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Richard Sharpe is a maverick British officer who rises through the ranks in Wellingtons Army, initially after saving Wellingtons life. His subsequent promotions are due to his daring and courageous exploits.The Sharpe Series is set during the 19th Century Napoleonic Peninsular wars, in the midst of the desperate battles and missions of these conflicts.
Sharpe's Story...
Richard Sharpe was born in July 1777 in a house near Howick Place, Westminster, London. His father was unknown, his mother being a prostitute who died in the gordon Riots in June 1780 when Sharpe was three. He was consequently taken into an orphanage/workhouse (probably Tothill Fields, Bridewell), picking oakum, unpicking hemp or washing laundry. Although sold to a sweep in 1789, Sharpe ran into the cover of the St Giles 'rookery', eventually falling into the hands of Maggie joyce who ran a ginhouse in Goslitt Yard. She looked after Sharpe, teaching him to steal and love, until 1793, when he was sixteen years old; then Sharpe killed an inn-keeper who had 'connections' and was forced to flee to Yorkshire where he joined the British Army.
Now a strapping 6'1" and weighing 12 stone, as a private of the 33rd Regiment, Sharpe sailed for Ostend in June 1794 when the 33rd reinforced the army in the disastrous Low Countries campaign commanded by the duke of York. Sharpe fought for the first time in battle at Boxtel (15 Sept. 1794) in Flanders (in this campaign the regiment lost 430 men dead, but only 6 of them killed by the French, the rest dying as a result from the weather and starvation). On the regiment's return to England in April 1795 Sharpe sailed forthwith to India with the 33rd in April 1796 (Sharpe's Tiger) after spending seven miserable weeks at sea before terrible weather which eventually obliged them to return to poole harbour.
Sharpe was wounded and taken prisoner when he was 22 years old in March/April 1799 (he was flogged before this time by order of 'Captain Morris' after being falsely accused by Hakeswill for a savage assault) by Lancers of the Tippoo's army and held in the dungeons of Seringapatam for many months. Here he met William Lawford and was taught to read and write by him (Obadiah Hakeswill was in the same dungeon). Sharpe escaped during the siege attacked by Wellesley, and killed Tippoo Sultan in or near the Water Tunnel, stealing the famous ruby jewel from his turban. He later gave this to a girl he thought loved him, but who ran away with someone else. Sharpe was promoted to Sergeant in the 33rd Foot as a reward for the services provided suring the siege of Seringapatam.
In 1803 Sergent sharpe became an ensign after saving the life of Sir Arthur Wellesley at the Battle of Assaye, after Wellesley's horse, the grey arab 'Diomed' was piked and he was in danger of being bayoneted by the enemy. He stayed in India (although not settling in very well as a junior commissioned officer) until late 1805, when the 33rd Foot returned to England. In 1806, he exchanged regiments again taking a few soldier volunteers with him into the 2nd Battalion of the 95th Rifles. This had been formed atCanterbury in May 1805 from drafts of men from the 1st Battalion at Hythe Barracks (new companies forming to reinforce companies sailed to Monte Video with Crawford, so narrowly missing sailing on the disastrous Walcheren Expedition). Here Sharpe also found difficulty settling in (senior officers - especially Major Dunnett - instinctively disliked him, and he had a sizeable chip on his shoulder by now). Sharpe was made Quartermaster as he knew all the tricks of the trade, and could manage the books without having to bother the officers.
Sharpe next went with the 2/95 to the Peninsular in 1808 under Sir Arthur Wellesley and fought at Rolica and Vimiero in General Fane's Brigade. When Wellesley was replaced by Sir John moore, he went with the army into Spain and took part in the terrible retreat to Corunna (Retreat to Vigo actually, as the light Brigade took a different route) being cut off with Major Dunnett's men who were taken in the rear by cavalry (Sharpe's Rifles) and seperated. From this campaign, Sharpe began to gain confidence and act as a leader of men, Captain Murray and later Don Blas Vivar helping him.
Meeting Michael Hogan upon his return to the army from Santiago de Compostela, he was employed by him on reconnaissance duties in Northern Portugal until 1809. Wellesley, having returned to command, decided to move into Spain once more (Sharpe's Eagle). Sharpe's relationship with the South Essex Regiment also dated from this time.
Sharpe, retaining command of the south Essex Regiment's Light Company, set out to recover gold from Torrecasto to pay for the building of The Lines of Torres Vedras, during which he was wounded (Sharpe's Ggold). He met in Almeida his old friend from Seringapatam, Tom Garrard.He also met and married Teresa Morena, and they had a daughter, Antonia, in 1811. Having briefly visited England (meeting Jane Gibbons for the first time), he returned to the Peninsular and fought at Fuentes D'Onoro, being wounded (Sharpe's Battle) a second time. He went on to participate in the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz (Sharpe's Company) in 1812.
After the battle of Salamanca and recovering from being wounded by Leroux (Sharpe's Sword) he was given his first independent command, and promoted to Major by the Prince of Wales (Sharpe's Enemy) but he met a new enemy in Pierre Ducos. Teresa Morena was shot at Adrados by Obadiah Hakeswill, Sharpe's old enemy from India. Hakeswill was shot after a court-martial, but Antonia was adopted by Teresa's family to be raised as a Catholic in Badajoz; Sharpe never saw her again.
In 1813 Sharpe embarked on a mission after his 'execution' for a murder engineered by Ducos. He found out about the Treaty of Valencay (Sharpe's Honour) and fought at the Battle of Vittoria, where the French were routed and chased from Spain. Sharpe, with the assistance of Patrick Harper, 'found' enough precious stones amongst the booty to become rich men.
Returning to England (Sharpe's Regiment), he re-raised the South Essex Regiment, marrying Jane Gibbons. Participating in the invasion of France, Sharpe fought at Toulouse at the close of the war, killing Ducos (Sharpe's Revenge).
Sharpe briefly became a farmer in Normandy with Lucille, a woman he met at the end of the war. In 1815 he served on the staff of the Prince of Orange, participating in the Waterloo campaign, where Jane Gibbons' lover Rossendale was killed and she found oblivion and a 'fate worse than death'. Sharpe returned penniless to France, leaving once more in 1820 to seek out Blas Vivar in South america (Sharpe's Devil), before returning home for the last time in 1821, after meeting Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena.
Richard Sharpe had a daughter, Dominique, and a son, Patrick Lasson (his son took his mother's surname) who joined the French Army and served in the Crimean War. His son also served as an attache to the confederate Army in the American Civil War. Richard Sharpe died in 1860, when he was 83 years old, and was buried on his estate in France.
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| Sharpe and the Chosen Men |
The Chosen Men
Portrayed as the cream of an already elite regiment, the Chosen Men are such a familiar part of the Sharpe films, it is a surprise to find that they do not actually exist in any of the Sharpe novels, and that their deployment in real life was somewhat different.
'Chosen Man' is the original term for a lance-corporal. Selected from the ranks for their intelligence, they were spared ordinary duties and given command of eight soldiers apiece instead. Some eventually became NCOs.
Instead of sprinkling the Chosen Men throughout the regiment, as they were in real life, Sharpe screenwriter Eoghan Harris chose to group them around Sharpe, supplying his leading character with a close-knit group of associates - a kind of Dirty half-Dozen - whose dialogue and relationships give the films emotional and comic depth. The technique was so successful that Bernard Cornwell adopted it in the book Shape's Battle, and the rest of the series from then on.
Name:
Daniel Hagman
Occupation:
Formerly a poacher, now a rifleman.
Rank:
Corporal (Sharpe's Rifles)
Sergeant (Sharpe's Waterloo TV)
Place of Origin:
Cheshire, England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles to Waterloo (Books and TV)
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Quote:
"Best brown paper and paraffin oil."
Distinguishing Features:
The oldest chosen man and the best shot, Hagman was a successful poacher until a run in with the law forced a change a career path into the army. Able to shoot wee bunnies at night over quite a distance, Hagman finds it no trouble pop off the odd Frog.
Hagman is also the team musician, able to adapt a popular folk or marching tune for any occasion. Quietly the morale officer of the Chosen Men, Hagman dispenses sage advice as well as paraffin oil and best brown paper to keep tings running smoothly.
Hagman survives all the battles until the last one, at Waterloo.
Name: Patrick Michael Harper (TV) Patrick Augustine Harper (Books)
Occupation:
Rifleman and Sharpe's protector. Patrick, one son of a large and poor family, joined the British army as a way out of poverty.
Rank:
Corporal /Chosen Man ( Sharpe's Rifles TV)
Sergeant (Sharpe's Rifles TV)
Regimental Sergeant Major (Sharpe's Regiment TV & Sharpe's Christmas Short Story)
Place of Origin:
Donegal, Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles to Waterloo (TV)
Sharpe's Rifles to Devil (Books)
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Quote:
"You're a grand man ... for an Englishman."
"Send them to Ireland, Sir. We'd be free in a week."
"Every cripple has his own way of walkin'."
"God save Ireland."
Distinguishing Features:
In the books Patrick is tall, sandy haired and younger than Sharpe. In the films Patrick takes the traditional brunette role in the partnership. After a fierce almost courtship ritual as described in Rifles, Harper becomes Sharpe's best friend, loyal companion, protector and champion. Patrick declares his intention to look after Sharpe within the book Rifles, and his diligence to this promise can be seen to most touching effect when Patrick searches the dead and dying for a wounded Sharpe in Sword. Patrick then makes the wounded Sharpe a new sword, to replace his broken one, forging it with all the love in his heart, in a wonderful excursion into grail lore (Harper believes Sharpe will recover if he can see he has a new sword). Harper remains a lifelong friend to Sharpe, and not even the end of the war can separate them, as they reunite for one last adventure in Devil.
Name:
Harris (no first name ever given)
Occupation:
Formerly a teacher, now serving as a Rifleman as a result of some bad debts.
Rank:
Corporal /Chosen Man ( Sharpe's Rifles TV)
Sergeant (Sharpe's Waterloo TV)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
TV - Sharpe's Rifles to Waterloo
Book - Sharpe's Battle
Quote:
"A Courtier to my Lord Bacchus and an unremitting debtor".
"I'll trade you a Voltaire and a filthy book by the Marquis de Sade for yours by Sir Augustus, sir."
Distinguishing Features:
That red hair and an uncanny ability to come up with a classical quote for every occasion. Able to translate French book codes, especially if they're based on Voltaire and considers it a good score if a dead Frog has books in his pack.
Name:
Ben Perkins
Occupation:
Rifleman
Rank:
Drummer Boy (Sharpe's Rifles TV), then Chosen Man (Sharpe's Rifles TV) by way of shooting the Chassuer who was trying to shoot Sharpe.
Place of Origin:
Not stated, though Harper says Perkins is an orphan in Eagle (TV).
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles to Battle (TV), whereupon poor wee Perkins is bayoneted.
Sharpe's Battle (Book)
Quote:
"Mother!"
Distinguishing Features:
The youngest of the Chosen Men, Perkins is recruited by way of being one of the only survivors of a French calvary charge upon the 95th Rifles. Perkins earns his stripe shooting a Chasseur who had Sharpe dead to rights. Sharpe is very grateful and makes Perkins a Chosen Man. Hogan advises Perkins to give the white cord back. But Perkins decides to follow his hero and, emulating Sharpe's reckless bravado, is sadly killed by some treacherous Irishmen in Sharpe's Battle (TV only as Perkins lives in the book). Poor Perkins' time had come because he had just found his first love, Miranda, and that's always a sign an offing is in the offing.
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