Pontifex family
First generation
- "Old" John Pontifex (16 August 1727 – 8 February 1812)
- Ruth Pontifex (13 October 1727 – 10 January 1811; wife of Old Pontifex; married 1750).
Second generation
- George Pontifex (c. 1765–1838; son of Old John and Ruth Pontifex; married c. 1797 to unnamed woman who died 1805)
Third generation
- Eliza (1798–18??; George Pontifex's eldest child; never marries)
- Maria (1799–18??; George's second child; never marries)
- John (c. 1801–18??; George's third child; marries and has unnamed son early 1837)
- Theobald (1802–1881; George's fourth child; marries Christina Allaby July 1831; has 3 children)
- Christina Pontifex, née Allaby (wife of Theobald Pontifex; married July 1831; died c. 1863)
- Alethea (1805–1850; George's fifth child; loves Overton but never marries him)
Fourth generation
- Ernest, the central character (born 6 September 1835; eldest child of Theobald and Christina Pontifex)
- Ellen, Ernest's wife (born c. 1831; housemaid of Theobald and Christina; likely pregnant by John the coachman, who she wed in 1851; separated; married bigamously to Ernest late 1850s; annulled 1862)
- Joseph (born 1836; second child of Theobald and Christina; married between 1875 and 1876)
- Charlotte (born 1837; third child of Theobald and Christina; married between 1876 and 1882)
Fifth generation
- Alice (born September 1860; illegitimate daughter of Ellen and Ernest; married Jack Rollings (born 1855) at age 38 and has son)
- Georgie (born late 1861; illegitimate son of Ernest and Ellen; marries and has children)
Others
- Dr Skinner (Ernest's teacher)
- John (Theobald & Christina's family coachman; impregnates Ellen and marries her 15 August 1851, but later separates due to her drunkenness)
- Mr Edward Overton, the narrator (born 1802, loves Alethea Pontifex but never marries her; trustee of her estate; godfather to Ernest)
