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'''James Banbury''', commoner, professional man, doctor (b. 1749, father)
'''James Banbury''', commoner, professional man, doctor (b. 1749, father)
'''Louisa Banbury''', commoner (b. 1752, mother)
'''Louisa Banbury''', commoner (b. 1752, mother)
'''George Banbury''' (b. 1771, brother)
'''George Banbury''' (b. 1771, brother)
'''Caroline Banbury''', commoner, professional man, doctor (1772 - 1772, sister)
'''Caroline Banbury''', commoner, professional man, doctor (1772 - 1772, sister)
'''Marie Banbury''', commoner (b. 1782, sister)
'''Marie Banbury''', commoner (b. 1782, sister)


== History ==
== History ==


Charles William Banbury was born to Dr James Banbury, a well-to-do London doctor, and his wife, Louisa, as their third child and second son. With neither a title nor a wealth to inherit, and not even a semblance of family influence to rely on, alternative arrangements for his future had to be made. Thanks to a family friend, a place for Charles aboard HMS Prospect was secured when he was eleven years old, starting him off as a Midshipman. His first position was that of captain's servant, and he took to it with great passion and fierce determination to excel at everything he was tasked to do or learn. The love for the profession and his natural ambition persisted over the course of his path to becoming an officer.
Charles William Banbury was born in London at four in the morning to Doctor James Banbury and his wife Louisa, becoming the second son and, not long after, the middle child. Even though it never really bothered him that his older brother would inherit everything, he knew that as the second son he would have to find something to do with his life. Thanks to a good friend of his father’s, Charles soon found himself aboard the HMS Prospect at the age of eleven as the captain’s servant. At first it took Charles a bit of time to get used to taking orders (whenever his parents or maids ever told him to do something he would always run and hide till it was forgotten or too late,) but after time he grew to understand that listening to orders helped him in the long and short run.


To Charles' infinite pleasure, his career had been an exciting one from the very start. In September 1792, he was transferred to the HMS Crescent, where he remained aboard for three years and was rated Midshipman at age 15. In 1797 to the HMS Vanguard under Captain Edward Berry. The captain of the third-grade HMS Vanguard was the famously skilled, adventure-prone and fiery-tempered Captain Berry, whose nature appealed to young Charles. The man almost instantly became his role model.
In September 1792, Charles was pleased to find himself transferred to HMS Crescent, where he served for three years as a Midshipman and was able to make his first friend Jacob. Sadly, they were separated when Charles was moved to HMS Vanguard and he met Captain Edward Berry. Though he was no replacement for Jacob, Charles found himself pulled towards the great Captain and ended up having the man become one of his main role models.


The course of his career took him to the Battle of the Nile (which happened when he was but 18 years old), where he luckily found himself in the immediate vicinity of Lord Nelson himself, and upon surviving that carnage aboard the Vanguard, he volunteered to accompany his captain to England aboard HMS Leander. Ironically, the Leander was forced to strike her colours, and Charles ended up being a prisoner to the French for six months. Never one to stand boredom, Charles used this time to learn French.
Charles was eighteen years old when he fought in the famous Battle of the Nile, and he volunteered to accompany his captain to England aboard HMS Leander after the battle. Unfortunately, the Leander was captured, and Charles became a prisoner of the French for six months, which had to be some of the worst months of his life. However, he was able to turn this bleak time in his life into something proactive and learned to speak and read French.


However, that particular misfortune, combined with his outstanding performance, bravery displayed  at the Battle of the Nile, and the temporarily held rank of Acting Lieutenant, helped him a year later when the time came for him to be put forward for the examination for lieutenant, something he had always described as the most horrifying experience of his life. He gained his first commission soon after, thanks to the love and respect of Captain Edward Berry he earned over the years, who used his connections to help further the young man's career. This was all that Charles needed to continue on his exceptional path, and eventually gain the rank of Commander.
Because of this, along with his performance shown at the Battle of the Nile, Charles found himself a year later being put up for examination for lieutenant. He received his first commission soon after, thanks to Captain Berry who had come to love and respect the boy, and used his position and connections to help Charles further in his career. Eventually Charles was able to gain the rank of Commander due to his hard work.


Having made the navy his life, he was commissioned to serve aboard several vessels, which is how he had come to make the acquaintance of a fellow naval officer by the name of Nathaniel Scarborough. The two men became “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” embodied as the battles they fought, their shared peacetime interests, and a second bout of French captivity brought them closer and closer together. In fact, during those trying times in 1810, Charles became a bedrock of support for the wounded Nathaniel, and while their paths have since diverged, Charles remained forever devoted to his former shipmate. In fact, upon his promotion, he promised to obtain a commission for his bosom friend the first chance he could seize, and Charles Banbury was of the kind that kept their word.
Since the [[Royal Navy]] was his entire life now, Charles was commissioned to serve on many other vessels, which is how he met his fellow Naval officer, [[Nathaniel Scarborough]]. The two quickly became close and formed a bond so tight that almost everyone knew them as a pair instead of an individual. Both were taken prisoner by the French. For Charles this was the second time, and when Nathaniel became wounded, Charles was at his side day and night tending to him. Afterwards, Nathaniel was forced into retirement because of his injury, causing the two to part ways, but Charles remained devoted to his dear friend. In fact, upon his promotion, he promised to obtain a commission for his friend the first chance he could, and Charles Banbury never went back on his word.


Currently on half-pay, he awaits command of a vessel of his own.
Currently on half-pay, he awaits command of a vessel of his own.
Line 42: Line 46:
== Physical Appearance ==
== Physical Appearance ==


Charles stands at  5'7'', weighing roughly 150 lbs, with sun-bleached, light brown hair of fashionable length and somehow always appears windblown, tanned skin that tells of his profession, and blue eyes. He is always clean-shaven, and when not in uniform, dressed well, but in simple styles and tones, having no inclinations to keep up with the fickle demands of fashion. His posture is perfect and musculature taut, just as one would expect from an experienced seaman to be, and his face handsome and pleasant, with a nigh-constant look of pleasant mirth. The only time his face is serious is when he's either in battle, deep in thought, or faced with some grave concern. In such moments, his face becomes posed with a look of fierce determination and unreadable deadpan.
Charles is around 5’7”, hoping still that he will gain another inch or two even though he is in his thirties and weighs roughly about 150lbs. His hair is golden blond, but from being out in the sun so much it has been bleached so fair that parts look almost white. He keeps his hair at a fashionable length so that when he goes to visit family or Nathaniel, they won’t be shamed by his shaggy appearance. His skin is tan, after many years of burning, and he has a brush of freckles across his nose and his shoulders. He is always clean-shaven because of his fair hair—if he lets his facial hair grow out he tends to look like he has odd fluff on his face.
 
Charles does not really care for fashion, but when he has to dress outside of his uniform he will try to look as presentable as he can while remaining comfortable, which is another reason why he likes to be barefoot whenever it is allowed, loving to feel either the sand of beautiful beaches or the dirt and grass from home between his feet. He has perfect posture and is very fit from the years working as a seaman; he is quite handsome and always has a smile on his face except for in serious situations.


== Personality ==
== Personality ==


Charles can most accurately be described as an experience rather than a person. Overlooked as a child by both his parents (too little an intellectual to bond with his father and too self-sufficient to bond with his mother), Charles has long ago decided that, since he can't please them, he might as well please himself, and he has done so by never failing to engage in the activities that brought him pleasure. Adventurous since childhood and with a strong inclination to physical activities, he engaged in every haphazard exploit he could think of, his competitive side always pushing him to climb the highest branch, search for the deepest cavern, jumping into the deepest end of the pond. His antics, only served to increase his self-confidence and convince himself evermore of his own invincibility. The active life the navy offered seemed the perfect choice for a young man so desperate for adventure.
Being around Charles has always been described as being an adventure. Being the middle son, his father and brother more studious and his sister being a girl, Charles never had anyone really to play with on his level. He was far too active for his father and brother’s liking and too rough for his sister, which caused him to be forced outside almost every time he became too much for them. But Charles never minded, he pursued many things while everyone else was busy, sports, reading fairy tales, fighting fake pirates from the house and swimming. The older he grew, the more adventurous he became, taking other boy’s dares no matter how terrifying even if it meant staying in a dark and cold cave for twenty-four hours straight. Because of this adventurous personality, it was no wonder why Charles took to the Navy so well, the man still the little boy inside just waiting for a grand time.
 
At the start Charles had a hard time listening to orders, and many times he did not do as he was told, but he quickly grew out of that and became a great seaman, always aware of his environment and fine details. Oftentimes, he is the one starting something with his friends, coming up with wonderful and insane things they can do for the day, and he’s always able to turn a dull and boring moment into something fantastic. He has always been able to think of matters from outside the norm, along with his developed instincts, which have been able to keep him safe so far, has left him with the ability to distinguish between people worth getting to know and those who are better off just being nameless faces. Charles is always making jokes, causing a few people to think he has almost nothing in his head, but behind that cheery face is a man who should never be underestimated.
 
Charles can be quite emotional, to the point where it can affect him physically if he is not careful. If reprimanded or knows he has done something to wrong a person unfairly, he will become listless and down in front of those he trusts. He is also a bit of a hot-head and many times has said things in the heat of the moment that he regretted after, causing him to feel immense guilt and shame at his actions. Even though he lets his tongue slip and his feelings show, he is also very good at hiding it in front of people he does not know or like.


A task-oriented man with a keen awareness of his environment and sharp attention to detail, Charles never misses to notice anything that needs immediate attention at work – or, in private, anything that can provide him with action, excitement, or entertainment. He will often be the instigator of an activity, and never ceases to provide ideas for an enjoyable event (or turning some dull affair into a rousing adventure) for himself and his friends. Thinking outside the box and his developed instincts have kept him safe from harm so far, and helped him determine who is worth knowing and who should be avoided when it comes to social interaction, though his baser instinct for excitement has clouded his judgment in this regard on occasion. Charles' quickness extends to his humour, which though droll, can be fast and very witty.
Charles is friendly and pleasant towards others and many find him great company, especially men around his age. He is very kind and respectful to women (his sister taught him never to underestimate women just because they are women,) but if they are just a pretty face he doesn’t really pay them much attention. He is easily won over, becoming good acquaintances with almost anyone, but deeper feelings, like friendship, loyalty, and love, require much more time and actions that prove them worthy in his eyes. Once his friendship or love is gained, however, they will never lose it unless that person does something unspeakable, which will cause Charles to cut them off and kill any of the feelings he had for them.


Though emotional, Charles loathes making a public display of his less savoury feelings. Pain, fear, sadness, grief, jealousy – none of these are ever shown on his face, no matter how strongly he feels them in his heart. This is not a matter of lacking the courage to face these feelings, but more of failing to see why he should make a spectacle of himself for all the world to see when he can just as easily deal with them in the privacy of his own chambers.
Because he modeled himself after many dashing and daring main protagonists from books, it has caused him to be a bit reckless and childish. Because of this he’s gained the nickname Pan among his friends, which he actually loved until he actually read up on the Greek God and could not stop blushing for days.


Towards others, Charles is generally friendly and pleasant, and he is generally well received in company, especially that of men his age. He is kind and respectful to women, but otherwise pays them little attention. His affection can be easily won, but deeper feelings, such as friendship, loyalty, or love, require time and proving to form, and once gained, remain strong forever, or at least until the person in question does something so reprehensible that it kills the very root of the feelings.
He has an indescribable love for animals. Cats, dogs, rabbits or birds—it does not matter. The only animal he cannot find any love for is chickens; they bother him for some unknown reason. He really can't explain it.


The decision to model himself after a daring and dashing naval hero has led to Charles making reckless decisions. He has wagered more than he possessed in his pocket, even challenged a man to a duel; yet matters always seem to have a way of resolving themselves. As skilful as he may be, in truth, Charles has been more lucky than good. Indeed, his good fortune has often only been the result of his friends' interventions.  
Charles doesn’t have much to fear; he doesn’t even fear death so much as he looks forward to the day where he can close his eyes one final time and rest for good with the Lord. His one constant fear, though, a fear that has kept him up at night, is losing everything he has worked so hard to create for himself. Charles loves someone deeply to the point where he has many times thought of throwing his life away, taking their hand and asking them to run away with him, somewhere far where no one would ever find them and they could live happily. But reality slides back in and he realizes that it would be foolish and irresponsible to do so, not only for him but also for the one he holds dear. He tells himself he is fine with what they have, that it doesn't matter even if his lover marries and carries on without him one day, it doesn’t matter as long as they are safe.


Charles' demons are few, but they are deeply seated and very private. As the middle child, he felt ignored and marginalized. Neither lauded or doted on, he existed in obscurity in plain sight. A very private resentment formed and has grown ever since. Loathe to admit it, even to himself, his actions and attitude serve to fill a void that Charles believes his parents should have filled long ago. While he is the perfect loving, doting brother to his sister, spoiling her senseless and always on her side, he's always felt a sense of rivalry with his brother – and an unfairly advantaged one in his brother's favour too – and he resents him for succeeding where Charles has failed – to win the love and approval of their parents. Still, Charles never behaves as anything less than a dutiful son and brother, so whether or not his parents and brother are aware of his hidden feelings remains a secret to him...and one he isn't sure he would mind if they'd ever find out.
He tells himself that.


But another, far more dangerous demon that lurks in the shadows of his life, constantly threatening to ruin him, everyone he holds dear, and everything he has achieved, is the secret of the company that Charles keeps in private. His pursuit of life's passions have led him down a very precarious road, yet still thrills in his behaviour and clandestine activities. But, daring as he is, Charles is not a fool, and he keeps his personal life under an impenetrable cloak of privacy, ever careful to never slip up in front of anyone, even people who have proven their high worth to him many times over. Knowing that if he protested too much, he would only draw attention to himself, he dismisses any talk of his private life as an irrelevance, subtly pointing out his need to live in the present and devil-may-care attitude to both the past and the future – and, since the tactic has always worked like a charm, he sees no need to change it in any foreseeable future.
[[Category:Births in 1780]]  [[Category:Single Men]] [[Category:Sailors|Banbury]] [[Category:Professionals|Banbury]]

Latest revision as of 16:42, 2 August 2017

Charles Banbury
Portrayed by Jamie Bamber
Full Name Charles William Banbury
Date of Birth June 12, 1780
Father Dr James Banbury
Mother Louisa Banbury
Town Residence {{{residence}}}
Branch of the Military Navy
Ship or Regiment {{{regiment}}}
Currently Enlisted? Yes
Enlistment Date 1791
Current or Final Rank (if retired) Commander
Major Engagements Aboukir Bay (1798), Grand Port (1810)

Charles William Banbury is the third child and second son of Dr James Banbury and his wife, Louisa. He was preceded by his brother George and his late sister Caroline, and is an second-elder brother to Marie.

Family

James Banbury, commoner, professional man, doctor (b. 1749, father)

Louisa Banbury, commoner (b. 1752, mother)

George Banbury (b. 1771, brother)

Caroline Banbury, commoner, professional man, doctor (1772 - 1772, sister)

Marie Banbury, commoner (b. 1782, sister)

History

Charles William Banbury was born in London at four in the morning to Doctor James Banbury and his wife Louisa, becoming the second son and, not long after, the middle child. Even though it never really bothered him that his older brother would inherit everything, he knew that as the second son he would have to find something to do with his life. Thanks to a good friend of his father’s, Charles soon found himself aboard the HMS Prospect at the age of eleven as the captain’s servant. At first it took Charles a bit of time to get used to taking orders (whenever his parents or maids ever told him to do something he would always run and hide till it was forgotten or too late,) but after time he grew to understand that listening to orders helped him in the long and short run.

In September 1792, Charles was pleased to find himself transferred to HMS Crescent, where he served for three years as a Midshipman and was able to make his first friend Jacob. Sadly, they were separated when Charles was moved to HMS Vanguard and he met Captain Edward Berry. Though he was no replacement for Jacob, Charles found himself pulled towards the great Captain and ended up having the man become one of his main role models.

Charles was eighteen years old when he fought in the famous Battle of the Nile, and he volunteered to accompany his captain to England aboard HMS Leander after the battle. Unfortunately, the Leander was captured, and Charles became a prisoner of the French for six months, which had to be some of the worst months of his life. However, he was able to turn this bleak time in his life into something proactive and learned to speak and read French.

Because of this, along with his performance shown at the Battle of the Nile, Charles found himself a year later being put up for examination for lieutenant. He received his first commission soon after, thanks to Captain Berry who had come to love and respect the boy, and used his position and connections to help Charles further in his career. Eventually Charles was able to gain the rank of Commander due to his hard work.

Since the Royal Navy was his entire life now, Charles was commissioned to serve on many other vessels, which is how he met his fellow Naval officer, Nathaniel Scarborough. The two quickly became close and formed a bond so tight that almost everyone knew them as a pair instead of an individual. Both were taken prisoner by the French. For Charles this was the second time, and when Nathaniel became wounded, Charles was at his side day and night tending to him. Afterwards, Nathaniel was forced into retirement because of his injury, causing the two to part ways, but Charles remained devoted to his dear friend. In fact, upon his promotion, he promised to obtain a commission for his friend the first chance he could, and Charles Banbury never went back on his word.

Currently on half-pay, he awaits command of a vessel of his own.

Physical Appearance

Charles is around 5’7”, hoping still that he will gain another inch or two even though he is in his thirties and weighs roughly about 150lbs. His hair is golden blond, but from being out in the sun so much it has been bleached so fair that parts look almost white. He keeps his hair at a fashionable length so that when he goes to visit family or Nathaniel, they won’t be shamed by his shaggy appearance. His skin is tan, after many years of burning, and he has a brush of freckles across his nose and his shoulders. He is always clean-shaven because of his fair hair—if he lets his facial hair grow out he tends to look like he has odd fluff on his face.

Charles does not really care for fashion, but when he has to dress outside of his uniform he will try to look as presentable as he can while remaining comfortable, which is another reason why he likes to be barefoot whenever it is allowed, loving to feel either the sand of beautiful beaches or the dirt and grass from home between his feet. He has perfect posture and is very fit from the years working as a seaman; he is quite handsome and always has a smile on his face except for in serious situations.

Personality

Being around Charles has always been described as being an adventure. Being the middle son, his father and brother more studious and his sister being a girl, Charles never had anyone really to play with on his level. He was far too active for his father and brother’s liking and too rough for his sister, which caused him to be forced outside almost every time he became too much for them. But Charles never minded, he pursued many things while everyone else was busy, sports, reading fairy tales, fighting fake pirates from the house and swimming. The older he grew, the more adventurous he became, taking other boy’s dares no matter how terrifying even if it meant staying in a dark and cold cave for twenty-four hours straight. Because of this adventurous personality, it was no wonder why Charles took to the Navy so well, the man still the little boy inside just waiting for a grand time.

At the start Charles had a hard time listening to orders, and many times he did not do as he was told, but he quickly grew out of that and became a great seaman, always aware of his environment and fine details. Oftentimes, he is the one starting something with his friends, coming up with wonderful and insane things they can do for the day, and he’s always able to turn a dull and boring moment into something fantastic. He has always been able to think of matters from outside the norm, along with his developed instincts, which have been able to keep him safe so far, has left him with the ability to distinguish between people worth getting to know and those who are better off just being nameless faces. Charles is always making jokes, causing a few people to think he has almost nothing in his head, but behind that cheery face is a man who should never be underestimated.

Charles can be quite emotional, to the point where it can affect him physically if he is not careful. If reprimanded or knows he has done something to wrong a person unfairly, he will become listless and down in front of those he trusts. He is also a bit of a hot-head and many times has said things in the heat of the moment that he regretted after, causing him to feel immense guilt and shame at his actions. Even though he lets his tongue slip and his feelings show, he is also very good at hiding it in front of people he does not know or like.

Charles is friendly and pleasant towards others and many find him great company, especially men around his age. He is very kind and respectful to women (his sister taught him never to underestimate women just because they are women,) but if they are just a pretty face he doesn’t really pay them much attention. He is easily won over, becoming good acquaintances with almost anyone, but deeper feelings, like friendship, loyalty, and love, require much more time and actions that prove them worthy in his eyes. Once his friendship or love is gained, however, they will never lose it unless that person does something unspeakable, which will cause Charles to cut them off and kill any of the feelings he had for them.

Because he modeled himself after many dashing and daring main protagonists from books, it has caused him to be a bit reckless and childish. Because of this he’s gained the nickname Pan among his friends, which he actually loved until he actually read up on the Greek God and could not stop blushing for days.

He has an indescribable love for animals. Cats, dogs, rabbits or birds—it does not matter. The only animal he cannot find any love for is chickens; they bother him for some unknown reason. He really can't explain it.

Charles doesn’t have much to fear; he doesn’t even fear death so much as he looks forward to the day where he can close his eyes one final time and rest for good with the Lord. His one constant fear, though, a fear that has kept him up at night, is losing everything he has worked so hard to create for himself. Charles loves someone deeply to the point where he has many times thought of throwing his life away, taking their hand and asking them to run away with him, somewhere far where no one would ever find them and they could live happily. But reality slides back in and he realizes that it would be foolish and irresponsible to do so, not only for him but also for the one he holds dear. He tells himself he is fine with what they have, that it doesn't matter even if his lover marries and carries on without him one day, it doesn’t matter as long as they are safe.

He tells himself that.

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