List of 1632 characters (fictional)

This section is maintained alphabetically, lastname, firstname, but individuals of particular note may have their own section as a link to point from other articles.

• See main article: List of 1632 characters

Balthazar Abrabanel

Downtimer Dr. Balthazar Abrabanel, Jewish Marrano physician, courier and sometimes spy, is a fictional member of the historical Abrabanel family. He enters the 1632-verse fleeing for his life with daughter Rebecca Abrabanel while having a heart attack in a coach. Balthazar is tended to by Dr. James Nichols. The posse led by Mike Stearns deals roughly with the pursuing mercenaries chasing the small family.

Bernadette Adducci

Uptime former nun, policewoman and social worker in Grantville; aunt of Tony Adducci in Basel. In the book Bernadette provides a diplomatic conduit for the escaping Archduchess of Austria in her flight from Maximilian I to the arms of Don Fernando, King in the Netherlands.

Tony Adducci, Jr.

Uptimer Tony is a radio operator that serves Ambassadoress Diane Jackson in the embassy to Basel, Switzerland in . Under her directed hints, Tony manages to creatively "lose in processing" a message he has just verbalized to her as he transcribed the Morse code, enabling her to honestly say in a confrontational meeting just after that she has "seen no such message", which helps the negotiations as the spill over from the crisis hits the politics in Basel.

Susanna Allegretti

Downtime apprentice seamstress from the Tirol region of northern Italy, Susanna Allegretti is frequently at odds with her new mistress—head seamstress —Frau Stecher—who is a spy for the Habsburg factotums keeping an eye on the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. The two young women manage to form a relationship nonetheless, and Maria Anna charges Susanna with assisting her advisor and friend, the dowager sister of the Spanish diplomat Cardinal Bedmar, Dona Mencia de Mendoza.

Eddie Cantrell

Uptimer Navy Lieutenant-Commander Eddie Cantrell first appeared as one of the four teens (affectionately called the "Four Musketeers" by Stearns) rescuing the Richter family in the end phase of the Battle of the Crapper in the NTL summer of 1631. In the David Weber short story: "In the Navy" (Ring of Fire, winter '32-'33 NTL) he convinces Mike Stearns that an ironclad navy is needed to help Gustavus Adolphus fight a war efficiently. Thrust into working for John Chandler Simpson, who originally opposed Mike Stearns and his policies, Eddie's unique character helps to transform Simpson.

He appears in several stories in : In Eddie is involved in a with downtimers stealing firearms from the chaotic environs of Grantville.

In 1633, Lt. Cantrell heads up the mixed forces charged with defending Wismar Bay from the invading League of Ostend forces. In the action, he is lamed and captured by the Danish forces. As a prisoner of war in 1634: The Baltic War he succumbs to youthful folly and raging hormones, and weds King Christian IV of Denmark's natural daughter, Anne Cathrine.

Henry Dreeson

Uptimer Mayor of Grantville, he woos Veronica Richter during the Virginia DeMarce short story .

Veronica Dreeson

Downtimer widow of Johann Stephan Richter, Veronica Dreeson becomes a founder of primary schools and eventual spouse of Grantville Mayor Henry Dreeson. She appears first in 1632 as grandmother of Gretchen Richter Higgins and Hans Richter, as they are rescued from life as camp followers. Known as "Ronnie", she is one of the principle protagonists in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, returning to her husband's estate and old home town near Amberg in the Upper Palatinate. She accompanies a strategic trade mission and with Mary Simpson triggers one part of the Bavarian Crisis. She has also figured into several key Grantville Gazette tales.

Edelmann, Karl Jurgen

Downtime guildmaster of Jena, father of Magdalena Stone who initially rejects the suit of Tom "Stoner" Stone in the Mercedes Lackey shared universe short story "To Dye For". Despite Magda's age, which makes a downtime marriage unlikely, Herr Edelmann refuses when he learns that Stoner is impoverished, unlike most residents of Grantville.

Greg Ferrara

Uptimer Greg Ferrara‎ is the head of the science department of Grantville High School and is a key figure in the three days after the Ring of Fire emergency. Greg is named to the by Chairman in their first session and sub-vocally earmarked by Stearns as his unofficial "Minister of the arms Complex"

Franz and Marla

For the popular "Franz and Marla stories" See Franz Scylwester and Marla Linder.

Dan Frost

Uptime Chief of Police Dan Frost is the first up-timer casualty during the immediate aftermath of the Ring of Fire event. Investigating smoke, Frost is wounded by Spanish soldiers of Tilly's army early in the first novel. Later, he single handedly stalls a charge across a bridge by rampaging Croatian cavalry units, using two modern handguns to demonstrate the effects of good marksmanship and fire power. In the series as a whole, he became a background figure acting as a security consultant to the new order settling into the plains of Germany.

Jere Haygood

Uptimers Jere Haygood and Pete McDougal are stationed in the sacked and destroyed city of Magdeburg which is being rebuilding as the continental capital. Both make their appearance in the series in David Webers tale . Haygood is on loan to Gustav's administration shortly after the formation of the in the fall of 1632 and the following winter. There he assists John Chandler Simpson in siting a shipyard for the proposed naval construction by the . Haygood headed up one Grantville's Civil Engineering firms and is detailed to assist the king's officials in planning a modern city. Improvement of the river and canal transport network is vital. Because "good roads" are brief but limited cobblestone main streets in larger cities, and the roads in between are mere cart tracks— overland, goods are mainly shipped by mule train. In conjunction with Admiral-to-be Simpson, Haygood, with a long background as an civil war re-enactor, helps to convince Gustav's officer corps to reorganize the army into a smaller more professional form using newly designed firearms with bayonets (instead of two-thirds pikes and one-third muskets).

Jeff Higgins

Good natured large bodied uptime teen hero of 1632 (novel), married to CoC organizing terror Gretchen Richter. They married after he rescued her from victimization as a camp follower. Despite his bulk, he is never confident before a fight, but once engaged he finds a focus as a fighter. He is the brother-in-law of fallen aviation hero of 1633 (novel) Hans Richter, and relative (step-grandson-in-law) of Veronica Dreeson.

Ernst Hoffman

Downtimer Ernst Hoffman is a protestant mercenary leader whose band of "goons" were extorting money and lording it over the citizens in the walled town of under the guise of protecting the inhabitants. They did absolutely nothing to protect the region outside the town walls, and Mike Stearns decided that they would do for the up-timers first act of liberation. The band of about 500 is enticed from behind the town walls to participate in the but breaks to run before the action is fully joined. The roughly battalion sized band and the opposition mercenary companies under Count of Tilly illustrate the perfidious nature of mercenary armies and the "[...]-if-we-do, [...]-if-we-don't" nature of using them. If the town hadn't hired the mercenaries, they would have sacked Badenburg, with even worse results. The American/Stearns plan is to deal with both groups of mercenaries using their superior fire power to cow the force. Realizing the Americans have broken the Habsburg army, Hoffman's mercenaries turn from their flight and run to loot, pillage, and [...] amongst the enemy baggage train and camp followers. In the second phase of the battle, Gretchen Richter meets the Four Musketeers and future husband who takes the lead in standing off the protestant mercenaries mobbing the Catholic's camp. Hoffman is personally placed in handcuffs by Mike Stearns and the mercenary band is captured along with the Catholic remnants.

Wille Ray Hudson

Aside from Henry Dreeson, uptimer Wille Ray Hudson, is the only Grantviller appointed to the Emergency Committee that has any practical experience with government, having been on the state legislature of West Virginia for a number of terms. He is considered by many (including Mike Stearns) as the best farmer in Grantville, and so is appointed to the Grantville Constitutional Sub-committee. His primary role is making sure Grantville and the influx of refugees have sufficient food— Chairman of Agriculture co-ordination and rationing. Wille Ray accordingly works closely with both the Resource committee and Rationing committees and plays a role in many of the ground-level-view stories published in The Grantville Gazettes. He has not appeared in a major novel since his cameos in , save by reference or mentions.

Frank Jackson

Uptimer Frank Jackson is a United Mine Workers union associate of Grantville Emergency Committee chairman Mike Stearns. He is appointed to the Emergency Committee Cabinet by Stearns during the events of the Grantville Emergency Town Meeting just three days after the Ring of Fire ripped the town from the twentieth century. He became head of its armed forces which were formed around a nucleus of UMWA miners who had military service. With Stearns in overall command at the Battles of the New United States of the joint forces of Alexander Mackay and Jackson's army, General Jackson led the NUS forces through all of 1631–1632 until after the governmental reorganization in October 1633 created the —where part of the bargain with Gustavus was that the up-timer forces would be consolidated with the king of Sweden's other armies. In he is the army chief of staff, by American tradition the active forces supreme commander under the short lived governmental structure. By , General Jackson is attached to Gustav Adolf's personal staff as liaison for up-timer military technology, as he'd served in the US Army as a sergeant , and needed further training, at least logistically, to actively lead large organizations of troops.

Anne Jefferson

An uptimer created in the story by veteran science fiction author S. L. Viehl, Anne Jefferson is a registered nurse, classmate of and native West Virginian who, like Nichols, was visiting Grantville for the occasion of her friend wedding. She was anticipating her own wedding just six weeks later, but her betrothed was left behind up-time. She is showcased in the important short story wherein she is nearly burned as a witch for herbally treating a failing patient with a congenital heart condition, and butts heads with Dr. who is all too ready to stand by as the villagers burn Jefferson and a local herbalist, , as witches.

She is an important character in the widely varied negotiations set inside the , which begins with her taking center stage in the three Flint Gazette stories that were added to the print released versions: , , and . Her influential role continues within the siege in each of , & . The related Gazette tales explain a typically bit of legerdemain — to improve communications in Europe by expediting a trans-European common postal system which will in the long run undermine the opposition. Even the canny Cardinal Richelieu fails to appreciate the danger of a freer flow of ideas and concepts across borders (which of course cannot be limited to just technology, but also include political ideas) to the established aristocratic hierarchy. Hence Jefferson's role becomes very important in Stearn's long range schemes to build democracy upon the graves of aristocratic institutions, putting Jefferson, like at the heart of the revolution in thought behind the sweeping neohistorical events related in the long fiction of the series.

When introduced and invented, Viehl has Nichols and Jefferson face off against Dr. William Harvey, the "discoverer" of the circulatory system. The two nurses "give him some pointers", including a humbling dressing down about medicine and the abilities of women and medicines. Concurrently, Anne Jefferson meets her future husband, historical diplomat and mathematician 1 who'd been acting as guide and translator for Harvey. Olearius also appears on-stage during many of the scenes set in the strange siege of Amsterdam, and his relations with Jefferson add a romantic and sometimes comic backdrop to some of the diplomatic goings-ons.

By the conclusion of The Baltic War and The Bavarian Crisis, each of which end in mid-summer of 1634, the two are betrothed and planning a life together in where Jefferson has established herself as a Doctor and built a family practice amidst the siege, whilst many of the city's established doctors had fled the city. With the help of the now firmly established Dutch Committees of Correspondence, this will help break the power of another guild—the guild system being another authoritarian institution deemed as repressive and opposed to modern freedoms and thought.

Harry Lefferts

Uptimer Harry Lefferts (Captain, USE Army, CO Commandos) is a rough and tumble union organizer and troubleshooter. He evolves in the series from brash, reckless and dangerous to daring, calculating, dangerous and shrewd leader of Mike Stearns' protective detail and special operations (commando) team. In 1634: The Baltic War Harry's team infiltrates London, and rescues the embassy imprisoned by King Charles. In Italy, his reputation has led many wealthy and otherwise idle younger sons of noblemen to emulate his style of dress and personal mannerisms. The youths are collectively referred to as Lefferti.

Marla Linder

Uptimer Marla Linder, born Kristen Marlena Linder, is a Grantville musician of great talent introduced by . She befriends the crippled down-timer musician Franz Scylwester in a series of connected stories that explore the influence of up-timer music and instruments upon the down-time neohistory. The stories essentially make up one long tale, beginning with which explore the impact of up-timer musical knowledge, instruments and sheet music on down-timer culture and music.

Marla, who sings at least as well as she plays keyboard instruments, has been devastated by the Ring of Fire and had held great ambitions to attend a prestigious musical institute. In the first story, while on stage, her last name isn't even mentioned. Scylwester has similar psychic wounds from being deliberately maimed and losing his career as a crack violinist. Carrico's Franz and Marla stories explore the new world of music enabled by Grantville's musical knowledge, but are very sensitive and depict the two characters psychologically assisting each other to come to grips with the new reality and undergo healing. Along the way they discover the wonders of one another.

The two appear in the novel and in , where Franz gets demonstrates his renewed mastery, having learned to play left handed, and publicly asks Ms. Linder for her hand as partial conclusion to a high society concert hosted by Mary Simpson—the storyline in the anthology . The same concert is backdrop for the entrance of Admiral John Chandler Simpson in the aftermath of the industrial accident that begins The Baltic War.

Rosa Luxemburg

Rosa Luxemburg, a radical reformer and marxist, appears in Flint's solo novel, The Anaconda Project. She is an inspirational jewess adopted by the revolutionary (named after an organization she founded) to reform the government of Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania.

Alexander Mackay

Downtime Scottish cavalry Captain Alexander Mackay of Gustav's Green Regiment, is out in the surrounding countryside near Badenburg leading part of his scouting company about four or five days after the Ring of Fire when one of his scouts reports something strange at a nearby farm. After exhuming a mass grave, the patrol is then surprised by patrolling American miner (veterans of the United States Armed forces) in up-time camouflage clothing.

The encounter is the first organized downtime military force to encounter the Grantvillers. Mackay is screening well in advance of Gustav's army, in effect on detached duty stationed at Badenburg to keep an eye on Count Tilly's Catholic forces. His independent mission is to search for and find courier Balthazar Abrabanel who has monetary loans in the form of a chest of coins from the Protestant burghers of Amsterdam for King Gustavus Adolphus. Mackay, who is reminiscent of Tom Sawyer in appearance, "falls hard" for senior cheerleader captain Julie Sims when the Grantville Emergency Committee's cabinet invites Mackay and Andrew Lennox, along with their whole scouting patrol, into Grantville High School for lunch in the school cafeteria. Later that day, Mackay suggests an alliance and the two groups agree to an informal alliance to protect south central Thuringia, with Stearns and the Grantville Emergency Committee acting for Grantville. The time line and revealed plot record is unclear as to whether "American" forces outside those at the Battle of the Farm House, the Scots cavalry, or any other force in the Badenburg area has rebuffed any units of Tilly's forces before. However, the back plot is clear that the Battle of the Crapper occurs two weeks or so after Stearns and Mackay agree in principle to act jointly to protect the various regions of southern Thuringia in the summer of 1631. Along with theup-timer army formed under Frank Jackson, the two forces join to defend Badenburg and liberate it as well from the Protestant mercenary leader, Ernst Hoffman's battalion sized unit which has been extorting support from the town while allegedly protecting it.

Julie Mackay

Uptime daughter of Grantville dentist Henry Sims, Julie captivates the attention of Scottish Captain Alexander MacKay when he first enters Grantville High School early in the book . She is a very skilled rifler and had been training for the Olympic biathlon. Julie, as a cheerleader, greatly distracts MacKay with her boundless enthusiastic energy and attire. In the latter part of the novel , she is exhibited as a ruthless sniper, and one of a handful of women capable of passing the physical requirements of the Grantville army.

In 1633, Julie later traveled with Alex along with their newly born daughter to Scotland, serving alongside with Alex as potential individuals in providing support for the Grantville delegation to London, should the worst comes to happen to them, which did in the form of imprisonment in the Tower of London. In 1634: The Baltic War, Julie and Mackay reunited with Harry Lefferts and his rescue party in planning a escape for the Grantville delegation. During the planned escaped, Julie provided sniper fire for the escapees, [...] the Tower's guardsmen from the opposite side of the Thames River. She and Alex later traveled with half of the escapees including Oliver Cromwell, in order to avoid pursuit from the English authorities.

Lawrence Mazzare

Lawrence Mazzare was originally the local Catholic priest of Grantville, later the USE ambassador to the Most Serene Republic of Venice, and then "His Eminence the Cardinal-Protector of the United States of Europe".

Pete McDougal

Pete McDougal is one of a handful of up-timers stationed in the sacked and destroyed city of Magdeburg which Gustavus is rebuilding as his continental capital. Along with Jere Haygood he makes his appearance in the series in David Webers tale . McDougal, a former UMWA official and friend of Mike Stearns, is acting as Mike's direct representative in the capital, an ombudsman and facilitator heading up the embassy and co-ordinating the Americans assistance to Gustavus' people. Ex-CEO John Chandler Simpson clashes with McDougal over security issues, in particularly the lack of military bearing and discipline as evinced in the casual way another American, Matt Lowry, is standing guard over the embassy.

Nowell Murphy

Nowell Murphy (also known as Nowell Stull) is a young uptimer employed by the state department, who becomes something of an undercover troubleshooter. Uncertain of her vocation, she has a talent for looking at things a bit differently and so in the world of bureaucrats, is a somewhat uncomfortable subordinate to have. Having an unhappy family situation in Grantville—she is literally a [...] born out of wedlock, she is contemplating becoming a nun when and Ed Piazza empower her as a special envoy to investigate likely sales of advanced guns to enemy countries. She later acquits herself well in the conclusion and climax scene of the Ram Rebellion, and appears again as a major character in the two longest stories in . In later spin-off stories in the Grantville Gazettes it is revealed she was actually born in the valid marriage of an inadvertent bigamy situation, and in fact her half-sister and half-brother might more properly be considered illegitimate given the oddities of the soap opera-ish family history.

Series appearances:

• , various stories, arguably the lead character of the work

• , lead protagonist of 's and Eric Flint's novelette .

Four Musketeers

Half-disparaging, half-humorous, and half-well-intentioned name given to the four bright, somewhat nerdy, and inseparable senior war gamers who are suddenly "orphaned" by the Ring of Fire and left on their own. They take on a large role in , many short stories, and other sequels.

:*Larry Wild

:*Eddie Cantrell

:*Jeff Higgins

:*Jimmy Andersen

James Nichols

Uptimer Dr. James Nichols, MD., was a visitor to during the wedding of Tom Simpson and Rita Stearns. He was named Chief of health, medical care and sanitation in the days of the Grantville Emergency Committee rule, and was a member of the Emergency Committee Cabinet. A combat veteran of Vietnam via the marines, Nichols was from the rough side of town in Chicago's Black ghetto. The handsome widower accompanies Stearns and Police Chief Dan Frost immediately after the Ring of Fire, and his presence indubitably led to the survival of several persons who would have perished, including Chief Frost, Anna's father, and heart attack victim Balthazar Abrabanel. He later takes parts in many minor sequences, including the introduction of the Stone Family in the story "To Dye For".

Sharon Nichols

Uptimer Sharon Nichols is the daughter of James Nichols, and was a bridesmaid of Rita Simpson, accounting for her and Dr. Nichols' presence in Grantville on the occasion of the Ring of Fire. She is an important character who has played a role in where she and give the famous English Physician a few lessons about medicine. She was betrothed to Hans Richter, and mourned his loss. In the in the novel and its direct sequel , she has been promoted into the position of USE 'Ambassadoress' [sic] to the Most Serene Republic of Venice and the Papal States. She finds new love, and marries Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz, factotum to the Spanish Ambassador

Gretchen Richter

Downtimer Gretchen is a strong heroine of 1632 (novel), becoming an organizing terror of the Committees of Correspondence, "chooser of the living". Rescued by Jeff Higgins from [...] in the life she was forced into as a camp follower, Gretchen is quick to grasp uptime concepts of democracy and human rights. She spreads these ideas with fervor, and soon Committees of Correspondence are springing up everywhere. She is the grand-daughter of Veronica Dreeson and sister to Hans Richter. Gretchen figures prominently in cameo appearances in virtually all of the books, or is at least mentioned, as the worst nightmare of the autocratic nobility of high and low estates. In in a humorous scene, she almost shoots Larry Wild who has haplessly created a choking smoke in the family's kitchen which spreads to the rest of the joined trailers the extended family calls home; triggering memories of camp raids and looters in Gretchen.

Hans Richter

Hans Richter is the likeable younger brother to Gretchen and daredevil driver of the novel. He becomes the first German aircraft pilot, capturing the imagination of the common German townsmen and peasants as he proves that the government is indeed for all the people, not just up-timers from Grantville, about half-way into . He also becomes engaged to Sharon Nichols. When he dies heroically attacking the combined Danish-French fleets in the , Hans becomes the first national hero of the new emerging German Nationalistic mindset. News of his death comes close to inspiring German commoners to riot and rebel against the German princes and uptimers. After Stearns turns the situation around, he leverages off the unrest to drive home a new accommodation with Gustav II Adolf, and becomes the first prime minister of the new Sweden-led empire: the .

Roth family

Judith Roth

Morris Roth

Uptimers Morris and Judith Roth are the only Jewish residents of uptime Grantville. Stearns solicits shelter for the two Abrabanels in the Roth home during the aftermath of the . Although the Roths do not keep a kosher orthodox home, Judith welcomes the Abrabanels and makes them comfortable. The alliance between the down-timer Scots cavalry unit and the up-timers is agreed in the Roth's living room, and their kitchen and one of its large tables becomes the war room where the two sides plan out a campaign to protect southern Thuringia from Count Tilly's approaching Catholic forces. In The Wallenstein Gambit, Morris is coerced into cooperating with Wallenstein in Prague in hopes of averting a future he dreads: an OTL Jewish massacre years hence. Judith is the first to understand the upper class role and lifestyle they must portray in Prague, forcing Morris whenever possible to play his role, and realizing that the Jewish servants they are required to employ are continually carrying tales of their conduct and ideas back to the ghetto. When Wallenstein and his army is away in fighting in "Second Battle of White Mountain", the city is attacked, Morris is surprised to find something of a hero inside himself in leading the Jewish and Prague's citizens in successfully defending against Habsburg forces. The Roths also play a major role in The Anaconda Project novel.

Franz Scylwester

Franz Scylwester is a crippled down and out down-timer musician — and former maestro violinist introduced in  — who was victimized by a rival for his prestigious post as first violinist of the Cathedral of Mainz. His left (fingering) hand was deliberately and maliciously mutilated by his rival, such that he will never play the violin again. Scylwester makes his way eking out an existence writing correspondence for the illiterate. He gradually wends his way to Grantville, where he is exposed to modern Rock and Roll (which appalls him), but also to modern musical knowledge from "Master Herr Professor Wendell" (the high school music teacher), and a local girl, Marla Linder, a singer-musician that befriends him. From both he learns about the breadth and depth of modern musical instruments and the systematized musical theory available from these strange people from the future. He also becomes emotionally entangled with Marla, while fighting off feelings of unworthiness since he is crippled and cannot hope to support her. 1632 writer brings the two sympathetic characters back in a succession of stories beginning with , in effect serializing stories told primarily from Scylwester's viewpoint, and uses the likable and sympathetic character with the help of the good natured Marla to explore interactions between the 1630s musical world and the intriguing blended culture coming into existence in central Europe.

The romantic dance between the two climaxes in where Franz demonstrates his newly learned left-handed mastery of the violin at a triumphant debut concert. Hosted by the redoubtable "Dame of Magdeburg" Mary Simpson, the concert also features Marla and the expanding circle of her down-timer students. The same tale is used as background to introduce the Simpsons into the novel toward the conclusion of the events around the industrial accident and river set ablaze that begins the novel.

Aidan Southworth

Sergeant Aidan Southworth of the USE Marine Corps is a friend of the Stone brothers, particularly Frank and plays the role of embassy guard in .

Simpson family

Uptimers Rita Stearns Simpson, and husband Tom Simpson have the distinction of opening in scenes shared by Mike Stearns and James Nichols. They are celebrating with their guests at their wedding reception when the Ring of Fire happened. Rita, younger sister raised by Mike Stearns since their father's death, is off with her bridesmaids and visiting other guests, enjoying the best day of her life, radiant as all brides should be, while her new husband and brother are trading severe looks with the groom's parents. Tom Simpson opens the flagship novel with a scene where he is apologizing to Mike for his parents' attitude.

Stearns has paid for the wedding and reception, but it is clearly not up to the standards of the big-city big shot snobbish elder John and Mary Simpson, industrialist and socialite both—and they are not hiding their attitudes. Subsequent events in lead Tom and Rita into total estrangement from John and Mary Simpson for several years.

John Chandler Simpson

Uptimer Simpson is introduced on the very first page of as a snob who thinks he is better than the West Virginians attending his son Tom's wedding to Mike Stearns' sister Rita. Throughout he displays arrogance and pig-headedness, wanting to keep Grantville to itself, not share Grantville's resources, and not allow immigration. His position against allowing refugees to vote reminds Stearns of Jim Crow Laws. Gathering supporters, he runs against Stearns when elections are held, but is defeated. He and his wife Mary become completely estranged from their son Tom.

He is rehabilitated somewhat in the David Weber short story , where Mike Stearns wisely taps him to demonstrate his competence in navy engineering and his vast experience in industry. He is almost assassinated by agents of Richelieu, and ascends further in esteem and importance in limited scenes of as a somewhat likeable strong character of principles that will naturally have occasional clashes with other type-A personalities such as Mike Stearns or General Frank Jackson. Showing how much he has changed, he asks Stearns to help arrange a reconciliation contact with his estranged son Tom and daughter-in-law Rita Stearns.

In , his internal conversations show more insight into his outwardly aloof character. He becomes sympathetic, almost likable, remaining somewhat stiff-necked and quirky, but a true hero of the book as the Navy he carefully builds up takes center stage. As the Ironclads leave Magdeburg, Simpson has to suppress himself from issuing commands, and stand as an observer while a seventeenth century captain maneuvers the ship. It is a telling personal moment, for after squelching his impulse, Simpson privately admits to himself that developing his little fleet is unquestionably the most satisfactory accomplishment, in a lifetime filled with many achievements.

When he receives good news at the end of , Simpson nearly collapses, crying, and Stearns has to hold him up.

Mary Simpson

Wife of eventual Admiral John Chandler Simpson, she is a socialite with a penchant for organization and fund raising. She did not approve of Rita Stearns as a wife for her son, and admits in that she treated Rita horribly. In 1633 (novel) and various Grantville Gazettes her behind the scenes machinations expose the workings of downtime society, and show how various upper class elements are eventually persuaded that the Stearns revolution and the Emperor have their good points. She becomes a major figure in Magdeburg society, arranging parties, founding schools and doing important charitable work. She confronts John with the mistakes they both made, and convinces him to urge Gustav to implement tax breaks for charitable works that will bring civilizing culture to Germany. She also tells him she wants to make contact with their son again.

Although she and John Simpson assume that uptime "high society" was no different than downtime nobility, Stearns explains that her common courtesy to her servants is renowned and is partly responsibly for her title, The American Lady. He insists that she appear on the palace steps with other important figures whose presence and speeches help to quell a riot, and although she is terrified, she does it. In 1634: The Bavarian Crisis she accompanies Veronica Dreeson and a trade mission to the Upper Palatinate.

Rita Stearns Simpson

Rita is a nurse, the sister of Mike Stearns, and Tom Simpson's wife . Their wedding reception opened the flagship novel , and was interrupted by the Assiti Shards event known as The Ring of Fire. Subsequent events in 1632 lead to Tom and Rita into total estrangement from John and Mary Simpson.

In emerging Early Modern Europe, professional diplomat was not yet a profession and such roles were generally filled by a relation of the "ruler". Since Rita is the sister of Mike Stearns, at that time president of the NUS of the CPoE, she is an acceptable choice for Ambassador. In she agrees to be the figurehead of an embassy to the court of Charles I of England. Melissa Mailey is assigned to call the political shots. Tom accompanies Rita on the mission to London. Without even meeting them, Charles I places them under house arrest, confining the party to the Tower of London. Rita provides medical care for the guards, prisoners and families in the tower, earning their loyalty by preventing the diseases which are sweeping the city. After nine months in captivity, the group is rescued in by Capt. Harry Lefferts' commando team. They reach The Netherlands alongside Prime Minister of the USE, Mike Stearns.

Tom Simpson

Uptimer Tom Simpson is the son of corporate magnate and ex-navy officer John Simpson and socialite ("Dame of Three Rivers") and champion fund raiser Mary Simpson. He weds Rita Stearns, sister of series mover and shaker, Michael Stearns. Simpson has the very first sentence of the first chapter of the flag ship novel : "I'm sorry about my parents, Mike". Built just less than suitable to be an NFL linesman, Simpson is a huge man and when the Ring of Fire events stress the community, the battles between his father and Mike Stearns spill over into an estrangement from his parents.

Tom appears in a few other scenes of as he has a penchant for picking up languages. He joins the NUS armed forces out of lack of anything more suitable for his skill set, where he helps transition German refugees into the nascent army. He was involved in small actions or battles while serving in the NUS/CPoE/USE armed forces. As commander of the embassy to England's military contingent in 1633, his forces skirmished with Channel pirates.

In Stearns agrees to intercede with Tom for Admiral Simpson. However, tension continues between the couples, as the younger couple is still abroad at the end of The Baltic War. Stearns made some complimentary and peacemaking overtures by radio as a consequence of his promises, but the rift was so great, only face to face meetings could help.

That lasts until (a reunion off stage) sometime in the and time-frame— the spring of 1634. In the latter, we see the two Simpson men meeting together with Stearns and other military leaders plotting out a part of a possible rescue of Tom's mother Mary, who has fallen into the hands of Catholic fanatic Maximilian of Bavaria. Tom Sterns is promoted from Captain to Major in the scene where Lieutenant Eddie Cantrell, co-author of the rescue concept, receives an equivalent promotion to naval Lieutenant Commander.

Sims family

Julie Sims:— see Julie Mackay above.

Julie's sniper/preferred hunting rifle: Remington .308 caliber Model 700, with ART-2 scope; Karen Tyler on uncle Frank Jackson's M49 spotting scope.<ref name="BoJC01"

>, hardcover, Chapter 39, pp. 309

Henry Sims:Uptimer father of Julie Sims Mackay, town dentist Henry Sims is brother-in-law of Frank Jackson. He fixes up Alexander Mackay's smile in a bit of humorous romantic comedy, for the Scots Captain would face worse than a dentist's drill to gain an edge in pursuit of Julie, his "Queen of Hearts". Like Mike Stearns and Frank Jackson, Henry doesn't care for Julie Sims football boy-friend Chip Jenkins either, and all approve of Captain Alexander Mackay.<ref name="BoJC01"

>, hardcover, Chapter 39, pp. 309

He gave Julie her preferred rifle three years back. In the Virginia DeMarce short story , he offers support as family forces rally to convince Veronica Richter to be fitted for false teeth. His assistance is also implied at the end of Here Comes Santa Claus by K.D. Wentworth, when Wallenstein makes it clear he'd like his shattered jaw and teeth repaired.

Mike and Becky Stearns

Inasmuch as Eric Flint has a set of central characters in the series, they are certainly the doting parents of Sepharad Stearns, who was born in (1632) the early winter of '32-'33 after the close of — though nearly assassinated in her mom's womb by Wallenstein's Croatian cavalry before Jeff Higgins came to the rescue of both.

Flint has stated baldly that he considers a story the if either or both of these two characters are "doing something", excluding the many stories by other authors and other threads where they are included as "color" in a background cameo, even some short stories where they are more or less integral to the tale. In truth, the distinction is somewhat tough to draw as even the other main plot threads known to date have Mike or both appear as part of the storyline, usually receiving intelligence used to expand plot background or issuing a directive.

Rebecca Stearns

Rebecca "Becky" (Abrabanel) Stearns is a fictional character inserted into the historically influential far-flung Sephardic Jewish , who according to Flint were frequently found in influential positions as "Court Jews" in various political entities of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Rescued by the UMWA posse at the early in the novel , the burgeoning attraction between them draws attention to the historical struggles of the European Jewish population in the era. Religious persecution and forcible official state churches are a reality. The Abrabanel family and their description of persecution of the Jews during the late middle ages and into the modern era is revealed through dialog between the American up-timers and the down-time Jewish families that, in essence, come to believe the Americans and their freedom of religion can protect them as well. That use is continued throughout the series as a recurrent theme, aided and abetted later on by the introduction of other Jewish figures such as the fictional Morris and Judith Roth, who anchor the East-Central and Eastern European thread revolving around Albrecht von Wallenstein starting in the —and continuing in the serialized novel The Anaconda Project— and other members of the Abrabanel clan and other Sephardic Jews such as who becomes one of Mike Stearns major political aides and Director of intelligence for the .

Rebecca becomes "National Security Adviser" to Chairman Michael Stearns of the Grantville Emergency Committee, is chief translator in most negotiations with the neighboring native Europeans and is drafted immediately by the authorities to serve as a news anchorwoman when the High School's television equipment is used to broadcast as the town's cable television system. She becomes wildly popular in the new society mixing German refugees and stranded Americans and becomes in succession a Member of the Grantville Constitutional Convention, Senator of the , and, as Mrs. Mike Stearns, special diplomatic envoy of President Stearns.

She is sent as an envoy to France and the Netherlands and with her embassy party elects to endure the . She uses this to further the revolution in thought her husband is leading from Germany. During she lays the groundwork and plants the ideas (aided by the ability to communicate with Prime Minister and husband Mike Stearns secretly by radio) that lead to a peace and an new stable largish kingdom in the low countries. Over several books in the series, large western portions of what became Germany, the French, Spanish, and Dutch Netherlands including the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg become a unified kingdom in . In the neohistory, in no small part because of Becky's work, France and Germany will have to deal with a populous, prosperous and unified largish nation in the European North Sea corner, instead of a host of weak disparate and divided small nations who can't prevent the larger nations from invading every 25 years or so.

Michael "Mike" Stearns

Michael Stearns is the most frequently appearing central character, moving and shaking the universe of 1632. A United Mine Workers Union official, Stearns dropped out of college and was a prize fighter for several years in California, where he lost his lady love under tragic circumstances. Stearns returned to a union career and raised his younger sister Rita when his father took ill and died some years before the time line of the first novel. Having a core group of other union men around him at his sister's wedding, organizers like Harry Lefferts and friend Frank Jackson, Mike and his men are deputized by Chief of Police Dan Frost when he is shot by Catholic mercenaries immediately after the Ring of Fire event. He opposes John Simpson a few days later in a town meeting, and finds at the end of the encounter he has been elected by acclaim as Head of an Emergency Committee responsible for the town's early efforts to survive the war-torn early seventeenth century. Subsequently, as circumstances in the neo-history evolve governmental forms and circumstances, he is successively elected president of the New United States, Prime Minister of the (CPoE), and first prime minister of Gustavus II, Emperor of the newly formed federated republic, the United States of Europe.

Stone Family

The Stone family was introduced by series guest writer Mercedes Lackey in the story "To Dye For". Headed by aging pharmacology student Tom "Stoner" Stone, the family is the remnant of a failed Grantville commune. Long before the Ring of Fire, the other hippies had departed, taking their girl children, but leaving three young boys with Tom as a "good role-model".

Tom Stone

Tom "Stoner" Stone is a laid back non-businessman who "Tuned In and Dropped Out" in the early seventies, leaving Pharmacology graduate school at Purdue University to join the outside Grantville. After the commune fell apart, Tom took care of the three boys like they were his own, although only one is for sure. In addition to teaching himself subsistence farming, he provided for his small family by raising improved strains of [...] in a home-built greenhouse and selling it to an out-of-town contact to avoid trouble with the law. He successfully bribed the kids to keep it secret by promising not to reveal their real names.

In the story "To Dye For", Tom is frustrated by his affection for Magda, whose guildmaster father has deemed him unsuitable due to his lack of material wealth. Initially, Tom's colorful tie-dyed shirts had signaled "money" in a society where only the rich can afford colors. Tom refuses to charge the town for his [...], since it is for medical purposes - he will not make a profit from the pain of others. However, thinking about colors inspires Tom to put his knowledge of chemistry to work, and the results bring him wealth and his desired bride.

Aided by the High School's science department, Stoner goes on to apply his pharmacological knowledge to develop simpler (early era) antibiotics such as Chloramphenicol and some sulfa drugs as well as the insecticide DDT—which are still used in third world countries because they are easy and inexpensive to make compared to alternatives used later in developed countries.

By 1633, "Doctor Professor Stoner" is firmly established as an increasingly rich and famous dye maker, pharmacologist and chemist. He is named as the medical attache to the New United States of Europe's first Embassy delegation sent to the Most Serene Republic of Venice (). He accepts a year's posting to lecture at the University of Padua to spread his scientific knowledge.

Magda Stone

Daughter of guildmaster , Magdelena was a spinster in her early thirties wasting away doing the books for her father's business. When she accompanies a delegation from her town to visit Grantville, she met her soul-mate, . His initial courting was received with favor because the family was impressed with the wealth on display in , at least until her father realized "Stoner" wasn't the man of means he'd mistaken him to be. The romantic personal personal growth journey from crushing blow to triumphant groom is told in Mercedes Lackey's story .

In 1633, Magda accompanies her wizard of a husband to Italy, as part of the Embassy to Venice and also to lecture at the University of Padua in the novel . There, she takes her husband's wealth and uses her business acumen to build it into a fortune, turning them into the "wealthiest family in Europe". Ably assisted by and a Jewish lawyer, the two women intended to shop from a list of needed commodities put together by Grantville's Research and Development establishment. Incensed by the prevailing cultural attitude that only men have a head for business, they proceed to use the power of radio communications to fleece all comers and dominate the Venetian and Baltic commodities markets for Grantville's entire shopping list, plus a lot more.

After that bravura performance, Magda has dropped into the background in the series and is presumably happily counting Stoner's money and raising his sons. However, her uncompromising German views include using the boys' real names.

Frank Stone

Named Faramir at birth, he is the oldest of Stoner's three sons, and the only one who is definitely Tom's genetic child. Frank is a central character in 1634: The Galileo Affair. He first does everything in his power to delay the Venice Committee of Correspondence from a zany idea to rescue Galileo from the authorities of the Inquisition, and when duped along with everyone else in the committee, winds up becoming the de nomine leader of the rescue attempt. He takes a further foray onto center stage in 1635: The Cannon Law when attempts to start a business along with a Committee of Correspondence chapter in Rome.

Gerry Stone

Named Gwaihir, the youngest of the three Stone brothers sports "Stop-sign Red" hair, making it quite certain that he is not Tom Stone's natural son. Gerry's stoned mother simply could not remember anyone else's last name when it was time to fill out the birth certificate. He is nonetheless treated as his own by the "responsible hippie".

Ron Stone

Given the name Elrond, the middle Stone brother might be Tom's son - even he is not sure. However, the brothers have grown up together and consider themselves family.

Red Sybolt

Red Sybolt was introduced by veteran Science Fiction writer in the where he aids an emissary of Comenius of the Moravian Church. He is mentioned a few times as an old colleague, a master "labor organizer" (revolutionary) and close friend of . He appears as a brief referenced party recommended to in Flint's , and that early plotting finally began fruiting in the long awaited in The Anaconda Project (Serialized in The Grantville Gazettes beginning in of September 2007, issued online 1 July 2007 as an E-ARC).

Len Trout

Len Trout is the Assistant Principal (British English: Headmaster) and school disciplinarian at the time of the Ring of Fire, and succeeds Ed Piazza as Principal. He is characterized as an early morning grump— with a need to stoke a low blood sugar level with three cups of coffee—each ladened with copious amounts of both cream and sugar, before one wants to cross his path—the Four Musketeers want to avoid annoying the next morning when they bed down on the rug of the Principals' Office. Trout is presented as a decent man and capable background figure aside from the grumpiness sans early coffee, and is killed off heroically in defense of the school gymnasium entrance when the Croatians force open the doors in the .

Larry Wild

Larry Wild is one of the introduced midway through the novel , and is the central character in , which canonically reveals some of the problems and solutions incorporated into the policy of . Wild is killed in the while piloting the most capable speed boat, "The Outlaw", as the Grantvillers support Gustav's under the onslaught of naval forces accompanying invading expeditionary forces. His death, along that with aviator Hans Richter inspires the feelings of nationalism that shortly afterwards sweep through central Germany and result in the new stronger government of with Mike Stearns as first prime minister.

Jesse Wood

Colonel James "Jesse" Wood was a retired United States Air Force tanker pilot and has been involved from the outset in the NUS/USE efforts to develop basic aircraft and build an air force. He is unpretentious and informal with a tendency to calmness when others would panic, perhaps necessary traits in the NUS air force's sole test pilot. He has a bent for organization and through the loss of his protégé, Hans Richter in the has developed a strong dislike for the opponents of the NUS and Gustavus Adolphus. During the winter of 1633-34 Wood organizes a "message sending" demonstration to bomb Paris, and let know just what the up-timers and Gustavus's administration (now reorganized as the ) "thinks" of Richelieu's recent changes in French foreign policy which resulted in the and a French army besieging Gustav in . Referred to by both allies and enemies as Der Adler (the Eagle).

See also

• 1632 institutions
• 1632 places
• 1632 series battles