List of Swallows and Amazons characters facts for kids

This article introduces you to the amazing characters from the famous Swallows and Amazons books by Arthur Ransome. These stories are all about exciting adventures, sailing, and exploring, and the characters are what make them so special! You'll meet brave captains, clever mates, and even some mischievous animal friends.

Meet the Characters

The Swallows

These are the Walker children, who sail their boat, the Swallow.

• John Walker

  John is the oldest of the Walker kids. He's the brave Captain of the Swallow. He always tries to lead his crew on exciting adventures.

• Susan Walker

  Susan is the Mate of the Swallow. She's also the amazing cook and keeps everything organized on their trips.

• Titty Walker

  Titty is the Able Seaman of the Swallow. She's super imaginative and often comes up with the best ideas for their games. Her name was a real nickname from a children's story. In some TV shows and movies, her name was changed to Kitty or Tatty.

• Roger Walker

  Roger starts as the Ship's Boy, but later becomes an Able Seaman. He's a bit mischievous, loves chocolate, and is good with machines. He's the second youngest of the Swallows.

• Bridget Walker

  Bridget is the Ship's Baby. Even though she's the youngest, she proves to be very brave in her adventures. Sometimes she's called Vicky in the first book.

The Amazons

These are the Blackett sisters, who sail their boat, the Amazon.

• Nancy Blackett (real name: Ruth)

  Nancy is the Captain of the Amazon. She's a bold and imaginative leader who loves creating new adventures. She can be a bit quick-tempered, but she's always kind and stands up for others.

• Peggy Blackett (real name: Margaret)

  Peggy is the Mate of the Amazon and Nancy's sister. She's a little shy, but she always tries her best to keep up with Nancy's exciting plans.

The Ds

These two characters join the adventures in Winter Holiday.

• Dorothea Callum

  Dorothea is an imaginative girl who loves to write romantic stories. She's introduced with her younger brother, Dick.

• Dick Callum

  Dick is Dorothea's younger brother. He's very scientific and thoughtful. He often finds clever solutions to tricky problems. Even though he's younger, he's the Captain of their boat, the Scarab.

The Coots

These characters are skilled sailors from the Norfolk Broads.

• Tom Dudgeon

  Tom is a very capable sailor. He owns and skippers his boat, the Titmouse. He's a key character in Coot Club and The Big Six.

• Bess "Port" Farland

  Bess is a left-handed twin and an amazing yacht racer. She's very good at sailing.

• Nell "Starboard" Farland

  Nell is the right-handed twin and also an expert yacht racer. She and Bess are a great team.

• Joe

  Joe is one of the "Death and Glories" crew. He owns a white rat named 'Ratty'.

• Bill

  Bill is another co-owner of the Death and Glory boat.

• Pete

  Pete is the youngest co-owner of the Death and Glory. He's the most enthusiastic fisherman of the group.

The Eels

These characters appear in Secret Water.

• Don (The Mastodon)

  Don is the Chief of the Eels. He leads his tribe in their adventures.

• Daisy

  Daisy is fierce and bold. Even though she's the youngest Eel, she often acts like the chief!

• Dum

  Dum is an elder brother among the Eels and is known as the best "eeler" in the tribe.

• Dee

  Dee is a younger brother Eel, but he's older than Daisy.

Grown-Up Friends and Family

These are the adults who help and support the children in their adventures.

• James Turner (Captain Flint / Uncle Jim)

  Captain Flint is the brother of Mrs. Blackett and uncle to Nancy and Peggy. The Swallows give him his nickname after a pirate character. He starts out seeming "unfriendly" but quickly becomes a close friend and joins the children on many adventures.

• Molly Blackett (real name: Mary)

  Molly is the mother of Nancy and Peggy Blackett. She's a supportive parent who lets her daughters have many adventures.

• Mrs. Walker (Mother / Mary)

  Mrs. Walker is the mother of the Swallows. She's from Australia and gives her children lots of freedom to explore.

• Commander Walker (Daddy / Ted)

  Commander Walker is the father of the Swallows. He's famous for sending a telegram that said, "Better drowned than duffers if not duffers won't drown," meaning it's better to be brave than lazy.

• Professor and Mrs. Callum

  They are the parents of Dick and Dorothea. Professor Callum is an archaeologist, someone who studies old things.

• Jim Brading

  Jim owns a boat called the Goblin. He lends it to Commander Walker for adventures.

• Timothy Stedding (Squashy Hat)

  Timothy is a friend of Captain Flint. He was first known as "Squashy Hat" and was a rival prospector, looking for minerals.

• Dr. and Mrs. Dudgeon, and "our baby"

  This is Tom Dudgeon's family.

• A.P. (Mr. Farland)

  Mr. Farland is the father of Port and Starboard. He's a lawyer and a neighbor to Dr. Dudgeon.

• Mrs. McGinty

  Mrs. McGinty is the housekeeper for Mr. Farland.

• Mrs. Barrable

  Mrs. Barrable looks after a boat called the Teasel. The children decide to make her the "Admiral" of their small fleet.

• Jim Wooddall

  Jim is the skipper of the Sir Garnet, a very fast boat on the Bure river.

• The Billies (Old Billy and Young Billy)

  Old Billy and Young Billy are a father and son who make charcoal. They become friends with the Swallows and help Roger when he hurts his ankle. Old Billy is 94 and Young Billy is over 70!

• Mr. & Mrs. Jackson

  The Jacksons are farmers at Holly Howe, where the Swallows often stay for holidays. They own the Swallow boat.

• Mr. & Mrs. Dixon

  The Dixons are farmers at Dixon's Farm. The Swallows often visit for milk, and Dick and Dorothea stay there during Winter Holiday. Mrs. Dixon is famous for her delicious pork pies.

• Silas

  Silas is a cowhand at Dixon's Farm. He helps Mr. Dixon make a sledge for the Ds.

• Mr. & Mrs. Swainson and Mary Swainson

  The Swainsons are farmers at Swainson's Farm. The Swallows get milk from them when they are shipwrecked. Mary, their granddaughter, helps Roger with his torn shorts and rows the Great Aunt.

• Jacky Warriner

  Jacky is a farmer's son. He helps the Ds by lending them tools, showing them how to store milk, and teaching them how to catch fish. He also gives them a rabbit and an onion for a stew.

• Mrs. Tyson and her son Robin

  They appear in Pigeon Post. They are worried about fires and are happy to move to a campsite. Robin lends the children a crowbar.

• Mrs. M. Braithwaite (Cook)

  She is the cook for the Blackett family.

• PC Tedder

  PC Tedder is the local policeman who becomes friends with Mrs. Barrable.

Other Friendly Characters

These characters appear in specific books and help the children.

• Peter Duck

  Peter Duck is an old sailor with a story about treasure. He appears in his own book and as Titty's imaginary friend in Swallowdale.

• Bill

  Bill is a cabin boy who joins the crew of the Wild Cat in Peter Duck.

• Missee Lee (or Miss Lee)

  Missee Lee is a Chinese pirate leader who was educated at Cambridge University. She appears in the book named after her.

• Slater Bob

  Slater Bob is an old slate miner. He tells the children stories about a lost gold seam in Pigeon Post.

Tricky Characters

These characters cause some trouble or challenges for the children.

• Maria Turner (Great Aunt Maria / The G.A.)

  Great Aunt Maria is the childhood guardian of James Turner (Captain Flint) and Molly Turner. She is very strict and often tries to stop the children's adventures, which makes her seem "unfriendly" to Nancy and Peggy.

• George Owdon

  George is a boy from Norfolk who is older than Tom Dudgeon. He steals and sells birds' eggs, making him an enemy of the Coots.

• Ralph Strakey

  Ralph is a friend of George Owdon. In The Big Six, George and Ralph try to blame the Coots for stealing and setting boats adrift.

• The Hullabaloos

  The Hullabaloos are a group of five people who cause trouble on the water in Coot Club. They are known for their loud behavior and crashing their boat.

• Mr. Jemmerling

  Mr. Jemmerling is an egg collector and owns a boat called the Pterodactyl in Great Northern?. He causes problems for the children.

• The Dogmudgeon

  The Dogmudgeon is a Scottish head ghillie (a gamekeeper). He and other local people first watch the explorers but later help them against Mr. Jemmerling.

• The Young Chieftain and The McGinty

  These two Scottish characters capture Mr. Jemmerling. They initially think the children are trying to scare away deer.

• Taicoon Chang and Taicoon Wu

  These are leaders of the Three Island Pirates in Missee Lee. They are dangerous and want to harm others.

• Black Jake and the crew of the Viper

  These are five criminals who are trying to find Peter Duck's treasure.

Animal Friends

The children also have some loyal animal companions.

• Polly

  Polly is a ship's parrot given to Titty by Captain Flint. She appears in several books.

• Gibber

  Gibber is a ship's monkey promised to Roger by Captain Flint. He appears in Peter Duck and Missee Lee.

• Sinbad

  Sinbad is a ship's kitten rescued by John in the middle of the North Sea. He's a brave little cat.

• William

  William is a noble and heroic pug dog. He bravely helped save the crew of the Teasel from hunger.

• Bess

  Bess is Jacky Warriner's sheepdog.

• Roy

  Roy is the Dixons' sheepdog.

• Ringman

  Ringman is the Jacksons' sheepdog.

• Ratty

  Ratty is Joe's white rat, a small but important companion.