Under the name “Billy Joe Black”, he gained a reputation amongst the constabulary as a daring thief with a knack for disappearing quickly from the scene, usually by ducking into grates and tunnels too small for ordinary folk to follow.  Once, not long ago, Christopher made the near fatal mistake of trying to pick the pocket of Todd the Moody Crewe’s carpenter's mate.  So impressed was Todd with the lad’s pluck and courage, not to mention his quickness and agility, that Christopher was taken back to the Defiance and made a powder monkey.  His speed with the buckets is legendary, as is his tendency to disappear into the rigging when there is work to be done.

                             Katie

                  

   Born Katie Joyce in Dublin, she was orphaned at the age of two when her parents were hung for treason by the English and she  spent the next 12 years in an orphanage. In the spring of 1714 the school was raided and the children taken to the docks, placed on board a brig and sent to Jamaica. There they were sold to the highest bidder. Katie ended up as a house servant on a large sugar plantation.  In 1716 a severe storm destroyed the plantation and most of the structures on the island. Katie saw this as her chance to escape and made her way to the docks where she stole aboard a sloop. Discovered in the hold by the first mate she was taken the to the captain (who was Irish) and she told him her sad story. Taking pitty on her, she was allowed to work her passage to the next port. At Norfolk, Virginia she was placed in the care Pamela and Carolyanne. She now works as a barmaid at the Goose and Bull.

Pamela

                      Katrianna
                                   
                 
                    
   Katrianna, thought to be the daughter of a Nobleman from an Eastern European kingdom, traveled extensively with her Father as he served as an emissary for his Lord.  As a young girl, during one of their sea travels to the coast of Africa, their ship became a target of Mediterranean Pirates and was captured. Seeing the father being well dressed, the pirates thought the lovely daughter could be ransomed, so they took her off the ship, after killing all on board and removing all manner of trade goods worthy of exchange. As Katrianna’s father was a low Nobleman, and the Kingdom had no desire for her return, the Pirates had no use for Katrianna.  They found a ship bound for the Atlantic and sold her to the Captain, as he thought he could indenture her upon his arrival in the New Colonies. Katrianna became indentured to a planter in the Virginia Colony.  Not suited to a life of  labor she persuaded the son of local merchant to take her back to Europe. he, however, had other plans so Katrinna ran away to Williamsburg and then to Norfolk. There she tries to convice the sailors that she is a queen in exile.

     Young Master Luke's father was a sailor who signed on with a privateer and never came home. One summer Luke stowed away on a merchant ship in hopes of  finding out what had happened to his father. After a few days he was discovered in the ship's hold by the second mate. Luke was an intellegnet boy and quickly learned the skills he needed to earn his keep. Now, working as an able-bodied seaman, he continues to look for his father.

Martin

    Martin was born to a woman of questionable virtue and left on his own at a very young age.  Learning quickly how to make a living by "collecting" things that other people had no use for.   Alas, one fateful eve, he was caught red-handed with the Governor’s wife’s chickens which he says he found wandering loose on the town common.  Escaping after only three days, he made his way to the docks.  There, he made the supreme mistake of being caught “finding” Christopher Moody’s purse, which Moody had not actually lost.  Admiring his spunk, Moody impressed Martin as his personal cabin boy.  Learning a sea rovers tasks quickly Martin who has a fascination with fire and explosives decided to apprentice to the ship’s Gunner and now spends his time on the gun deck keeping up the cannon, the swivels, and the ships small arms as a gunners mate.

 

                         Mr. Willis

                   

   Captain Moody's crew found Mr. Willis alone and adrift in a small leaky jolly boat off the cost of Virginia. He was not only taken on board but after a very short time was made a full member of the crewe.  Mr. Willis had resided in London until he sailed to the new world as an indentured servant to escape his creditors. Being a man who loves his rum he soon found himself even deeper in debt so he took to piracy and became  skilled with pistol and cutlass. However, it was his ambition that caused him to be marooned. Now, as a carpenter's mate aboard the Defiance, he seems to have found contentment.