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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
