Estimated Ages Of The Van Der Linde Gang Members

Summary

• The Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 is like a dysfunctional family with characters of various ages and backgrounds.
• Characters like Uncle, Hosea, and Leopold Strauss are aged based on dialogues, appearances, and historical context provided in the game.
• Key characters such as Arthur Morgan, Dutch Van Der Linde, and John Marston have distinct ages, shaping their roles and relationships within the gang.

As players venture back into the old west in Red Dead Redemption 2, they will encounter a variety of faces. Some of these faces are friendly, and some are not. What’s most notable about these people that players will bond with is the different backgrounds and ages, with all of the Van der Linde gang members featuring their own stories and lives, emphasized by their ages and experiences in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The sheer variety of characters in the Van der Linde gang makes the group of outlaws seem like a dysfunctional family, especially when some age gaps feature characters acting as paternal figures. The ages of the Van der Linde gang members in Red Dead Redemption 2 are somewhat open to assumption.

Potential spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption & Red Dead Redemption 2!

Updated on February 12, 2025, by Jake Fillery: Many fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 might ask how old is Arthur Morgan, or, how old is the entire Van der Linde gang? With so many gang members in Red Dead Redemption 2, those who want to know Arthur Morgan’s age and the rest of the Van der Linde gang might want to check out below to see assumptions and accurate guesses on each character’s age based on what’s known about them and what they themselves have said.

29

Uncle

50-60 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 50+
• Age in 1911: 62+

One of the greater mysteries of Red Dead Redemption 2 is just who is Uncle? The character is only referred to as Uncle because no one knows his name, nor do many of the characters care. Uncle comes and goes and is usually seen as the laziest of the Van der Linde gang. However, in one of his companion missions in Chapter 4, Uncle states that he was born “Sometime between the fall of ’49 and the fall of Rome.”

This statement from Uncle could be dishonest, and he could be lying, but it’s clear that he is definitely older than 50. Uncle can’t use lumbago as an excuse for this one, and it’s more than likely that Uncle is the oldest member of the Van der Linde gang based on his appearance and laziness.

28

Hosea Matthews

55 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 55
• Age in 1911: 67

As one of the oldest members of the Van der Linde gang, Hosea certainly can act his age sometimes. Hosea will reminisce on days long gone or romanticize a time before the Pinkertons. Hosea is always one to offer advice and to help his fellow gang members in need. Even just by the way Hosea stands indicating his age is getting on.

Hosea has been best friends with Dutch for over twenty years, and the wrinkles on his face sure indicate it. It’s safe to assume that Hosea is roughly 55, as a Saint Denis newspaper in Chapter 5 can be obtained that describes Hosea looking around 55 years old.

27

Leopold Strauss

53 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 53
• Age in 1911: 65

Without the emotionless scams and debts owed to Leopold Strauss, it’s safe to say that the Van der Linde would have run out of money quicker than it did. Strauss runs a money-lending operation, and the Van der Linde gang acts as the muscle to enforce the return and interest of said money.

Strauss’ age is indicated by his wrinkled lips and gray hair. His intellect certainly shows with his age, as he is a great bookkeeper. As a shifty character, this loan shark must be around 53 years old, considering he was born in the poverty-stricken city of Vienna in the Austrian Empire.

26

Susan Grimshaw

48-50 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 48
• Age in 1911: 60

Susan is the matriarch of the Van der Linde gang. Her words strike through like lightning leadership, and part of that comes from the fact that no one wants to get on the wrong side of Susan Grimshaw’s verbal wrath. Susan deserves the respect she has from the gang, considering she has been with them for so long.

Although Susan’s age is never stated, she’s often mocked by the girls of the camp for being old, and the gray from her hair and the wrinkles on her face indicate that her youthful years are long gone. With hints towards a relationship between Dutch and Susan, it’s likely that she’s in her late 40s, especially since she’s a founding member of the gang.

25

Simon Pearson

48 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 48
• Age in 1911: 60

Pearson longs for a time when he was at sea, even if it was brief. A sailor in the United States Navy, Simon Pearson has dreams and ambitions that don’t involve the life of an outlaw. Based on Pearson’s inability for gunslinging, reliance on cooking, and his thinning, balding head, it’s safe to say that Pearson is getting on a bit.

Pearson wanted to be a sperm whale hunter like his father and grandfather, but by the time he finished school, that was a dying industry. Therefore, it’s likely that Pearson is around 48 years of age, considering whale oil was used through to the mid-1800s.

24

Bessie Matthews

45-53 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 45+
• Age in 1911: 57+

Bessie was adored by Hosea, and this husband-and-wife pairing was inseparable. Sadly, Bessie died a few years before the gang fled Blackwater in 1899, but Hosea mentions that it had only been a few years, meaning she may have died between 1884 and 1887. Even as Hosea drifted back into criminal life, Bessie stuck by him.

It’s unknown how Bessie died, but it’s likely that it was an illness that took her, as she wouldn’t have been old enough to die due to her age. Considering the romantic interest between the two, and the intellectual and emotional composure of both parties, Bessie would have been near to the same age as Hosea.

23

Orville Swanson

44-47 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 44+
• Age in 1911: 56+

Swanson may have once been a clergyman, but his addictions to morphine and alcohol have made him forget his allegiance to god. Swanson’s substance abuse certainly makes him look older than he is, and the graying hair is a clear indication of that.

Orville Swanson was a good reverend, and the only reason he’s still around is because he once saved Dutch’s life. While Swanson battles his own demons, he will also have to battle mortality, and based on appearance alone and his role as a reverend, it’s like he’s in his mid-to-late 40s.

22

Dutch Van Der Linde

44 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 44
• Age in 1911: 56

Thanks to the Game of the Year guidebook for Red Dead Redemption, Dutch van der Linde has his age pinpointed to 1855. This would make Dutch 44 by the time of Red Dead Redemption 2, as the game is set in 1899. Dutch’s philosophies and dreams seem to come from his rebellious youth and his adoration of literature, a true oddity to see a literate cowboy and outlaw.

There’s even a photograph of a young Dutch with Hosea and Arthur, showing just how youthful Dutch was before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, where his grasp on violent tendencies slowly begins to slip. There’s even a wanted poster for Dutch that describes him as being in his mid-forties.

21

Josiah Trelawny

40-44 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 40+
• Age in 1911: 52+

The biggest clue to Josiah Trelawny’s age is the secret fact that he has a family in Saint Denis. Trelawny may keep this secret from the Van der Linde gang, but it’s all for a good reason. The safety and sanctity of his family are his urgencies, even if he does enjoy the thrill of the life of an outlaw.

Trelawny has a wife and two children, implying that he must be getting on a bit, as he is happily settled down with his wife and their two sons, Tarquin and Cornelius. Trelawny is a showman with a flamboyant personality, and his connections seemingly everywhere show his experience.

20

Micah Bell

39 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 39
• Age in 1911: 51

Micah Bell is actually Micah Bell the Third, as his father and his grandfather were both called Micah Bell. A newspaper scrap can be found that details the gruesome murder spree from Micah Bell’s father, who is described as having a 17-year-old son in 1877, which places Micah at the age of 39 by the time 1899 rolls around.

Micah Bell is a character that players don’t want to age, not for the love they have for him, but for their disdain. Micah is an outlier in the Van der Linde gang and one of the central reasons for its downfall, which is why Micah should stay and rot at the age of 39.

19

Arthur Morgan

36 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 36
• Age in 1911: 48

Arthur Morgan is the right-hand man of Dutch Van der Linde, the prime muscle and most loyal member of the gang thanks to the fact that Dutch and Hosea practically raised him as their own. When the three bond together in Chapter 3, Hosea and Dutch bring up a story about Arthur in 1884, saying that he would have been around 21, which means take away those 21 years, and Arthur’s birth year comes in 1863.

Arthur definitely acts his age, and both his age and relationship with Dutch shows his willingness to question him, and his snarkiness when it comes to the more youthful members of the gang, like his little brothers, John Marston and Sean MacGuire.

18

Mac Callander

32-38 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 32
• Age in 1911: 44

Mac Callander is part of the Van der Linde gang, but dies during the events of the Blackwater ferry heist, meaning fans never get to meet him. However, there are a few things that are known about Mac, like his burliness and brutal personality that make him a complex killer. Mac had great physical strength, as noted by Uncle who saw him fight 15 sailors.

Due to Mac’s physical strength, and the fact that he’s the older brother of Davey Callander, it can be expected that Mac is in his early 30s, which puts him in a spot that makes him younger than Mr. Morgan, and a man with a story to tell in the past.

17

Bill Williamson

30 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 30
• Age in 1911: 42

Thanks to Bill Willaimson’s official biography, it’s understood that Bill was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army on December 27, 1892, while he was in his early twenties. Add 7 years to that, and by the time Bill makes it to 1899, he would’ve been around 30 years old.

Bill’s receding hairline, large gut, and his lack of intelligence pair up with a man in his early 30s, so he would have been born between 1869 and 1872. Bill definitely isn’t the youngest gunslinger in the gang, but he’s also not one of the oldest.

16

Annabelle

29-44 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 29+
• Age in 1911: 41+

Associated with the Van der Linde gang through her relationship with the leader, Dutch, Annabelle was a flame of Dutch’s, a lover whom he admired and adored until Colm O’Driscoll murdered her. This death was the start of the feud between the Van der Linde gang and the O’Driscoll Boys, and it seems that even years since her death, Dutch has never truly gotten over the loss of Annabelle, even after replacing her with Molly.

It’s unclear how old Annabelle was, but she was definitely around for a while, as she’s mentioned a few times by Hosea, Arthur, and Dutch himself. Despite Dutch’s often cold demeanor, the fact he openly states that he did like Annabelle, shows that it was deeper than just mere lust. What makes it likely that Annabelle is a younger woman is how Dutch has flirted with the youthful Mary-Beth, had slept with the young Abigail, and had a one-sided relationship with Molly.

15

Kieran Duffy

28 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 28
• Age in 1911: 40

The most reluctant member of the Van der Linde gang, Kieran was once an O’Driscroll, but his capture by Arthur Morgan has given Kieran a new home, and a new family, even if they treat him like a dog most of the time. Kieran doesn’t mean any harm, and his love of horses makes him a sweet man, one who got mixed up with the wrong crowd due to his impressionable youth.

Kieran develops maturity during his time with the Van der Linde gang, and he is able to express himself more as a human being in their company. Whilst a close inspection of Kieran shows some gray hairs, it can be expected that the stress of this life has led to that, and his innocence and interest in some of the camp girls place him in his late 20s.

14

Davey Callander

27-29 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 27
• Age in 1911: 39

Davey Callander manages to escape Blackwater with the Van der Linde gang, but he dies of his wounds before they can reach Colter. As such, not much is known about Davey other than the fact that he has an older brother, Mac Callander, who also died in the Blackwater ferry job. While Davey is barely seen, he does have a character model that has hints of his age.

Since Davey is younger than Mac, it can be expected that he’s younger than 30, and his character model has barely any wrinkles, a youthful beard, and blonde hair, implying that he’s in his late 20s.

13

Charles Smith

27 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 27
• Age in 1911: 39

Charles Smith has had to fight for his way of life due to having the background of an African American father and a Native-American mother. Charles is a recent and welcome addition to the Van der Linde gang, and despite his burly size and height, is only around 27.

Charles has a youthful appearance, and his friendship with the youthful members of Rains Fall’s clan, like Eagle Flies, shows that he has a great spirit, and his morality aligns more with civilization in 1899 than it would with an outlaw longing for a time that has passed.

12

Javier Escuella

26 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 26
• Age in 1911: 38

Javier is an outlaw born to fight the status quo. His rebellious nature led him to youthful mistakes that saw him kill an important man in Mexico, where he was forced to flee and eventually met the Van der Linde gang in 18995, and has been riding with them ever since as a brother, and an admirer of Dutch. His aspiring ambitions as an outlaw and his devotion to Dutch shows a youthful man being led astray.

Although Javier never has his age specifically stated, based on his appearance and his view of the world, it’s safe to assume that Javier is around the same age as John Marston, perhaps around 26, which would make sense considering both his charm and how Abigail Roberts had slept with him a few times.

11

John Marston

26 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 26
• Age in 1911: 26

After the Van der Linde gang ran into a troubled young boy, they decided to take him under their wing. John Marston was raised by the Van der Linde gang and had much admiration for Dutch van der Linde himself due to being a mentor and a father figure who taught him to read, shoot, and hunt.

John Marston was born in 1873, a known fact from the fact that John Marston was 12 when he met Dutch in 1885. John is 26 by the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, and his youth in the Van der Linde gang often has him teased as the Golden Boy, and resented by Arthur Morgan for his childish lack of commitment to Abigail and his son, Jack.

10

Molly O’Shea

25-29 Years Old

• Age in 1899: 25+
• Age in 1911: 37+

Molly was born into a wealthy family from Dublin but saw an attraction in the life of an outlaw. However, her romanticism of life on the run took its toll on her, and she soon became more of a burden to the Van der Linde gang than a loving member.

Molly has a relationship with Dutch, but due to their age difference, it seems more perverse and parental than mutually loving. Molly must be in her mid-to-late 20s due to her somewhat immaturity around other gang members, and how Dutch takes a liking to the younger women.