Jeremy Reid
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| Portrayed by Jack Lowden | |
| Full Name | Jeremy Reuben Reid |
|---|---|
| Title | Mr Reid |
| Associated Noble House(s) | none |
| Date of Birth | 13th December 1786 |
| Father | David Reid |
| Father's Rank | Tradesman (partner in a printing firm) |
| Mother | Martha Reid (nee Cowen) |
| Mother's Rank | Housewife |
| Town Residence | |
| Income | |
| School | |
| University | Oxford |
Jeremy Reid is the younger son of a partner in a printing firm. A clever young man, who nonetheless flunked his degree at Oxford (mainly due to not fitting in with the social norms of the other, upper-class and aristocratic scholars, Jeremy is nevertheless cautious and careful when it comes to making decisions.
Jeremy is played by Georgia
Family
- Father – David Reid b. 1755 A self-made London man, who worked his way up through an apprenticeship at a printer’s to partner, buying his partner out when the time came. The only thing he is prouder of than is business is his family.
- Mother – Martha Reid (nee Cowen) b. 1765 A handsome woman, she’s been supportive of her husband’s business since the beginning, and often contributes ideas and time to it. She comes from a German background and is very family orientated. She wants to see her children succeed, but mainly to be happy.
- Sister – Mrs Elsie Dabney (nee Reid) b. 1784 Quiet and reserved, motherhood brought Elsie out of her shell and boosted her confidence. She married one of her father’s men quickly and at a young age, from a mix of attraction and politeness, but has been very happy with her decision since. Sensitive and gentle, yet sensible, she often tries to draw these qualities out in Jeremy.
- Brother In Law – Mr Timothy Dabney b. 1780 Jeremy has a great deal of respect for Timothy, and often comes to him for advice in all matters, business and otherwise. They’ve known each other a long time and he is something of an older brother figure.
- Nephew – David Dabney b. 1804
- Nephew – Ivo Dabney b. 1806
- Sister – Bethany Reid b. 1791 A lively and passionate young woman, Bethany has inherited her father’s charisma and confidence. She is very much involved with charity work and assists at the local school; she heartily endorses her elder brother’s project.
- Brother – Miles Reid b. 1791 Just as passionate as his twin, but in a quieter way, Miles has ambitions in law and is trying to make a name for himself in the field. Often a sounding board for Jeremy’s ideas, the two are very close.
Background
Born to an up and coming printer and his wife, Jeremy has lived in London all his life. Born in the depths of a cold winter, he struggled to thrive for his first few months, but once Spring came around, he quickly grew into a happy, healthy child. He and his elder sister, Elsie, had a few years to themselves before they were unexpectedly joined by twin siblings, Beth and Miles. Apart from a near run-in with a horse and cart, leaving him with a bruise and a life-long wariness for street traffic and horses, his childhood passed happily and without incident.
Jeremy attended a local boys’school, where he proved to be a bright and talented student. Anything he actively put his mind to, he did well at with little effort. He had picked up German from his mother when he was still a boy, one of her parents was a migrant from Saxony. The early exposure to languages helped him pick up Latin and Greek quickly and well enough to catch the eye of a tutor, who provided him with more advanced schooling.
The tutor’s mind soon turned towards university, confident that his young charge could manage and excel. Whilst Jeremy was indifferent to the idea, his father relished the opportunity for his son, having never had the option to attend and better his own mind.
With that in mind, he succeeded in obtaining a partial scholarship to Oxford to study Classics. No longer a large intellectual fish in a small pond, this proved to be a timely reminder of his own weaknesses, along with his first real insight into society. He’d grown up with other middle class boys like himself, those from professional families, or lower. Titles and estates were another world to him, but at Oxford, this was the norm and he was the exception. This, coupled with his realisation that there were, in fact, other people just as clever as him, if not more so, was something of a wake up call for Jeremy.
He gave it until the end of the academic year, before dropping out and returning to London to help with his father’s business. He had always been working on the fringes of the business in some capacity since he was a boy. Now older, he wanted more responsibility and more of an input into the business, which was gladly received by his father.
As the printing business grew, so did their client base and network. He had only been out of Oxford a few years when he met a young society lady and struck up something of a relationship with her. The courtship was steady yet swift, he felt optimistic about his chances with her, given their attachment, despite the lack of title. When the time came, her father, somewhat hesitantly, gave his consent, if his daughter was of the same mind. However, she was not. The consequences of being his wife (his profession and living in London all year) were realised quite suddenly by the lady. Deciding against the match, she detached herself from him politely but firmly, and was married six months later to a man with a title, if not much money.
Since then, Jeremy has thrown himself into the printing business and boosted its’ reputation for fine work. Now that they are doing so well, he has more ability to pursue his own interests; mass publication of educatory books for the lower classes; inexpensive to purchase but of decent quality to last. However, whilst they’re doing very well financially, it is not quite enough for his project. He needs to find investors and sponsorship, which is only to be found by venturing back into Society, a thought which fills him with a certain amount of dread.