The HMS Bounty left England over 200 years ago, and sailed into history. Over 3,000 books, pamphlets, articles, videotapes, movies, and plays have been written about Lieutenant William Bligh's adventures and headaches. More than any sea story in history, the famous Mutiny on the Bounty has captured the imagination of 6 generations of people in many cultures.
Recently, I was asked to give my impressions of the men and boys who were serving on the Bounty during that fateful voyage. I realized, while trying to do that, that virtually every person on the ship has an equivalent among the people that each and every one of us encounters daily in our neighborhood and our place of work. And re-reading the "Mutiny" while thinking about the crewmembers from this point of view really gave me some insights, albeit very unscientific ones, into the personal interactions and events.
This has led to my putting the following FICTIONAL personality/biographical sketches down on paper(??) in the "Cyberspace Public Library", perhaps to make the re-reading of the book a bit more relevent to today. Try it. Read these, then read the book, and refer back to these personalities. Try to picture the events of the voyage and the mutiny if the characters described here were thrown into that historical scenario. You may find it as fun as I did. For those of you who live in small towns, pardon the urban slant to these "biographies". They could have been just as easily written about the residents in a small town, but I'm an urban boy with no countryside experience.
Remember, this is fiction. Absolutely fiction. There are facts known about the lives of these people that have been woven into these fictional sketches to make them fit the Bounty Story. Please enjoy them, have fun with them, but don't confuse them with facts about these very real people of 200 years ago!
It was 1996 when I spent a couple of months with my cousin who lives in the Bethiaville neighborhood of South Minneapolis. Bethiaville is a blue-collar neighborhood whose residents are pretty much employed, but have a hard time making ends meet. It is located at the western edge of an industrial area that has had a lot of air pollution problems in past years, but is grudgingly cleaning up its act under recent enforcement efforts. There's a vacant, often boarded up, house on almost every block, showing that Bethiaville is not a particularly upwardly mobile place to live. The main street passing through the neighborhood, East Bounty, has a number of small "ma & pa" neighborhood businesses, and most of the kinds of amenities one would expect in this part of town. There's a really pretty high school, just built last year to replace the old one that was nearly in a state of collapse, and the local school board has a bussing program that brings kids into the school from other nearby neighborhoods.
Like so many inner city neighborhoods today, crime and violence is really a problem in Bethiaville. As you might expect, there is a well-organized gang (The AB's, stands for "Always Bloody"), made up primarily of neighborhood kids, along with a bunch of overaged adolescents who never grew out of their violent ways.
During those months, I got to know a lot of my cousin's friends and neighbors. It was funny. Their names sounded very familiar, although I had never visited this neighborhood before. Anyway, I started writing down my impressions of these people so I wouldn't embarrass myself by forgetting them. Here are some of the folks I met:
BLIGH, Bill
Owner and manager of Bligh's Computer Wizards on East Bounty. Bill spent the first couple of years out of college working
in the computer industry, but found that corporate management was not his strong point, and labor relations in particular,
was thoroughly beyond him. A technician and innovator by inclination, he invented a number of hardware and software
tools in his spare time, and founded his company as a way to apply innovative approaches to corporate computing problems.
He has a couple of people working part time for him, but he's not considered a very good fellow to work for. He does not live
in the neighborhood, preferring a lake home about 15 miles from the city.
BROWN, Will
The victim of a house fire in his teens, Will has had to live with some serious facial disfigurement. Employed by Nordhoff & Hall,
he is the groundkeeper for the company, as well as supervisor of the janitoral crew. He got his job on the recommendation of
Dr. Nelson, whom he had met while working on the grounds at the University. A very quiet man, he is sensitive about his
appearance and its effect on strangers he meets.
CHRISTIAN, Fletcher
The freshman & sophomore math teacher at the High School, Mr. Christian, known behind his back as "Flick", is a very
intelligent, rather good looking young teacher, somewhat more popular with his female students than with the male ones.
He is a rather nervous fellow, and has an honest fear of the kids in the gangs. He grew up in a neighborhood very similar
to Bethiaville, and his youth was spent getting beaten up by the tougher kids. He did not choose to teach here, but it
was the only position open at the time, and he keeps his resume up-to-date.
COLE, William
Principal of the High School, he was for many years a shop teacher there. He's considered fair by most of the kids, but not
particularly liked. He's conservative, always dresses in suit and tie, a deacon in the neighborhood Methodist church, and
grandfather of three.
COLEMAN, Joe
Joe is one of those fellows with a highly developed set of internal ethics...the stereotypical "straight arrow". As a boy growing
up in Toledo, Ohio, he was the high school class treasurer, the eagle scout, and the perfect young Catholic gentleman. He came
to Minnesota to accept a job with a major company, and worked there for years, but was caught in a mass layoff. After two
years of unemployment, he decided to go into business for himself, and opened Coleman Gun Shop on East Bounty, which he
runs totally alone. He's a loyal member of the Knights of Columbus, the Kiwanis Club, and is a Boy Scout leader. He's married
with seven children.
ELPHINSTONE, William
An office worker for Nordhoff & Hall, Mr. Elphinstone is nearing retirement age, but the spark went out of his work years ago.
He puts in his day's work, and returns to his home in the suburbs where he lives with his wife and two grown children. He has
no hobbies, but used to play golf as a younger man, even to the point of being a golf pro for a couple of years. His health
is not particularly good. He is a good friend of co-worker, Pete Linklater.
FRYER, Rev. John
An Evangelical preacher, Rev. Fryer is pastor of a small church just off East Bounty. He is a severe man, married to an
equally severe wife, and seems to be involved in politics a great deal, especially when the issues involve crime, delinquency,
abortion, welfare cheats...well, you get the idea. He and his church are hated by the ABs, and have suffered much
vandalism.
HALL, Tom
Tom owns and manages the "Hall Closet", a small neighborhood restaurant popular with the older folks in the neighborhood,
who often congregate there especially at breakfast time. Tom doesn't live nearby, so little is known about his personal life.
HILLBRANDT, Hank
Hank works in the carpentry department at Nordhoff & Hall, and his direct supervisor is Bill Purcell. Partially disabled from
an accident as a youth, he has only partial use of one of his arms. He immigrated to New Ulm, MN, from Germany 3 years
ago, staying with his uncle and aunt who have lived there for decades. He came to Minneapolis seeking work. His English
is not good, and he has a hard time with it.
HUGGAN, Dr. John
Nearing retirement, Dr. Huggan has had an office above LeBogue's Dress Shop for 34 years. A family practitioner, his base
of regular patients has declined rather rapidly in recent years as the mostly elderly people have passed away. He has a
moderately severe problem with drinking, and is a regular at McCoy's Scottish Pub. Never married, he lives in an
apartment attached to his old office.
LAMB, Bob
Bob is meat market manager for the IGA grocery store on East Bounty. Actually, having only graduated 2 years ago from the
high school, he has done reasonably well for himself, having started as a bag-boy and is now being considered for assistant
manager of another larger store. He was a member of the same wrestling team as Willie Muspratt, and they usually go out
to lunch together.
LeBOGUE, Larry
He and his wife run the dress shop on East Bounty. They're an older couple who started their business years ago, and really
can't afford to move it, but they're nervous about the neighborhood and don't care much for the kids that hang around their
shop. That's why they hired Willie Muspratt to help them run the shop, especially at night.
LEDWARD, Dr. Tom
A young doctor only a year out of medical school, Dr. Tom runs three free AIDS clinics in Minneapolis, one of which is in a
formerly abandoned house in Bethiaville. Idealism personified, he runs the clinics primarily on donations from local
businesses, social service organizations, and churches (although his clinics are opposed by Rev. Fryer's church as
"Haven for the Immoral"). Many neighborhood residents have asked Dr. Tom to consider taking over Dr. Huggan's
practice, but he hasn't decided if he wants to settle down with a family practice yet.
LINKLATER, Pete
An office worker in the production scheduling department of Nordhoff & Hall, Pete is a competent, if not enthusiastic, employee.
An ardent golfer, he plays regularly, sometimes with his best friend, Bill Ephinstone. He is married with kids in college, and
lives in the suburbs near Elphinstone.
MARTIN, Isaac
Not a lot is known about Isaac. He was born in Philadelphia, went to school there, and enlisted in the Navy right out of high
school. He seems to have served at least four or five years, but then dropped out of sight for 7 or 8 years. He moved to a
fairly large apartment in Bethiaville about a year ago, does not seem to have a regular job, but has sufficient money to
live on. He is very quiet, and his few visitors are strangers. People who claim to know him hint that he is an active
mercenary, a soldier-of-fortune.
McCOY, Bill
Owner and Bartender at McCoy's Scottish Pub, Bill is a popular and cheerful figure in the neighborhood. Contrary to what
you might expect for a liquor establishment, he has had little problem from the ABs. Much of this is because he had the
foresight to make friends with "Quint" Quintal, whom he hired for part-time work. Some of the people in the neighborhood
suspect that his relationship with "Quint" has more to do with furnishing liquor to the ABs. But the Pub remains a popular
neighborhood hangout for both men and women.
McINTOSH, Tom "Tosh"
"Tosh", partner in "Buggentosh Inc., with "Bugs" Norman, came to Minneapolis from north of Duluth, where his mother was
a tavernkeeper for many, many years. He grew up in the tavern, and spent most of his youth working there. After picking
up the carpentry trade, he moved to the Twin Cities to find a job in the construction industry. He is married with a couple of
young children. He still owns his mother's tavern, managed now by a friend, and hopes some day to return to manage it.
MILLS, John
The most visible policeman in the Bethiaville neighborhood, John began as a rookie cop and soon asked to be assigned to
the Bethiaville precinct where he grew up. He has spent 15 years working to improve the conditions in the neighborhood.
His relationship with the ABs is very good, and he has the respect of nearly everyone. His personal life, however, has not
been very successful. Twice divorced with no children, he lives alone in an apartment in downtown Minneapolis.
MORRISON, James
Mr. Morrison is a rather popular English teacher at the High School. He grew up in the neighborhood, though it wasn't quite
as tough then as it is today. He played football, and went to college on a sports scholarship. Has a better relationship than
most of the other teachers with the ABs.
MUSPRATT, Willie
Willie graduated about 4 years ago from the High School where he lettered in wrestling. He's a tall, brawny kid, rather
good-natured, but can be fearsome to confront when he gets mad. His father had been a tailor all his life, and Willie did
pick up some of his skills, and currently works for LeBogue's Dress Shop, where he does the alterations, clerks on the
evenings the store is open, and generally serves as a resident "security guard". Nobody wants to mess with him.
NELSON, Dr. David
Dr. Nelson is a retired professor of botany from the University of Minnesota. He is a popular fixture in the neighborhood
where he has lived all his life. His home is, as you might expect, a showplace of gardening skill, and he is seen every day
during the warmer months, puttering in his gardens. He volunteers time at the Minnesota Arboretum, and also spends a
several hours a week at Dr. Tom Ledward's AIDS clinic, which is next door to his home.
NORMAN, Charlie "Bugs"
"Bugs" is a contract carpenter, in business (Buggentosh Inc.) with "Tosh" McIntosh, subcontracting for local construction
projects. "Bugs" gets his nickname from his unusually protruding eyes, and the unusual ability he has to twist his neck
nearly 180 degrees, enabling him to almost look over his own shoulder! He was an only child, and grew up somewhere in
northern New England.
NORTON, "Big" John
Big John is supervisor of the stockroom at Nordhoff & Hall, where he has worked since graduating from the neighborhood
high school. A brawny, fat man, he tends to be rather a curmudgeon, usually complaining about something, even if it's
just the weather. He knows his job, and prides himself on doing it well, and is, indeed, the person to talk to if somebody
wants to get something done "across channels". He does not live nearby.
PECKOVER, William
Mr. Peckover is CEO of Nordhoff & Hall Industries, a 500-employee metal grinding and polishing firm located just east of
Bethiaville on East Bounty. He worked his way up from the shop floor, and is proud that he is considered at least competent
in any job in his company. He lives in Minnetonka, is quite respected in the business community, and has been an officer
in the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce for many years.
PURCELL, Bill
A union carpenter employed by Nordhoff & Hall, where he is shop steward. He was recently elected vice-present of his
union, and is likely to rise in the ranks of labor. He is outspoken on labor matters, and has been involved with the
Democratic Party since he was a teenager.
SAMUEL, John
An accountant at Nordhoff & Hall, John is a somewhat humourless man, although a diligent and responsible professional.
He is married, but has no children. He and his wife live in a nicely kept home in the neighborhood, which happens to be
next door to Rev. Fryer's Church. The two men detest one another, although they are similar in personality. Samuel,
however, is not religious, and considers evangelism to be a fraud on the people it attracts.
SIMPSON, George
A very quiet, unassuming fellow, George was born somewhere in the Dakotas, and moved to Minneapolis as a child. He's an
honest, hardworking plant employee for Nordhoff & Hall, the resident of a nearby neighborhood, and a deacon in Rev. Fryer's
church. He isn't married.
SMITH, John
John is maitre-d' at a classy downtown restaurant. He has lived in Bethiaville all his life, having inherited his parents' house
where he lives alone with his two cats. He started out as a cook, but found his talents didn't extend in that direction. A short
term in restaurant management then convinced him to be happy with what he has and doesn't have. He keeps to himself,
and surprisingly has taken some to computers in his middle age, and spends a lot of his free time on the Internet.
THOMPSON, Matt
Matt is a security guard at Nordhoff & Hall, a former member and leader of the ABs, and an all-around nasty fellow. He does
his job well, in much the same way that a junkyard dog does! Around the company, there are whispers that Matt is involved
in everything from drug dealing to organized crime, but he has never been arrested, even during his gang years. He is not
popular at the company, and does not live nearby. He keeps his private life totally to himself.
VALENTINE, Jim
Jim Valentine is football coach at the high school. A big, good looking former quarterback at a Montana College, injuries
forced him to give up the thought of professional sports. By no means a particularly smart fellow, he does well enough
to be assured of a long career in coaching. He is more popular with the kids bussed in from other neighborhoods than he
is with the "locals", but not to the point of causing a problem. He lives in St. Paul.
WILLIAMS, John
Proprietor of Williams Amoco on the corner of East Bounty and Henderson, black-bearded and gruff John is an excellent
mechanic, and like McCoy, has worked out a pretty compatable relationship with the ABs. He often does mechanical
work for them at cost, and many of the members hang around his station, though he's been known to physically eject
troublemakers. He used to teach auto mechanics at another high school in town, but found teaching to be too bureaucratic
for his rather loose and wild life style. He has a rather pronounced French accent, and may have been born and educated
in Canada.
YOUNG, Ned
Ned and his family moved up from Florida about 10 years ago. He and his sisters were born in Jamaica, and his parents
emigrated to the USA when he was still a baby. Having grown up in the Haitian section of Miami, he is very street-smart,
but managed to finish school, and takes computer classes at the local community college. He works as a clerk and technician
at Bligh's Computer Wizards. He's quiet, and keeps to himself a lot. He got rather friendly with Fletcher Christian, whom he
had his senior year, and stops over at his house every so often.
ADAMS, Johnny "Alex"
One of the younger kids in the gang, Johnny lives with his elderly grandmother. His dad, who moved up from Chicago looking
for a job, was killed in a work accident at a local plant about 3 years ago, and his mom died a year or so later.
He and his two sisters and younger brother were farmed out to foster homes, and ended up with grandma, who
was the only one in the family willing to keep them. Dirt poor and on welfare.
BURKITT, Tom
Sneering and sarcastic with authority, Tom probably seems nastier than he actually is. A high school graduate from rural
Minnesota, he came to Minneapolis looking for work, a search that has generally been less than successful. He lives in a small
apartment in Bethiaville, with John Sumner. He grudgingly admits to being gay, and people who know him well insist that his
attitude problem is due to lack of acceptance of his own sexual identity.
CHURCHILL, Charlie
Current leader of the ABs, Charlie is a vicious, violent man, far older than most of the younger folks in the gang. He was
in prison for a year for a violent assault, and rules the gang by terror. Not stupid, he graduated some years ago from
the neighborhood high school, and served two years as an M.P. in the U.S. Marine Corps before being discharged dishonorably.
QUINTAL, Matt "Quint"
An unhappy product of a happy, suburban family, "Quint" is generally quite pleased with his urban existance. Working part time
at McCoy's Scottish Pub, he manages to get by, and has become the source of liquor (and some say drugs) for the ABs.
Smarter than Charlie, he serves as Charlie's lieutenant, while quietly planting ideas in his head. A constant womanizer,
"Quint" is particularly violent toward women, and has been arrested for assaults on girl friends on several occasions.
SKINNER, Richie "Slasher"
A strange young man, Richie graduated from high school and is currently attending barber college. Somehow this doesn't
surprise his friends who know of his lifelong fascination with knives and sharp objects...just the person you'd like to have
shaving you! While not clinically mentally disturbed, he often strikes people as being "on the edge" because of violent,
and often inappropriate mood swings.
BYRNE, Mikey
Mikey was blinded in an accident when he was 6. He probably wouldn't be expected to have many friends
among the kids in this neighborhood, but he is an excellent musician, helped organize the jazz combo at school, and plays with
a rock band that has even recorded a tape for a local record company.
ELLISON, Tommy
Goes to the junior high school nearby...will enter high school next year. Nice enough kid, but kind of smart-mouthed. The only
kids he seems to admire are the gang members, and his mom really doesn't seem to be able to do much, or really care all that
much what he does. She's on ADC, drinks a lot, and has some pretty wild parties at her apartment.
HALLETT, John
John, like his classmate Peter, comes from a very well-to-do family, and is also attending the neighborhood high school for the
foreign language and cultural magnet program. His father, a banker with international connections, would like to see him
join the business, a prospect not unpleasant to John, however enthusiasm for anything is not John's forte. In general, he is
rather quiet and accepting of what happens to him.
HAYWARD, Thomas
Thomas, another student bussed into the high school for the foreign language and cultural magnet program, is actually more
interested in the football team on which he is a defensive back. Coming from a background where he really never had to
work very hard for things, Thomas isn't a ball of fire, but he does what he is told and is reasonably intelligent. He plans a
career in either the military or policework of some kind.
HEYWOOD, Peter
Peter lives in a much wealthier neighborhood to the South of Bethiaville. He is bussed to the neighborhood high school where
he is taking advantage of a foreign language and cultural magnet program, with the intent to continue that line of study in college.
A tall, blonde, handsome young senior, he is popular with the girls, but chooses not to socialize at school or in the neighborhood.
He is, by nature, an intellectual and bookworm who shuns many of the normal teen activities.
MILLWARD, John
A neighborhood kid who grew up in the ABs, but left after discovering religion. Although he never fully abandoned his rather
rebellious nature, he was accepted into Rev. Fryer's church where he occasionally does odd jobs. A rather big, strong fellow,
he also does heavy labor jobs around the neighborhood, and for temporary labor pools. He's a senior at the high school
and lives alone in an apartment. He does not keep in contact with his family who moved after a divorce.
STEWART, George "Geez"
A "military brat" whose father has been out of the home most of his life, "Geez" lives in a neighboring area on the other side
of the high school. His mother, who is a computer analyst, has pushed him into that line of study, and he's been promised
a job at Bligh's Computer Wizards (Bligh is a friend of the family) after high school if he keeps at it. He'd really rather play
the drums, and plays as a sub with the rock band Mikey Byrne plays in.
SUMNER, John
John was born in San Francisco, son of a pair of 1960's hippies-turned-conservatives. Encouraged in early age to be "free and
open with his feelings", which led to an early realization that he was bisexual, he was dismayed at the negative reactions of his
now conservative family. Leaving his home permanently, he came to MInneapolis where he met Tom Burkitt. Accepted by
the ABs as a "friend of a friend", his real involvement is in the political arena where he has become active with the Democratic
Party, both in its far left and gay/lesbian wings.
TINKLER, Bobbie
A 7th grader, Bobbie is very bright, and well-adjusted. He lives with his parents, who are older and retired, the youngest child
of a large family, the eldest of which is the wife of Rev. Fryer. The Tinkler family attend Fryer's Church, and live nearby. The
family has put aside money for his education, and it is assumed that he will not attend the neighborhood high school, but
will be sent to private schools. He is especially infuriated with the teasing he gets about his name.