Charles Banbury
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| 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 the 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 the 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 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. Afterward 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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' 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.
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.