Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and is the capital of Massachusetts. In the Outlander series, Boston is where Claire and Frank Randall move after her return to the present. Claire and Frank live in Boston for nearly twenty years, and raise their daughter Brianna there. After her mother's departure in 1968, Brianna continues to live in Boston until her own journey to the past in 1971. Years later, Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy live in Boston while Mandy receives medical treatment.
In the 18th century, events like the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere's ride are referenced by characters.
History[]
Boston was settled in 1630 by Puritan settlers. It was the largest city in British America until the 1750s, when Philadelphia overtook it. Boston was the site of several key events of the Revolutionary War. In 1770, Boston was the site of the Boston Massacre, an event that heightened tensions between colonists and the British soldiers. Several years later, a group of protestors dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest British-imposed taxes.
During the Revolutionary War, Boston and its environs were the site of several key battles, including The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Twentieth-century Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and remains one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
Locations within Boston[]
A prestigious private university in Cambridge, and Frank's place of work.
- Boston Common
- A large park in downtown Boston. Brianna uses it to test Jem's ability to communicate with Mandy.
- Furey Street House
The home where Claire and Frank lived for nearly twenty years. The house is located in suburban Boston. It has azaleas by the front door.
- Boston General Hospital
- The hospital where Claire and Joe Abernathy work.[1]
- Church of St. Finbar
- The church near Claire and Frank's home on Furey Street. It's named for a 12th-century Irish bishop.
- St. Finbar's Parochial School
- The Catholic school Brianna attended in Boston. Their uniform consisted of blue jumpers and white blouses. It is associated with the Church of St. Finbar.[2]
Residents[]
- Bobby Higgins - A former British soldier convicted of murder for his role in the Boston Massacre
- Father Beggs - The pastor of St. Finbar's, the parish church where Frank attended Mass. He frequently asked after Claire.[3]
- Gail Bosworthy - Brianna's talkative best friend in college.[4]
- Mrs. Clancy - One of the secretaries in the Harvard University history department.[5]
- Bart Clancy - The rambunctious son of Mrs. Clancy, rather disliked by Frank.[5]
- Mr. and Mrs. Hinchcliffe - The dean of the Harvard University history department and his wife.
- Mrs. Munsing - Claire and Frank's elderly next-door neighbor.
- Graham Menzies - A Scottish-born fisherman who moved to Boston and whom Claire treated for cancer. When his prognosis became bleak, Claire helped him die.[6]
- Sister Marie Romaine - A nun at Brianna's St. Finbar's Parochial School, who cautioned the fifth-grade students against divination and tarot cards.[7]
- Horace Thompson - A plump young man from the Harvard anthropology department. He brought a set of bones to Joe Abernathy for identification.[8]
- John Wicklow - A Harvard anthropologist and associate of Joe Abernathy's.[8]
Trivia[]
- Despite Boston's colonial connections and Claire and Brianna's personal history with 20th-century Boston, the city has not yet appeared as a setting in the eighteenth century.
TV Series[]
- Glasgow is used to double for Boston in exterior shots.