is following Mr. Allworthy’s wishes.

Black George Seagrim

Black George Seagrim, so called because of his extremely black beard, a rustic and poacher. Although he is befriended by Tom, he steals from the young man and plays him ill turns.

Molly Seagrim

Molly Seagrim, a young woman of easy virtue, Black George’s daughter. Tom’s escapades with her cause him grave trouble until her affairs with other men take some of the blame from him.

The Reverend Roger Thwackum

The Reverend Roger Thwackum, an Anglican clergyman retained by Mr. Allworthy to tutor Tom and Master Blifil during their boyhood. A self-righteous, bigoted man, he voices his prejudices at all times. He beats Tom often and severely, living up to his name.

Mr. Thomas Square

Mr. Thomas Square, a deistically inclined philosopher who is a pensioner in Mr. Allworthy’s household and is Mr. Thwackum’s opponent in endless debates over the efficacy of reason and religious insight. Although he dislikes Tom, he makes a deathbed confession that clears Tom of some of his supposed misdeeds.

Lady Bellaston

Lady Bellaston, a sensual noblewoman of loose morals who takes a fancy to Tom and, when she is spurned, tries to do him much evil.

Mrs. Western

Mrs. Western, Lady Bellaston’s cousin and Sophia’s aunt. To satisfy her own social pretensions, she tries to marry off Sophia to Lord Fellamar against the girl’s will.

Mrs. Fitzpatrick

Mrs. Fitzpatrick, Sophia’s cousin. They travel to London together.

Mr. Fitzpatrick

Mr. Fitzpatrick, her jealous husband. Tom is jailed for wounding him in a duel.

Lord Fellamar

Lord Fellamar, a licentious nobleman who makes love to Sophia and, with Mrs. Western’s approval, even attempts to ravish the girl to force her to marry him. Misled by Lady Bellaston’s advice, he tries to have Tom impressed into the naval service.

Mrs. Arabella Hunt

Mrs. Arabella Hunt, a pretty and wealthy widow who offers formally, by letter, to marry Tom. His refusal of this handsome offer helps reestablish Tom with Sophia.

Honour Blackmore

Honour Blackmore, Sophia’s loyal, if somewhat selfish, maid, who shares in most of her mistress’ adventures.

Mrs. Miller

Mrs. Miller, Tom’s landlady in London. Convinced of his virtue by his many good deeds, she pleads on his behalf with Squire Allworthy and is instrumental in helping restore Tom to his foster father’s good graces.

Nancy

Nancy and

Betty Miller

Betty Miller, the landlady’s daughters.

Mr. Nightingale

Mr. Nightingale, Tom’s fellow lodger at the Miller house. Tom persuades the elder Nightingale to permit the son to marry Nancy.

Mr. Summer

Mr. Summer, a handsome young cleric befriended as a student by Mr. Allworthy. It was he who seduced Bridget Allworthy and fathered Tom Jones.

Bridget Allworthy

Bridget, the sister of Squire Allworthy, is tasked with caring for the infant Tom under her brother's instructions. Though she is unmarried at the beginning of the story, she later weds Captain Blifil and has a son named Master Blifil.

By the story's conclusion, long after Bridget's death, it is uncovered that she was not as virtuous as she seemed. In reality, Bridget was Tom's mother; to conceal her disgrace, she bribed Jenny Jones to claim the child as her own.

Squire Allworthy

Squire Allworthy's generosity extends to everyone, including Tom's supposed mother, Jenny Jones, to whom he, as magistrate, gives the lightest possible sentence. He also shows kindness to Sophia, refusing to compel her into an unwanted marriage.

Ultimately, Allworthy decides to make Tom his heir instead of the villainous Master Blifil, despite Tom's illegitimate birth. This decision reflects his belief in the importance of individual character over societal expectations.

Lady Bellaston

Lady Bellaston, a relative of the Western family, provides refuge to Sophia when she runs away from home. During Sophia's stay at Lady Bellaston's London residence, the lady seduces Tom, leading to an affair between them.

Lady Bellaston is self-absorbed, vindictive, and promiscuous. After their affair ends, she goes to great lengths to ensure Tom's misery, including attempting to have him conscripted into the navy and trying to force Sophia into marrying someone else.

Little Benjamin

See Mr. Partridge

Mrs. Honour Blackmore

Honour is Sophia's loyal servant. When Sophia decides to escape on the eve of her forced marriage to Blifil, Honour deliberately gets herself dismissed so she can pack Sophia's belongings along with her own. She then accompanies Sophia on her journey and remains a trustworthy servant and messenger throughout the story.

Captain Blifil

Captain Blifil is a self-serving hypocrite who marries Bridget for her wealth and fathers one son, Master Blifil, before dying suddenly of apoplexy.

Master Blifil

The son of Bridget and Captain Blifil, Master Blifil embodies hypocrisy. He goes to great lengths to appear virtuous and shamelessly ingratiates himself with anyone who can benefit him. However, he is utterly unprincipled, directing most of his villainy towards Tom.

Master Blifil lies about Tom to create trouble for him and frequently bribes others to join his schemes. He will do anything to keep Tom out of Allworthy's favor and prevent him from becoming the squire's heir. Additionally, he seeks to marry Sophia both because he knows she loves Tom and for her wealth.

At the story's conclusion, readers discover that Master Blifil has long been aware that Tom is his half-brother. As Bridget lay dying, she wrote a letter to Allworthy revealing the truth about Tom's parentage. However, Blifil intercepted the letter and kept this secret from the squire. Knowing that Tom had a legitimate claim to Allworthy's fortune made Blifil even more determined to destroy Tom.

Ultimately, Blifil's schemes fail when Allworthy uncovers the truth about both Blifil and Tom. Allworthy names Tom as his heir and banishes Blifil from the manor, providing him with a small annuity to live on.

Mr. Dowling

Dowling is a lawyer who is present with Bridget Allworthy at her death and is tasked with settling her estate. Bridget entrusts Dowling with a letter for Allworthy that reveals she is Tom's mother. However, Master Blifil intercepts this letter, preventing Allworthy from learning the truth about Tom's parentage until the novel's conclusion.

On several occasions, Master Blifil enlists Dowling to create problems for Tom, making Dowling believe that these orders come from Squire Allworthy.

Lord Fellamar

Lord Fellamar is a friend of Lady Bellaston. He falls in love with Sophia and attempts to rape her to force her into marriage. At Lady Bellaston's urging, he tries to have Tom conscripted into the navy to keep him away from Sophia.

Mrs. Harriet Fitzpatrick

Harriet is Sophia's cousin, and the two spent part of their childhood together under the care of Mrs. Western. They reunite on their way to London when Sophia is fleeing from her father and Harriet is escaping her abusive husband.

Mr. Fitzpatrick

Mr. Fitzpatrick is Harriet's husband. He initially appears as a loving suitor but marries her for her wealth. Once married, he becomes so cruel that Harriet is forced to flee.

Fitzpatrick is impulsive and suspicious. When he returns home one day to find Tom leaving his house, he demands a duel. Tom gravely wounds him and is subsequently jailed. However, Fitzpatrick is not entirely villainous; upon recovering, he admits that he provoked the duel, leading to Tom's release from jail.

Mrs. Arabella Hunt

Mrs. Hunt is a wealthy widow living next to Mrs. Miller. She learns about Tom through his visits there and sends him a formal letter proposing marriage. Tom is briefly tempted to accept due to her fortune but ultimately declines. He feels highly satisfied with his virtue for turning down her proposal.

Jenny Jones: As the story begins, Jenny is employed as a servant for the schoolmaster and his wife. She has also recently nursed Bridget through an illness. Jenny is exceptionally intelligent, having been educated in Latin and other subjects by the schoolmaster. This education makes the schoolmaster’s wife and other villagers envious of Jenny.

When Mrs. Wilkins sets out to discover Tom’s mother, the schoolmaster’s wife accuses Jenny. Many villagers are pleased to see Jenny humbled. Jenny confesses to being Tom’s mother, and Squire Allworthy imposes a lenient punishment: he arranges for her to relocate and start anew.

By the novel’s conclusion, it is revealed that Jenny is not actually Tom’s mother. She had claimed to be in exchange for money from Bridget, the real mother. Under her new identity as Mrs. Waters, she has an affair with Tom and eventually discloses Tom’s true parentage to Squire Allworthy.

Tom Jones

The novel’s protagonist, Tom, is first introduced as a baby abandoned on Squire Allworthy’s bed. He is fortunate to be taken in by the kind and wealthy squire, who grows to care deeply for him. However, Tom turns into a bit of a rogue. He is imprudent and mischievous and is surrounded by people eager to exaggerate his flaws and cause his downfall.

Despite Tom’s vices, which bring him significant trouble and nearly cost him his beloved Sophia, his virtues outweigh his faults. He is caught stealing several times, but often he is stealing food for the family of his friend Black George. Tom is always willing to help anyone in distress; numerous episodes feature someone in need and Tom rushing to their aid. For instance, when his landlady is devastated because her pregnant daughter, Nancy, has attempted suicide and her lover has disappeared, Tom steps in to save the day.

Tom is remarkably forgiving. After Master Blifil spends his life trying to ruin Tom, Squire Allworthy finally sees Blifil’s true nature and sends him away. Tom urges Allworthy not to be too severe with Blifil and even secretly increases the annuity Allworthy gives to Blifil.

Throughout the novel, Squire Allworthy patiently and kindly advises Tom to be more prudent and wise in his actions. It takes years and many misadventures, but Tom eventually learns this lesson.

Mrs. Miller

Mrs. Miller is a kind widow who runs a boardinghouse in London where Tom stays. Tom chooses her boardinghouse because Allworthy has stayed there during his visits to London.

Tom shows great compassion for Mrs. Miller and her daughter, Nancy. When Tom’s friend, Nightingale, is on the verge of abandoning the pregnant Nancy to pursue a marriage arranged by his father, Tom persuades Nightingale to marry Nancy and even attempts to reconcile Nightingale’s father to the union. In appreciation, Mrs. Miller becomes a loyal friend to Tom. She defends him at critical moments and corrects others’ misconceptions about him. She even intercedes on Tom’s behalf with both Sophia and Allworthy.

Nancy Miller

Nancy, the daughter of Mrs. Miller, falls in love with Mr. Nightingale, a boarder at her mother's house. With Tom’s assistance in overcoming various obstacles, Nancy and Nightingale eventually marry.

Northerton

Northerton is a soldier in the group of rebels that Tom briefly joins. When Tom toasts to Sophia, Northerton claims to know her and maligns her character. During the ensuing altercation, Northerton hits Tom on the head with a wine bottle and then escapes from his guard. Later, when Tom hears a woman screaming in the woods and goes to help, he finds Northerton assaulting Mrs. Waters and rescues her. Tom initially believes he has interrupted a rape, but it is later revealed that Mrs. Waters had consensual meetings with Northerton and was screaming because he was attempting to rob her.

Mr. Partridge

Mr. Partridge starts as a local schoolmaster. When Jenny is accused of being Tom’s mother, Mr. Partridge, her employer, is falsely accused of being Tom's father. His wife testifies against him, leading to his ruin. He leaves the area, changes his name to Little Benjamin, and becomes a barber.

After Tom is expelled from Allworthy’s home, he meets Little Benjamin, and they discover each other’s true identities. They decide to travel together. Partridge stays with Tom throughout the story, and the narrator reveals in the epilogue that Tom has given Partridge an annuity to start another school and that Sophia is orchestrating Partridge’s marriage to Molly Seagrim.

Mrs. Partridge

Mrs. Partridge, the suspicious and mean-spirited wife of the schoolmaster, testifies against her husband when he is accused of being Tom’s father, despite having no real evidence. This leads to their mutual impoverishment, and she soon dies of smallpox.

Black George Seagrim

Known as Black George due to his black beard, George starts as the gamekeeper at Allworthy’s estate. When everyone else in Allworthy’s household turns against Tom, Black George remains his only friend. Tom reciprocates by helping George, even stealing food for his family.

George loses his job with Allworthy due to some mischief Tom had encouraged him to participate in. Tom takes full responsibility and pleads with Allworthy to keep George employed, but his efforts are in vain. However, Tom later manages to persuade Squire Western to hire George, and George accompanies Western to London.

George repays Tom’s loyalty by stealing the money Squire Allworthy gives Tom the night he departs from Allworthy’s house. When Tom discovers this near the end of the novel, George flees, and Tom permits George’s family to keep the money.

Molly Seagrim

Molly is Black George’s daughter. Tom has an affair with her and contemplates leaving Sophia for Molly when he believes her pregnancy is his responsibility. Ultimately, he decides to provide Molly with money instead of his affection. When he visits her to convey this, he finds the tutor Square in her bedroom and learns from her sister that Molly’s pregnancy is likely due to another man. Tom finds this situation humorous and feels relieved to be free of any obligation to Molly.

By the end of the novel, the narrator reveals that Sophia is trying her best to arrange Molly’s marriage to Mr. Partridge.

Mr. Thomas Square

Square is one of the two tutors of Tom and Master Blifil. Like his counterpart, Thwackum, Square is an adversary of Tom and an ally to Master Blifil. Near the novel’s conclusion, Square, on his deathbed, writes a letter to Allworthy in which he repents for his mistreatment of Tom and recounts instances where Tom was wrongly blamed.

Square is a deist, while Thwackum is an Anglican, and they are frequently engaged in philosophical and theological debates. These debates reflect the broader discussions happening throughout England during the time Fielding wrote.

Rev. Roger Thwackum

Thwackum, another tutor of Tom and Master Blifil, is also an Anglican clergyman and a self-righteous bigot. Like Mr. Square, Thwackum looks for any excuse to punish or criticize Tom (he particularly enjoys corporal punishment), while he favors Master Blifil, who seems to be Allworthy’s heir.

Mrs. Waters

See Jenny Jones

Mrs. Western

Mrs. Western is Squire Western’s sister, Lady Bellaston’s cousin, and Sophia’s aunt. Unmarried, she acts as a surrogate mother to Sophia and, in some ways, as a surrogate wife to the squire. She is more concerned with appearances and social status than with Sophia’s happiness. In the conflict over whom Sophia will marry, Mrs. Western supports the lewd Lord Fellamar.

Sophia Western

Sophia, the lovely daughter of Squire Western, has known Tom since childhood. The story largely revolves around Tom's efforts to win her affection. Although Sophia loves Tom, she is understandably dismayed by his numerous romantic escapades. Despite distancing herself from him multiple times, she eventually becomes convinced of his genuine love for her. Once all barriers to their union are removed, Sophia agrees to marry Tom.

Many scholars believe that Fielding drew inspiration for Sophia from his own cherished and beautiful wife, who had passed away before he wrote the novel.

Squire Western

Squire Western, a neighbor of Allworthy and father to Sophia, has a complex set of priorities. While he cares for his daughter, his greater loves are money, hunting, and possibly alcohol. When Sophia flees to avoid marrying Blifil, Western initially pursues her but quickly abandons the search upon encountering a hunting party, deeming the day too perfect to miss a hunt. He is adamant about marrying Sophia to Master Blifil as long as Blifil remains Allworthy’s heir, despite her clear aversion to him. However, when Tom becomes the heir, Western shifts his allegiance.

Ultimately, Western transfers his estate to Sophia, allowing her and Tom to reside there, while he relocates to an area with better hunting opportunities. Nevertheless, he becomes a devoted grandfather to Sophia and Tom’s children.

Deborah Wilkins

Deborah serves as Bridget’s lady-in-waiting and sees herself as the overseer of Allworthy’s household. Tasked by Allworthy to uncover the identity of Tom’s mother, Deborah swiftly delves into village gossip and quickly forms her own conclusions regarding Tom’s parentage.