Matthew Bedwell is a sailor who was on the Lavinia when it was attacked by Ah Ling/Van Eeden. He found the dying Lockhart and listened to his message, promising to take it to Sally. He managed to escape the ship with Lockhart's servant. However, while in the east he gave in to opium and became addicted. He manages to make it back to England, but becomes trapped at Mrs. Holland's when she deliberately keeps him on the drug in order to extract information from him. He suffers and is delirious most of the time, but he still manages to tell Adelaide that he must find Sally Lockhart. Eventually, his brother Reverend Nicholas Bedwell and Frederick manage to get him away from Mrs. Holland. He begins the process of trying to get sober, but is killed before he can get his life back on track. He is most likely murdered by Van Eeden to keep him from talking about what happened on the Lavinia.
