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This article is about Jamie Fraser's secret illegitimate son. You may be looking for Jamie's brother.


William Ransom is the secret illegitimate son of Geneva Dunsany and Jamie Fraser. Legally, he is the son and heir of Ludovic Ransom, Eighth Earl of Ellesmere, who was his mother's husband at the time of his birth.

Since the age of six, William has been raised by Lord John Grey, his legal guardian and husband of Geneva's younger sister, Isobel Dunsany.

Personal History[]

On the day of William Ransom's birth, he lost not only his mother, Geneva Dunsany, but also his father, the Earl of Ellesmere, whose official cause of death was 'misadventure'. Geneva was a young lady whose family arranged her marriage to the much older earl, and she died from childbirth complications soon after William was born. As a result of their dual passing, William was raised by his mother's sister, Isobel, and her husband, Lord John Grey. He referred to his aunt and her husband as his step-mother and step-father, respectively.

Unbeknownst to Willie, his birth father was not the elderly Earl of Ellesmere at all, but Jamie Fraser. Geneva had blackmailed Jamie, who was serving his parole as a groom for the Dunsanys at the time, into sharing her bed and taking her virginity before she was to wed to Ellesmere. Their one-night stand resulted in her pregnancy with William.

Upon Geneva's death, the old earl demanded that the child be handed over to his keeping and informed Geneva's father, Lord Dunsany, that he knew the child was not his blood, but the result of cuckoldry. The two men were arguing when Jamie, summoned to stand by as intercessor to the quarrel, entered the room, pistol in hand. When Ellesmere threatened to throw the newborn William out of the window, Jamie shot Ellesmere and rescued William, and the earl soon died of his injury. The Dunsanys, seeking to keep the truth of this scandalous interlude under wraps, did not accuse Jamie at the coroner's court, where it was determined that the old earl's distress over his wife's death caused his own sudden demise, and the court concluded that Ellesmere met his death "by misadventure". Such a phrase was often used as a euphemism for an indelicate death, such as one by suicide, and no one questioned the court's verdict.

Outlander Series[]

Voyager[]

In the course of the third novel in the series, William is born to Geneva Dunsany and the eighth Earl of Ellesmere, both of whom die on the same day. Brief insights into his early childhood are imparted from Jamie's perspective, he in the precarious position of serving as groom at Helwater's stables while watching his illegitimate son grow up.

While Willie is a spoiled child, raised largely by his grandmother, Lady Dunsany, and aunt Isobel, Jamie tries to treat him with a firm though cautious hand – William is an earl, after all – when he teaches Willie how to ride and behave around the horses. At the age of six, Willie's resemblance to Jamie, though not immediately obvious, becomes apparent under close scrutiny and Jamie decides it is time to leave Helwater. On his final day with Willie, who threatens revolt at Jamie's departure, Jamie performs a secret, impromptu Catholic baptism on Willie, christening him "William James". As a parting gift, Jamie gives Willie his beachwood rosary to remember him by.

A few years later, when Jamie and Claire are in Jamaica, Lord John tells Claire of how he came to be Willie's stepfather. Lord John had married Isobel Dunsany, and together they would raise William as a son.

Drums of Autumn[]

Around the age of ten, William left England with his mother, Isobel, to travel by ship to Jamaica, where they would join Lord John, governor of the island at the time. Isobel died on route of a bloody flux, and William arrived alone, grief-stricken. Upon his mother's death, he and Lord John received an inquiry from Mount Josiah plantation, Isobel's estate in Virginia, asking for instructions. Thence Lord John and William traveled by ship to Charleston, and overland to Virginia.

Much to the surprise of Claire and Jamie, the two make a diversion on their journey, and in October 1768 arrive at Fraser's Ridge, though of course William had no inkling of Jamie's true involvement in his own history.

While on the Ridge, Lord John takes ill with the measles. To protect William from infection, Jamie takes him on an excursion to Anna Ooka, an Indian village, and they camp together on the journey. William is reluctant to leave his father, who he believes to be dying. Jamie attempts to distract him by teaching him to fish and track. When they return to the Ridge, Lord John has begun recovering enough strength to continue with William to Virginia, and they leave.

The Fiery Cross[]

William does not appear in person in The Fiery Cross. However, in the summer of 1771, he sends a package to Fraser's Ridge after his father, Lord John, bade him find an astrolabe in London to send for Jamie's use at the Ridge.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes[]

William meets Brianna MacKenzie, not knowing that she is in fact his half-sister but feeling as though she looks familiar. They spend some little time together before the MacKenzies leave and William returns to his regiment.

An Echo in the Bone[]

In July 1776, after spending a little time talking to the MacKenzie family—and being quite enchanted by the red-haired Mrs. MacKenzie—William takes leave of his regiment and joins his father, Lord John Grey, to dine with a Mr. Bell and his guest, Captain Richardson. William is distracted by the attentions of the pretty Misses Bell, but a proposal from Captain Richardson captures his awareness neatly—an invitation for William to carry a message overland to Halifax to General Howe, and thence perhaps to join the general's staff. It's a very tempting prospect, as there is little chance of advancement in the Southern Department, but Richardson hints at the danger of the task, for both the threats inherent in the wilderness and the delicate job of any intelligencing William might be able to accomplish along the way. William begs a day to think over the prospect, but when discussing the proposal later with Lord John, he indicates that he intends to accept the offer.

William arrives in New York several weeks later, and on August 21, 1776, he reports for duty as the youngest member of General Howe's staff. The next day, the British invade Long Island, and Lieutenant Lord Ellesmere takes command of his men during the Battle of Long Island. They engage in skirmishes with the Americans for several days, and one night William is summoned to General Howe's field headquarters. There, General Howe insists that they will not pursue the Continentals in an attack, and William offers some insight gained from his intelligencing to the generals gathered there. Howe then sends William off with a Captain Ramsay to debrief the results of his intelligencing in full.

The next day, William receives another summons, this time to General Clinton's headquarters. On his way there, William gets lost in a thick fog, and wanders for an interminable amount of time before he finds himself surrounded by a group of Continentals, who take his horse, weapons, and food, and chop off the pigtail of William's hair. After some more wandering, William finds himself on the western side of the island—where the Continental army resides, and where William witnesses the army fleeing toward Manhattan. Almost immediately William is accosted by two old women, who are soon joined by one of the women's son. He demands of William where the rest of the British troops are, though William stays silent, and the women point out that if the rest of them were nearby, they would have heard them by now. In the end, the three Americans let William go, and he makes his way back to the British camp.

In August, once the British forces make their way into New York, General Howe and his staff settle into Beekman House, where William resides with his fellow junior officers during the occupation. While his comrades go out to find suitable entertainment, William stays back to read through letters from his father, from Uncle Hal, and one from his cousin, Dottie. Hal's note warns William that he doesn't think working for Richardson is a good idea, and informs him that Hal's son Adam is posted under Sir Henry Clinton and has brought things for William from his Aunt Minnie. William joins his cousin, whose bounty for him turns out to include a bottle of sherry, and they along with a few of Adam's friends drink through the afternoon, stumbling drunkenly out into the night in search of bedtime companions. While most of the group find themselves accommodated, William excuses himself and vomits on someone's doorstep, then wanders around in a haze before finding his way back to his cousin. Their reunion is interrupted by the sound of conflict, and they follow the noise to its source—one of their erstwhile companions, finding his whore to be poxed, throws hot oil on her and her entire body is engulfed in flames. She runs around flailing, and the mob watches in stupefied horror as she is consumed by the fire. Once she has collapsed and ceased to move, William shouts down the rest of the crowd to leave, and they do, William and Adam shaken and trembling in their wake.

In September, William sends a letter to his father Lord John, in which he confesses that he is in love with Dottie, John's niece and Hal's daughter. He begs Lord John to intervene in the matter of another man's suit to the lady, and speak to Hal about William's intention to marry Dottie. During that same month, William gets into a brawl with another officer after laughing at an unflattering cartoon of that officer and a captain, and in consequence William is sent to guard the customs outpost on Long Island. While billeted with a family on the island, William has an unexpected visit from Captain Richardson, who casually offers William an out from his current situation: to accompany one Captain Randall-Isaacs to Canada, ostensibly as a French interpreter. Thinking it over that night alone, William decides he would rather take an exciting opportunity in intelligence than stay and deal with the tedium of his current post.

In the meantime, while searching the shore for an alleged smugglers' cache of wine, Major Rogers enlists William's help in identifying a Mr. Hale, a Rebel spy whom Rogers is looking for; William had seen the man enter through the customs outpost the day before. He accompanies Rogers into the tavern where Hale is taking his repast, though William leaves midway through his own meal when another man complains about his apple cider and wagon being confiscated—and William realizes it was in fact he, William, that confiscated the man's wares. William, coughing and spluttering from choking on his food, waits the rest of the mission outside the tavern, unable to hear more than passing phrases of the conversation inside. After a close call with a skunk, the group inside the tavern vacates, as does Hale, and Rogers, William, and the other incognito soldiers follow him.

With Hale in custody, the group returns to Beekman House to present their prisoner to General Howe, and William and the others observe from afar a great fire spreading in lower Manhattan. The next day, William attends the hanging of Nathan Hale.

After writing letters to Dottie and Lord John in October, William leaves for Quebec with Captain Denys Randall-Isaacs. After a certain comment by the captain, William surmises that, while it's true that he speaks French very well, the real reason he was put to accompanying him was because of his connection to Lord John, whose name often conjures a warmer welcome than before mentioning it. Just before entering the city, they discuss Colonel Arnold's disastrous attempt on Quebec the previous winter.

On Christmas Eve, William writes a letter to Lord John summarizing his activities since arriving in Quebec. He describes in great detail the Battle of Valcour Island, in which he did not take part but heard much about after the fact. He also writes how Randall-Isaacs had disappeared in the night, leaving a note about urgent business—rather odd in the middle of winter so far north—and that William should stay put and await further instruction.

In May 1777, William writes once more to Lord John, stating that he was in Quebec until he received orders from General Howe's aide-de-camp in late March to return to New York. On May 2, however, he received orders sending him to join General Burgoyne's staff in Canada, as well as another visit from Captain Richardson, who requested that William do him a small favor and deliver a cipher message to a group of Loyalists in Dismal Town, Virginia. William writes that he has accepted the task.

On June 21, William is riding through the Great Dismal, repeating the names Richardson had given him in order not to forget, and reminiscing about his first time with a whore to pass the time, until suddenly he realizes that the horse has left the road, and he cannot seem to find it again. After rescuing his horse from a slough, the horse runs off as a catamount pursues it, taking most of William's provisions with it. It starts to rain, and William takes meager shelter beneath his canvas bedsack, until lightning strikes a nearby tree and sends splinters of wood everywhere, one of these lodging in William's arm. He pulls it out and settles for an uneasy sleep, waking in the morning to a thick fog surrounding him. He makes a gigging spear and waits out the fog, remembering the experience of being lost in a fog as a child, drawn by the ghostly sound of his dead mother's voice. On that occasion, one of the estate's grooms, Mac, had found him, and William realizes that there wasn't much point staying put if no one was looking for him now.

A few days later, William reaches Lake Drummond, the small bits of splinter left in his arm throbbing with a mounting infection. He decides to head left around the lake to look for Dismal Town, but is set upon by a persistent water moccasin, and in the course of fleeing it, William stumbles upon two Indians, and the three of them fight off the snake until it disappears. With the snake gone, William's instinct is to get far away from the Indians, and he throws his parcel of tobacco at them, turns, and runs. He stumbles upon a large dog and its master, at first glance another Indian, but it turns out to be a young Scotsman with tribal tattoos on his face. After dismissing the first two Indians, the man with the dog introduces himself as Ian Murray, whom William has met before.

Murray removes the largest splinter from William's arm, along with whatever other pieces he can get out, and after discovering William was bound for Dismal Town, Murray informs William that the Washingtons that live there are kin to General Washington, and thus are all rebels. In a feverish haze, William wonders how Richardson could have been so mistaken in believing those men Loyalists and sending William to them. In and out of strange dreams, William asks Murray about what constitutes a death song in the Mohawk way. Later in the night, they are joined by Murray's Mohawk companions, one of whom is called Glutton.

Alarmed by William's worsening condition, Murray, Glutton, and two other Mohawk take William ten miles to a small Quaker settlement, Oak Grove, where he is attended by a Dr. Hunter and his sister, Rachel.

While staying with the Hunters, William chafes at his confinement, though he has not yet regained his full strength. One night, he witnesses a brief visit from Ian Murray, though the young man does not come inside to speak to William. Instead, he leaves a package for William, which contains funds that should help him resume his journey, as well as a horse and a bear claw necklace from a man that the Indians call "Bear-Killer".

William comes to like Rachel Hunter, and though he is careful not to impart too much information about himself, he tells her about how he was orphaned on the day he was born. Rachel and her brother, he learns, were also orphaned young, and Denny went to England to study medicine while Rachel stayed with another Quaker woman in the colonies. She also tells William about what it means to be put out of meeting in the Quaker community, and how Denny's favoring the rebellion caused them to be excluded in this way. The Hunters' next move is to sell the house they have been living in along with all the animals, and to join the Continental army, Denny as a surgeon and Rachel as a camp follower. William agrees to travel north with the Hunters until they must part ways.

On the road, Denny Hunter shares stories with William about how he completed his medical training. Their conversation turns to the morality of executing criminals; Denny adamantly disapproves of taking any man's life, no matter his crimes, while William insists that the state has a responsibility to protect the rest of its citizens, and so criminal execution is sometimes necessary to fulfill that duty.

Seeking to find a place called Johnson's Ford at the direction of their hosts from three days prior, William and the Hunters encounter a man and his wife, who inform them that they've missed a turn on their way to Johnson's Ford, but they are welcome to stay at their place for the night. The trio take up the offer, but this proves to be a near-deadly decision when in the middle of the night, the man, Johnson, tries to kill William in his sleep. Already awoken by a griping in his belly, William avoids the swing of Johnson's axe and eventually kills him, and later discovers that Johnson's wife had tried to cut Denny's throat, but woke Rachel in the process and the Hunters managed to restrain her in a bedsheet. William confesses to Rachel that this was the first time he had killed someone, and he thought he would know better how to feel if it had been in battle, though Rachel gently disagrees.

William parts company with the Hunters in New Jersey. He encounters an old man on the road, who inquires after the whereabouts of one Ian Murray. William, disconcerted by the fact that the man says he believes William knows Murray, tells the man that he met Murray in the Great Dismal, but had no idea where he might currently be. The man asks about William's bear claw necklace, and then about his name, and William tells him it's none of his business before riding away. He notices that the man is missing two fingers from his hand.

Returned to the British Army, William writes a letter to his father, sharing his concern for the way General Burgoyne deals with the Indians. He also makes the acquaintance of Brigadier General Simon Fraser, who tells William of his part in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, where he met Lord John Grey. Fraser invites William to lead men in the coming siege of Fort Ticonderoga, which he does, and the British reclaim the fort, which the Americans had abandoned shortly before. William also partakes in the subsequent pursuit of the fleeing rebels.

Later, William meets Claire Fraser, who is a prisoner of war tending to the injured rebel captives of the British army. He manages to procure supplies for Mrs. Fraser, but she soon escapes with her nephew, Ian Murray, who calls upon William's debt to him as justification for letting them leave.

In August 1777, William is in company with some Hessian troops when he finds himself caught in an ambush at Bennington. He later encounters Ian Murray once again, while the latter helps to liberate Denzell Hunter, who was caught as an American spy and held prisoner. In mid-Septemer, Murray enters the British camp surveying the army's supplies. It is at this juncture that William bids Murray to convey his regards to Rachel Hunter, and emphasizes to Murray that his debt is paid in full.

During the first Battle of Saratoga, William makes his first kill. In the second battle, he fights alongside Brigadier General Fraser, who is mortally wounded and later dies of his injuries. The General's death affects William profoundly, and so he is nonplussed when Colonel Grant promotes him to captain. On October 17, the British surrender and William departs with the defeated army, still low in spirits.

In late November 1777, William arrives in Philadelphia at his step-father's house in Chestnut Street, where Lord John covertly studies William's interaction with his cousin, Dottie, with whom William had professed to be in love the year before. William asks Lord John about gaining permission for Denzell Hunter to be allowed into the city in order to treat Henry, whose condition is still grave, and William himself goes to Valley Forge under a flag of truce to fetch the doctor and his sister. At Christmas, Dr. Hunter operates on Henry and becomes engaged with Dottie.

In April 1778, Claire Fraser operates on Henry. A short time later, Lord John Grey learns that the ship carrying Claire's husband to America has sunk. When Grey learns that Mrs. Fraser is about to be arrested for espionage, Grey marries her in order to protect her, and William is his best man.

One day, William sees Rachel struggling with an old man on the street and comes to her rescue, and the man hurts him with an ax. Claire dresses William's glancing wound and tells him that the man who attacked Rachel is Arch Bug. In early June, William is informed by British soldiers of Mr. Bug's whereabouts. He arrives at Fergus's printshop where Mr. Bug is fighting with Ian and his dog, and William shoots Bug.

Jamie Fraser, who wasn't aboard the sunken ship, arrives at Lord John Grey's house, followed closely by British soldiers. Grey tries to help him escape, but they are interrupted by William, who sees Fraser and realizes the striking resemblance between Jamie and himself. Jamie reveals the truth about William's paternity; enraged, William throws a rosary at Jamie – the very same rosary that Jamie had given to William in 1764 before leaving Helwater.

Upon the arrival of soldiers, Jamie pretends to take Grey hostage, and William delays the soldiers further, allowing Fraser and Grey to escape. As the initial shock passes, William asks Claire a few questions about Jamie and his mother Geneva Dunsany. He agrees to keep calling her "Mother Claire" – after all, she is his stepmother, regardless of the circumstances. Still furious, William storms out of the house after the short conversation, passing Jenny Murray in the doorway.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood[]

In June 1778, he learns—to his horror—that he is the bastard son of Jamie Fraser, William is deeply disturbed – he can't tell the truth to anyone, but he also can't live a lie and feels that he doesn't deserve his title of Earl of Ellesmere. He is also angry with his stepfather, who has been lying to him for years. Before this, William meets Jane Pocock in a brothel in Philadelphia, he pays to spend a night with Jane, in order to save her from a repulsive client Captain Harkness.

As the British army prepares to leave Philadelphia, William assists in the evacuation of prominent Loyalists.

He meets Denys Randall again in June 1778, during the British army's exodus from Philadelphia. He informs William that he dropped "Isaacs" from his name after his stepfather died, and advises William to avoid Captain Richardson.

On his way out of the city, William meets Ian Murray and Rachel Hunter. Adding to his anger towards Ian's uncle Jamie, Rachel informs William that she and Ian are engaged. William and Ian get into a fight, and William gets Ian arrested for assaulting an officer. William then forcefully kisses Rachel and they part company on bad terms.

Short time later, Jamie approaches William and threatens to disclose publicly his paternity if William doesn't get Ian released, and William obeys.

William lands up as an aides-de-camp to General Clinton.

Jane, a Philadelphian prostitute of William's acquaintance, asks him for protection for her and her sister Fanny.

June 28, 1778 at the Battle of Monmouth William is knocked unconscious by Hessian grenadiers. Ian finds him but is assaulted by two Indians. He then reaches Jamie and takes a few soldiers to get help for William. William is reunited with John and Hal Grey.

In early July 1778 Jane and Fanny disappear from the army followers' camp, and William goes to look for them.

Having located Jane and Fanny, William meets Rachel Hunter. They find Ian Murray, who was shot with an arrow during the battle and is fevered. Rachel takes Jane and Fanny to a Quaker settlement, while William transports Ian to Jamie. After he resigned his commission, he comes to Lord John's house and offers to search for Benjamin Grey.

In September 1778 William finds the grave that presumably belongs to his cousin Benjamin Grey. However, the body in the grave is not Ben's.

In January 1779 William receives a note from Claire regarding the whereabouts of Amaranthus Cowden.

While searching for Amaranthus, William encounters Fanny and learns that Jane has been arrested for the murder of a British officer and is to be hanged. William tries to speak on her behalf to Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, but fails to save her.

As a last resort, William seeks Jamie's help to rescue Jane. They arrive too late – Jane has killed herself. William gives Fanny into the care of the Frasers.

William and Jamie have a short but honest conversation about William's birth.

Lord John Series[]

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade[]

William is only days old when Lord John arrives at Helwater to offer his condolences. He is doted on by his aunt, grandmother, and grandfather.

The Scottish Prisoner[]

In April 1760, Lord Dunsany brings William to the stables to "become acquainted with the horses." Though William is initially unsure, Jamie places William on his shoulders and patiently introduces him to several of the Helwater horses. William is fascinated and delighted by the horses, much to the delight of his biological father and grandfather. The following day, William returns to the stables and further bonds with Jamie.

Later that year, William's grandfather appoints Lord John William's guardian.

In late autumn, a teething William is taken on a picnic with his aunt, grandmother, and several others. William is bad-tempered, demanding to ride with Jamie, refusing to eat his food, and biting Mr. Wilberforce. When the adults aren't paying attention, William wanders into the approaching fog. He quickly becomes disoriented and frightened and falls into a rock hollow. When Jamie finds him, William sobs and "clings to him like a leech."

William becomes increasingly attached to Jamie (whom he calls "Mac"). He mimics him and follows him around. Jamie patiently encourages William, though he's also one of the few people able to discipline him.

Personality[]

They'd said one other thing about his mother. "Reckless," his grandmother had said sadly, shaking her head. "She was always so reckless, so impulsive." And her eyes had rested then on him, apprehensive. And you're just like her, said those anxious eyes. God help us all.
— Chapter 36, An Echo in the Bone


As a child he was spoiled and hotheaded, as perhaps befits a young earl. As a young man in his late teens, William still has an impulsive streak with ample stubbornness to go with it. Although he behaves very correctly and politely in society, he has a tendency toward swearing while going about his military duties. As many young officers do, William has a strong desire to distinguish himself as soon as possible, both to prove his aptitude and wear in his new-looking uniform. Still, he has acquired a strong sense of honor from his stepfather, Lord John Grey, and he tempers his impulse to act quickly with the learned conduct of a man of honor.

Physical Appearance[]

While William bears a strong physical resemblance to Jamie Fraser, he inherited his coloring from his mother. His hair is a deep chestnut brown, though his beard grows in red, much to his horror. He has the slanted blue cat-eyes of the Frasers, as well as the tall height of the MacKenzies. He inherited certain mannerisms from his father, as well – certain gestures, a tilt of the head, set of the shoulders.

William bears a scar on his arm from his injury sustained in the Great Dismal.

Relationships[]

Brianna MacKenzie[]

William briefly meets Brianna MacKenzie in Wilmington in July 1776. He is unaware that she is in fact his half-sister. He enjoys her company and finds her a charming woman, with striking blue eyes – Brianna makes a lingering impression on him.

Dorothea Grey[]

Dorothea Grey is the niece of William's step-father, Lord John Grey. In September 1776, William sends a letter to Lord John, in which he claims to be in love with Dottie and asks Lord John to talk to her father Hal about William's intention to marry her. In December 1777, it becomes clear that William and Dottie have conspired to get her to America, where she is reunited with Dr. Denzell Hunter, with whom she had fallen in love in London.

Rachel Hunter[]

William meets Rachel Hunter in early summer 1777,[3] when he is recovering from some wounds in her and her brother Denzell's house. Subsequently, he travels with the Hunters north and they become friends. William is attracted to Rachel, but doesn't act on it. They meet again in late 1777, when William brings Denzell to Philadelphia to treat his cousin.

In May/June 1778, William saves Rachel from Arch Bug twice. In mid-June, he meets her and Ian Murray and learns that they are engaged, which causes a fight between the two men, and William gets Ian arrested. Rachel is furious with William, calls him a coward and a brute, and slaps him. William forcefully kisses her and they part company on bad terms.

They meet again in late June, after the Battle of Monmouth, and help each other – Rachel takes care of William's acquaintances Jane and Fanny Pocock, while William transports her wounded fiancé Ian to Jamie Fraser.

Jane Pocock[]

William meets Jane Pocock in a brothel in Philadelphia in June 1778. Disturbed by the truth about his paternity, William becomes violent with her and storms out of the brothel. The next day, William pays to spend a night with Jane in order to save her from a repulsive client Captain Harkness.

A few days later, he meets Jane and her sister Fanny while they are leaving Philadelphia with the British army. Jane asks him for his protection. William agrees, under the condition that Jane won't be selling herself to anyone—including him—and that she will be William's laundress. He is going to escort her and Fanny to New York, where they will part company.

Jane and Fanny leave the British camp the morning after the Battle of Monmouth. William finds them, and they tell him how Jane killed Captain Harkness before leaving Philadelphia, and that they want to go to New York, but not with the British army. Rachel Hunter then takes the girls to a Quaker settlement, where they should be safe until William makes other arrangements.

In January 1779, a friend of Captain Harkness's recognizes Jane and denounces her for the murder. Jane is to be hanged. William tries to speak on her behalf to General Clinton, but futilely. As a last resort, William seeks Jamie's help. They break into the house where Jane is kept, and find that she has cut her wrists with a broken beer bottle.

Name[]

  • William comes from the Germanic name Willahelm, which was composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection".[4]
  • Clarence comes from the Latin title Clarensis which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk.[5] While it is possible that the place name is Latin in origin,[6] its precise history is uncertain.[7]
  • Henry comes from the Germanic name Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler".[8]
  • George From the Greek name Γεωργιος (Georgios) which was derived from the Greek word γεωργος (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements γη (ge) "earth" and εργον (ergon) "work".[9]
  • Ransom is of early medieval English origin, and is a patronymic from the Middle English given name Rand(e), a short form of any of the various Germanic compound personal names with the first element "rand" meaning "shield, rim", for example Randolph. The surname dates back to the mid 14th Century.[10]

Trivia[]

  • His circumstances are somewhat similar to those of the wayward and wilful Valentine Warleggan of the twelve Poldark novels and 2015-2019 television series, in which he is the secret illegitimate son of the titular character, Ross Vennor Poldark, and Lady Elizabeth Chynoweth Poldark, but was passed off as the first child of Elizabeth and her cunning and manipulative second husband, George Warleggan, for many decades. He, too, was left in the dark about his parentage regardless of his close resemblance to Ross.

TV Series[]

Actor Clark Butler portrays Young Willie in the Season Three episode, Of Lost Things, in the Outlander television adaptation. Oliver Finnegan portrays Willie in the Season Four episode, Blood of My Blood. Charles Vandervaart will portray William in Season Seven.[11]

Appearances[]

Season Three[]

Season Four[]

Season Seven[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Age as of the end of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.
  2. Jamie christened him as such in Voyager
  3. There is some inconsistency in An Echo in the Bone:
    • On June 12, 1777, Claire and Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray are at Fort Ticonderoga. Claire talks to Ian about his problems with having children, and he leaves the fort the next day (Chapter 35).
    • On June 21, 1777, William Ransom is wandering through the Great Dismal (Chapter 36). A few days later, he is wounded and meets Ian Murray who helps him to get to a Quaker settlement in search of medical care (Chapter 37). William is tended by Denzell and Rachel Hunter (Chapter 38). William then travels with Rachel and Denzell north for some weeks and they part ways in New Jersey (Chapters 41–42). Denzell intends to join the Continental army as a surgeon.
    • On June 18, 1777, Claire writes in a letter to Brianna and Roger from Fort Ticonderoga that Ian left the fort a month ago, and that "the new influx of recruits brought with it a young Quaker doctor named Denzell Hunter and his sister, Rachel" (Chapter 43).
  4. Behind the Name: William – Accessed 17 March 2014
  5. Behind The Name: Clarence- Accessed 07 April 2016
  6. She Knows: Clarence, meaning "bright; shining; gentle." - Accessed 07 April 2016
  7. Keith Briggs, 'Clare, Clere, and Clères', Journal of the English Place-Name Society, 41, 7-25 (2009)
  8. Behind The Name: Henry - Accessed 07 April 2016
  9. Behind The Name: George - Accessed 07 April 2016
  10. Name Origin Research Surname: Ransom – Accessed 17 March 2014
  11. ‘Outlander’ Casts Charles Vandervaart As Jamie Fraser’s Adult Son, William Ransom - May 5, 2022
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