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Miss La Creevy ( Nicholas Nickleby )
Miniature painter in the Strand. The Nickleby's lease lodging from her briefly and she becomes their faithful friend. In the end she marries the Cheeryble Brothers old clerk, Tim Linkinwater. (top)Lammle, Alfred and Sophronia ( Our Mutual Friend ) Society couple who marry, each thinking that the other has money only to find after marriage that both are broke. They are frustrated in a scheme to worm their way into the Boffin fortune and leave England to escape debts. (top)
Landless, Helena ( The Mystery of Edwin Drood ) Twin sister of Neville who, as the story ends prematurely, is falling in love with Canon Chrisparkle. (top)
Landless, Neville ( The Mystery of Edwin Drood ) Twin brother of Helena. He and his sister are brought to Cloisterham by their guardian, Mr. Honeythunder. Neville is attracted to Rosa Bud and, being set up by Jasper, quarrels with Edwin Drood. After Drood's disappearance Jasper cast blame on Neville who has no alibi and flees to London with his sister. (top)
Langdale ( Barnaby Rudge ) Kindly vintner and distiller in Holborn based on an historical figure. The Catholic Langdale shelters Geoffrey Haredale from the rioters. His home and warehouse are burned in the riots, his stores of spirits are consumed by the mob. (top)
Larkins, Miss ( David Copperfield ) Early love of David Copperfield, "a tall, dark, black-eyed, fine figure of a woman". She later marries an officer in the Army. (top)
Leeford, Edward aka Monks ( Oliver Twist ) Villainous son of Edwin and half-brother of Oliver Twist who plots with Fagin to corrupt Oliver, in which case Leeford will inherit all of their father's property. After the plan is foiled Leeford is forced to emigrate to America where he dies in prison. (top)
Leeford, Edwin ( Oliver Twist ) Father of Oliver, whom he has fathered out of wedlock with Agnes Fleming. Also father of Edward (Monks) from a previous marriage. Edwin has died before the story begins. (top)
Lenville, Thomas ( Nicholas Nickleby ) Member of Crummles' traveling stage troupe: "a dark-complexioned man, inclining indeed to sallow, with long thick black hair, and very evident inclinations (although he was close shaved) of a stiff beard, and whiskers of the same deep shade. His age did not appear to exceed thirty, though many at first sight would have considered him much older, as his face was long, and very pale, from the constant application of stage paint." (top)
Lewsome ( Martin Chuzzlewit ) Medical man and old schoolmate of John Westlock. Westlock hires Mrs Gamp to nurse Lewsome through a serious illness. Lewsome has provided poison to Jonas Chuzzlewit who intends using it to kill his father, Anthony. His later confession helps lead to Jonas' arrest. (top)
Lightwood, Mortimer ( Our Mutual Friend ) A lawyer too lazy to take on much work and friend of Eugene Wrayburn. His only client is the Boffins, which puts him in the middle of much of the story. (top)
Lillian ( The Chimes ) Orphaned nine-year-old niece of Will Fern. (top)
Lillyvick, Mr ( Nicholas Nickleby ) Collector of water rates and uncle of Mrs Kenwigs. He secretly marries Henrietta Petowker in Portsmouth, much to the dismay of the Kenwigs, who had hoped to inherit his money. The Kenwigs expectations are renewed when Henrietta runs off with a half-pay (retired) captain. (top)
Linkinwater, Tim ( Nicholas Nickleby )
Faithful clerk to the Cheeryble Brothers and friend of the Nicklebys. He marries Miss La Creevy. (top)Littimer ( David Copperfield ) Manservant to Steerforth, involved in the concealment of the elopement of Steerforth and Emily. He is later guilty of embezzlement and is captured with the help of Miss Mowcher. David says of him "I believe there never existed in his station a more respectable-looking man. He was taciturn, soft-footed, very quiet in his manner, deferential, observant, always at hand when wanted, and never near when not wanted; but his great claim to consideration was his respectability". (top)
Longford, Edmund ( The Haunted Man ) Ailing student at the university where Redlaw teaches chemistry. He is adversely effected by Redlaw's gift of forgetting past sorrows and is later restored by his old nurse, Milly Swidger. (top)
Lorry, Jarvis ( A Tale of Two Cities ) A clerk in Tellson's bank who is instrumental in bringing Dr. Manette, who is imprisoned in Paris, back to England. He returns to Paris to look after the bank's interest after the Revolution starts and while there helps Lucie and Charles Darnay, bringing them back to England after Sydney Carton sacrifices his life to save Darnay. (top)
Losberne, Dr. ( Oliver Twist ) Impetuous doctor who treats Oliver and Rose in illness. A friend of the Maylie family. (top)
Lowten ( Pickwick Papers ) Clerk to the solicitor Perker. Spends evenings with other law clerks at the Magpie and Stump. (top)
Lupin, Mrs ( Martin Chuzzlewit ) Landlady of the Blue Dragon Inn. Eventually marries Mark Tapley. (top)
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MacStinger, Mrs ( Dombey and Son )
Captain Cuttle's widowed landlady at Brig Place. The Captain is terrified of her and is constantly trying to avoid her. She eventually coerces the Captain's friend, Jack Bunsby, into marriage. (top)Maggy ( Little Dorrit )
Mentally retarded granddaughter of Mrs Bangham and faithful friend of Amy Dorrit. "She was about eight-and-twenty, with large bones , large features, large feet and hands, large eyes and no hair". (top)Magnus, Peter ( Pickwick Papers ) Samuel Pickwick's fellow traveler to Ipswich where Magnus plans to propose to Miss Witherfield, the lady in yellow curl papers. (top)
Magwitch, Abel ( Great Expectations )
A convict whom Pip helps in the marshes after his escape from the prison ship. He is recaptured and transported to Australia where he gains a fortune which he secretly uses to increase Pip's "expectations". He secretly returns to England as Provis and confronts Pip with the secret source of his good fortune. Magwitch is recaptured and dies before he can be executed. Magwitch is also the father of Estella. (top)Maldon, Jack ( David Copperfield ) Cousin of Annie Strong with whom he is suspected of having an affair. (top)
Manette, Dr. Alexandre ( A Tale of Two Cities ) A prisoner in the Bastille in Paris for eighteen years. He is released and accompanies his daughter, Lucie, and Jarvis Lorry to England. He returns to Paris after the outbreak of the revolution and, as a former prisoner, is able to secure Darnay's release from the revolutionaries. However, a statement written during Manette's long incarceration in the Bastille is later discovered and incriminates Darnay's family. Darnay is again imprisoned and later escapes when Sydney Carton takes his place. (top)
Manette, Lucie ( A Tale of Two Cities ) Daughter of Dr. Manette. She is taken to Paris by Jarvis Lorry when her father is released from prison. She marries Charles Darnay but is adored from afar by Sydney Carton, who feels unworthy of her. When Darnay is imprisoned in Paris by the revolutionaries Carton helps him escape, taking Darnay's place due to their resemblance. As Darnay and Lucie escape to England, Carton makes the supreme sacrifice. (top)
Mann, Mrs. ( Oliver Twist ) Matron of a workhouse farm where Oliver is raised to age 9. (top)
Mantalini, Madame ( Nicholas Nickleby ) Dressmaker in Cavandish Square, she hires Kate Nickleby as a favor to her uncle Ralph, to whom she owes money. Her shiftless husband, Alfred, borrows heavily from Ralph and eventually bankrupts his wife's business. (top)
Mantalini, Alfred ( Nicholas Nickleby ) Husband of Madame Mantalini. A shiftless idler who lives by flattering his older wife until he has gone through all of her money. Ends up working for a laundress who has bailed him out of debtor's prison. (top)
The Marchioness ( The Old Curiosity Shop )
Dick Swiveller's nickname for the little servant kept locked below stairs by the Brasses. Swiveller later marries her. (top)Markleham, Mrs. ( David Copperfield ) Mother of Annie Strong. Also known as The Old Soldier. (top)
Markham ( David Copperfield ) Friend of Steerforth's who has dinner with David at his chambers at the Adelphi. (top)
Marley, Jacob ( A Christmas Carol )
Scrooge's former partner, who died seven Christmas Eves ago. Jacob, in life, was a penny-pinching miser like Scrooge and is suffering for it in the afterlife. His ghost comes to haunt Scrooge, hoping to change Scrooge's life and therefore avoid Marley's fate. (top)Marton, Mr ( The Old Curiosity Shop ) Kindly schoolmaster who befriends Nell and her grandfather. He meets up with them again at the end of their journey and obtains a situation for them in the village church where he has been appointed clerk. (top)
Mary ( Pickwick Papers ) Pretty housemaid of Nupkins, mayor of Ipswich, whom Samuel Weller pursues throughout the novel. Later Arabella Allen's maid and finally hired as housemaid by Samuel Pickwick. She marries Weller at the end of the novel. (top)
Mary Anne ( David Copperfield ) Incompetent maid to David and Dora Copperfield. (top)
Maylie, Mrs. ( Oliver Twist ) Mother of Harry and the adopted mother of Rose. (top)
Maylie, Harry ( Oliver Twist ) Son of Mrs. Maylie, he marries Rose. (top)
Maylie, Rose ( Oliver Twist ) A poor girl adopted by Mrs. Maylie, she and Mr. Brownlow endeavor to help Oliver through Nancy. When Nancy's conversation with Rose on London Bridge is overheard by Claypole, Nancy is murdered by Sikes. She later marries Harry. (top)
M'Choakumchild ( Hard Times ) Schoolmaster in Gradgrind's school where fancy and imagination are discouraged in favor of hard facts. (top)
Meagles, Mr. and Mrs. ( Little Dorrit ) Kindhearted retired banker Mr. Meagles, his wife and daughter, Pet, befriend Arthur Clennam, Amy Dorrit, and Daniel Doyce. The Meagles adopt Tattycoram from the Foundling Hospital. (top)
Meg (Margaret) ( The Chimes ) Daughter of poor ticket porter Trotty Veck. Marries Richard on New Year's Day. (top)
Mell, Charles ( David Copperfield ) Assistant schoolmaster at Salem House Academy attended by David Copperfield. David befriends Mell and finds that Mell's mother lives in an almshouse which he innocently tells Steerforth. Steerforth uses this information to discredit Mell and have him dismissed. Mell later emigrates to Australia and becomes headmaster at Colonial Salem House Grammar School in Port Middlebay. (top)
Merdle, Mr. and Mrs. ( Little Dorrit ) Mr. Merdle is an unscrupulous banker. Investing in his enterprises ruins the Dorrits, Arthur Clennam, and others. Merdle commits suicide when his fraud is uncovered. Mrs. Merdle is the mother of Edmund Sparkler by a previous marriage. (top)
Micawber, Wilkins ( David Copperfield )
Enters the story when David takes lodging at his home. Continually in debt and looking for "something to turn up" he ends up in debtor's prison. On his release he rambles through the story in various occupations eventually employed at Mr. Wickfield's office where he exposes the dastardly deeds of Uriah Heep. In gratitude for this his debts are paid and he emigrates to Australia, where he prospers. David describes him as "a stoutish, middle-aged person, in a brown surtout and black tights and shoes, with no more hair upon his head (which was a large one, and very shining) than there is upon an egg, and with a very extensive face. His clothes were shabby, but he had an imposing shirt-collar on. He carried a jaunty sort of a stick, with a large pair of rusty tassels to it; and a quizzing-glass hung outside his coat, - for ornament, I afterwards found, as he very seldom looked through it, and couldn't see anything when he did". The character is drawn heavily on Dickens' father. (top)Micawber, Emma ( David Copperfield )
Long suffering wife of Mr. Micawber whom she swears she will never leave despite his financial difficulties. David describes her as "a thin and faded lady, not at all young, with a baby at her breast. This baby was one of twins; and I may remark here that I hardly ever, in all my experience of the family, saw both the twins detached from Mrs. Micawber at the same time. One of them was always taking refreshment". (top)Miggs ( Barnaby Rudge )
Maid in the Varden household. Comically allies with Martha Varden against her husband. Miggs aids the rioters when they attempt to capture Gabriel. She is discharged after the riots and becomes a jailor in a woman's prison. (top)Millers ( Great Expectations ) One of Mrs Pocket's maids (along with Flopson) who helps control the Pocket's 'tumbled up' children. (top)
Milvey, Reverend Frank ( Our Mutual Friend ) Reverend who assists the Boffins in the adoption of Johnny. Reverend Milvey also conducts the funeral of Betty Higden and the marriage of Eugene Wrayburn and Lizzie Hexam. Rev. Frank's wife is Margaretta. (top)
Mills, Julia ( David Copperfield ) Friend and confidant of Dora Spenlow and David's go-between during his courtship with Dora. She later goes to live in India. (top)
Mills, Mr. ( David Copperfield ) Father of Julia. When David visits Dora at the Mills' home he must wait for Mr. Mills to go out, which he takes his good time doing, much to David's annoyance. (top)
Molly ( Great Expectations ) Jagger's maid whom he had successfully defended in a murder trial. Jaggers gives her little girl (Estella) to Miss Havisham to raise. (top)
Morfin, Mr ( Dombey and Son ) Assistant manager at Dombey and Son. Morfin aids John Carker when he overhears John's mistreatment at the hands of his brother James. Morfin later marries Harriet Carker. (top)
Mould ( Martin Chuzzlewit ) Undertaker who arranges the funeral of Anthony Chuzzlewit and recommends Mrs Gamp. Mr Mould has "a face in which a queer attempt at melancholy was at odds with a smirk of satisfaction". (top)
Miss Mowcher ( David Copperfield )
Dwarf hairdresser and manicurist of Steerforth. David, expecting to meet Miss Mowcher for the first time reports: "I looked at the doorway and saw nothing. I was still looking at the doorway, thinking that Miss Mowcher was a long while making her appearance, when, to my infinite astonishment, there came waddling round a sofa which stood between me and it, a pursy dwarf, of about forty or forty-five, with a very large head and face, a pair of roguish grey eyes, and such extremely little arms, that, to enable herself to lay a finger archly against her snub nose, as she ogled Steerforth, she was obliged to meet the finger half-way, and lay her nose against it. Her chin, which was what is called a double chin, was so fat that it entirely swallowed up the strings of her bonnet, bow and all". See sidebar on Copperfield page. (top)Mr. F's Aunt ( Little Dorrit )
Companion to Flora Finching (Aunt to her late husband) and one of the funniest characters in Dickens. Dickens describes her as "an amazing little old woman, with a face like a staring wooden doll too cheap for expression, and a stiff yellow wig perched unevenly on the top of her head, as if the child who owned the doll had driven a tack through it anywhere, so that it only got fastened on". She has an amazing capacity for uttering totally non-sensible barbs which "being totally uncalled for by anything said by anybody, and traceable to no association of ideas, confounded and terrified the mind". (top)Murdstone, Edward ( David Copperfield ) Second husband of Clara Copperfield whom David dislikes. He is a stern disciplinarian and sends David off to Salem House School and later consigns him to the warehouse of Murdstone and Grinby. (top)
Murdstone, Jane ( David Copperfield ) Sister of Edward Murdstone who moves in with David and his mother after her marriage to Murdstone. David describes her as "a gloomy-looking lady she was; dark, like her brother, whom she greatly resembled in face and voice; and with very heavy eyebrows, nearly meeting over her large nose. She kept the purse in a very jail of a bag which hung upon her arm by a heavy chain, and shut up like a bite. I had never, at that time, seen such a metallic lady altogether as Miss Murdstone was". She surfaces again in the novel as the "confidential friend" of Dora Spenlow. (top)
