Robert Fitzgerald
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| Portrayed by Hugh Dancy | |
| Full Name | Robert James Fitzgerald |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 14th January, 1782 |
| Father | Richard Fitzgerald |
| Mother | Madeleine Fitzgerald (nee Freye) |
| Town Residence | {{{residence}}} |
| Branch of the Military | Cavalry |
| Ship or Regiment | {{{regiment}}} |
| Currently Enlisted? | Yes |
| Enlistment Date | 1800 |
| Current or Final Rank (if retired) | Lt. Colonel |
| Major Engagements | Douro, Talavera, the River Côa |
Lt. Colonel Robert Fitzgerald is the younger son of the Earl and Countess of Rotherham. He has one older brother, Lord Surrey, and two younger sisters, Ladies Viola and Olivia Fitzgerald. He was brought up at the family seat of Rotherham in Yorkshire.
Robbie is a clever young man with a quick wit and quick tongue. Blessed with physical agility, a good seat on a horse and a firm sense of his place in the world as a younger son, he chose the army for his profession, buying a commission in the cavalry when he left school. His talent for strategy and quick thinking has led to swift promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
He took part in the taking of Oporto in May 1809 and the Battle of Talavera in July 1809, as well as a minor battle at the River Côa in July 1810. Being a regiment of Light Dragoons, the 14th (Robbie's regiment) was often employed on outpost duty, providing patrols and videttes (mounted picquets). It was during one such routine patrol on the Spanish/Portuguese border in April 1811 that Robbie was injured in an unexpected clash with a French cavalry patrol in the same area. While he only broke his leg, poor treatment in the military hospital at Elvas meant that Robbie was sent back to Lisbon to recuperate. Poor transportation across Portugal exacerbated the injury and the decision was taken to send him home to England to convalesce. He arrived on the 1st May 1811, and is doing his best to recuperate in Town, where he has chosen to stay with his family, despite the constant whirl of activity that is the London Season.
In his personal life, Robert is close to his family, especially to his sister Viola, to whom he is very similar in temperament as well as appearance. He enjoys play acting and the kind of clever conversation he can find with her and almost nobody else. Despite lacking a university education, he is relatively well-read and intellectually sharp with a keen sense of humour and self-parody.
Robbie is a PC belonging to Rose, and played by Sharpie.
Personality
Robbie can perhaps be summed up in one word: Quick. Quick-witted, quick-thinking, quick-tempered. He struggles to be patient, especially with his convalescence. He has always been on the go and to be forced to stay in one place, living a sedentary life, grates.
This has naturally led to Robbie's living an active life, always busy with one thing or another. Being the second son, he has not been brought up to run the estate, or to eventually shoulder the responsibility that comes with the title of the Earl of Rotherham. This combination led him to take an Army commission, rather than choosing a safer career such as the Church or going into law.
He is easily distracted, reading several books at once, easily switching from one to another as his mood changed, or as the fancy took him. While intelligent and a keen reader, he has not the patience to become a scholar and settle to studying any one thing exclusively.
His natural restlessness means that, until he was injured, he was physically active, taking part in several different activities from fencing to riding, which stood him in good stead when he joined the army. He is an accomplished rider, and found that he was well-suited to the discipline of fencing. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he preferred the sabre rather than the foil or the épée, however.
His active mind also led him to try various activities such as play-acting (something he often encouraged his sisters to take part in, too) or engaging them in a game. While not interested in learning to play anything musical (although the German flute was a favourite among his Army friends), he is a good amateur singer, something that he developed further in the Army – although this has had the odd effect of severely limiting his repertoire as many of the songs he learned as a soldier are decidedly unsuitable for ladies' ears.
His tastes in literature vary widely, although ha has always preferred reading what he wants to, rather than what he ought to, or what he has been told to. He has a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare, reads novels and poetry, and picks up trivia from the most unlikely sources.
In some respects, it would have been easy for Robbie to simply drift along and fall into a career, making a good go of it. Realising this, Robbie chose a career that he seemed particularly well-suited for, and that in turn seemed well-suited for him, where he could make good use of his riding and fencing skills, as well as the natural leadership and command talents that came with being born into the aristocracy. He found that he was suited to the discipline of army life, and determined to become a good soldier and to rise to command a regiment of his own one day.
Robbie knew that he was never going to make a fortune from being in the army, and indeed if that were his only motivation (and if he had a head for mathematics) he would have joined the Royal Navy instead – there was a far greater chance of a man's making his fortune due to prize money in the Navy, after all. He joined for the personal satisfaction of being able to stretch himself and to make himself useful in some small way – and to get out from underfoot back at home. He was content with his lot, growing more so after his regiment went out to the Peninsular where they would see more action than in either England or Ireland.
He had not thought too seriously about settling down and marrying, although he was aware that he would have to do so eventually, that it was expected of a man in his position.
An easy-going, sociable man, Robbie's wit is quite dry, and he doesn't take life too seriously, although he can be serious when he needs to be. He developed a good, solid rapport with the men under his command, although he did not let them take advantage of it, and he has always enjoyed verbal sparring and repartee with his sisters Viola and Olivia. He uses humour to defuse situations he finds emotionally tense, and to deal with some of the things he witnessed during his time in Spain.
He is close to both his sisters, although he feels very protective of Olivia, who is eleven years his junior. He is aware that she withdraws somewhat into Viola's shadow, and he tries to draw her out and encourage her, without being overbearing about it. Personality-wise, he is closer to Viola, and he enjoys spending time with her.
Since being injured (he can't really consider it a wound, despite what those around him may call it), things have changed a lot. He can no longer take part in the physical activities he used to take so much pleasure in, and finds it beyond trying to be an invalid, confined to the house where he was used to living under canvas – or even in the open when the baggage could not catch up to the men. He has had the discipline and camaraderie that he cherished snatched away from him, and cannot even console himself that it was in some great battle.
He does not know what his future holds now, and although he is still recovering and cannot really consider what he will do next, he knows that he has lost, perhaps forever, something that was very dear to him.
Friends, Enemies and Acquaintances
Friends
Acquaintances
Referenced Threads
Sunday 28th April
Always Window Shopping, Never Stopping to Buy Viola and Olivia receive news of Robbie's injury and subsequent return home (Robbie is referenced only)
Wednesday 1st May
The Scars of Battle A wounded Robbie arrives home from the Peninsula
Sunday 5th May
The Mother, The Men and The Maiden Geoffrey call on Viola; they argue (Robbie was NPC'd in the first post of this thread) The Aftermath Viola tells Robbie about her quarrel with Geoffrey
Monday 6th May
The Prince and the Lionheart Lord Gabriel Pritchard comes to call
Tuesday 7th May
From One Brother to Another Lord Parry and Lady Kirkfries come to call
Wednesday 8th May
Much Ado About a Midsummer Night's Tempest Robbie finally makes his escape from the house for a short visit to Decker's, where he meets Matilda and Sybilla Grenfell