 |
Name:
Ayres
Occupation:
Provost
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Gold
Quotes:
"Half your equipment's French."
"Go on Major, instead of this scruffy creature prove yourself."
Distinguishing Features:
A stickler for the rules and a tattle tale. When Sharpe defends his
useless Private against a charge of stealing chickens at the point of a
gun, Ayres complains and Sharpe is nearly courtmartialled, if not for the
influence of his friends Lawford and Hogan.
In the TV version, Ayres, even more objectionable, accompanies Sharpe into the mountains and dies trying to rescue Elli Nugent.
 |
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
General
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger
Distinguishing Features:
Tough and uncompromising. Baird’s hatred of Indians, fuelled by a long
stay in the Tippo’s dungeons, precludes him from the job of Governor once
the British take Mysore. The job goes to his rival Wellesley. It was Baird
who came up with the plan for rescuing McCandless.
Occupation:
Naval Officer
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Siege (TV)
Sharpe’s Siege, Revenge (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Overly concerned with his own self importance, Bamfylde takes the credit
for Sharpe capturing the fort and is easily swayed into abandoning the
fort, and Sharpe, just as quickly. Upon his return to the British lines,
Sharpe challenges Bamfylde to a duel.
Name:
Jean Luc Barbier
Occupation:
French cavalry officer
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold (TV)
Quote:
"Please, I wish to make surrender."
Distinguishing Features:
Barbier is a young French cavalry officer who attacks Sharpe and his men while
they are on their way to deliver rifles to El Casco. He retreats and is later
attacked in return by Sharpe. He attempts to fight Sharpe but runs off after
one sword parry. He plans to attack El Casco but his remaining men are in
turn attacked by El Casco's partisans. Uncaptured, he witnesses the torture
of his men by the partisans and flees to find Sharpe. Sharpe enlists his aid
to create a diversion so he can attack the caves.
Occupation:
Colonial Governor of Chile
Rank:
Captain General
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Devil
Distinguishing Features:
Corrupt, excessively fashionable and gay. Bautista, a promising soldier,
has decided to milk the colony for all it has in wealth and career
opportunities before returning to Spain. When Sharpe returns, having
survived several Bautista arranged assassination attempts, Bautista kills
himself in a failed suicide pact with his companion, Marquinez.
Name:
Dominique, the Countess of Benfleet
Occupation:
Landowner
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Devil (Book)
Battleflag (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Sharpe's daughter by Lucille, Dominique marries an English nobleman with
a castle and raises five children.
Coincidently enough, Sharpe once violently insulted a Lord Bunfleet at La Marquesa's ball in Sword.
Name:
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Eagle
Quote:
"Don't worry old boy, Sharpe is a dead man."
"I want to hear you beg for mercy first - so I'm gonna kick you
again."
Distinguishing Features:
The stupid one in the book, the nasty one in the TV version, Berry serves
with Christian Gibbons and participates in
the attempted rape of Josefina.
Sharpe takes his revenge by way of a knife on the battlefield.
Occupation:
Army Wife
Rank:
None
Place of Origin:
Calcutta, India
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger
Distinguishing Features:
Daughter of an English Engineer Sergeant and Indian mother, Mary had no
future other than to marry into the British Army. Currently the widow of
Sergeant Jem Bickerstaff, she is looking to be the first Mrs Sharpe before
she gets a better offer from Kunwar Singh.
Occupation:
British Officer and traitor
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Mission (TV)
Quote:
"They'll torture you, and they'll torture Ross. You'll be begging me
to make them stop. By God, I'm gonna make you beg Sharpe!"
Distinguishing Features:
Tall yet scarred, a racist, a bully, a thief, a killer and a traitor,
Brand is everything Sharpe wants to be and could have been if not for
some timely guidance. Sharpe sees Brand as brave and as dashing as his
wife does, and indulges in a spot of hero worship until he realises
Brand's true colours.
At first envying Brand's freedom to operate as he will, Sharpe soon realises Brand's men are no more than a pack of mercenaries raping and pillaging their way across the countryside, ruthlessly never leaving behind any survivors to complain.
Discovering Brand's evil, Sharpe decides to let Brand's own trap swing shut on himself, with Harper bringing Brand's Sergeant some street justice and Sharpe choosing a military court while the French close in. But Brand mocks Sharpe, knowing he'll get away with it, and Sharpe, hating to admit Brand is right, pushes him down a well.
Brand does get away with it, as Ross lies in the official records that Brand died with honour.
Occupation:
Employee of Foundling Home
Place of Origin:
Yorkshire
Appearances:
Sharpe's Justice
Distinguishing Features:
Sally grew up in the same Foundling Home as Sharpe
and Matt Truman. She
knew the secret that they were really half brothers. Sally also provided
the only romantic interest for Hagman in the entire series.
 |
Occupation:
French officer
Rank:
Chef de Battalion
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Christmas (short story)
Distinguishing Features:
Bad tempered, he shot Ensign Nicholls under a flag of truce, and was shot in turn by Colonel Guiden for this breach of protocol.
Name:
Occupation:
Career soldier
Rank:
General, though Calvert, like Sharpe, has risen through the ranks.
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Siege, Mission, Revenge (TV)
Sharpe's Siege, Revenge (Books)
Quote:
"In Russia, I ate one of my corporals."
Distinguishing Features:
Tough, loyal and fair with a knack for survival, Calvet, like Sharpe,
has risen up the ranks by merit alone. He is also a veteran of Napoleon's
disastrous winter campaign against the Russians. Calvet is not shy about
the fact that he survived by eating the bodies of his dead men. Ducos
thinks him an oaf, but Calvet is a brave and professional soldier who
has no time for airs and graces. He is also food obsessed, going to great
lengths to obtain bacon, etc, probably as a result of starving on the
Russian front.
Calvet learns a grudging respect for Sharpe during their confrontation in Siege. Calvet sees Sharpe as another honest soldier, though the trick with the lime annoyed him. Calvet actually ends up assisting Sharpe clear his name in Revenge, though Calvet's true goal is to recover the treasure.
Name:
Lady Anne Camoynes
Dowager Countess of Camoynes
Occupation:
Socialite
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Regiment, Justice (TV)
Sharpe's Regiment (Book)
Quote:
"You look like an alley-cat, Sharpe!"
"This room, Richard, REALLY."
"The only part of me he's kissed is my hand, and for that
I was glad to be wearing gloves."
"The price you would have to pay, Sir Henry, would
have the shirt off your back long before come to bedtime."
Distinguishing Features:
Beautiful, cold, elegant and ruthless, Lady Anne sees Richard as a means
to rid herself of Lord Fenner, who has purchased her as well as her
late husband's marker. Surprisingly, she finds Sharpe a diversion as well,
bedding him in payment for each favour she grants him, supplying him with
as little information as he needs and sending him on his way. Sharpe
fails though, and it is Lady Anne who saves the lot of them by preventing
the destruction of Simmerson's ledgers.
She forgives Sharpe though, having gotten what she wanted anyway, and she returns to again offer insider information for an intimate transaction in Justice.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment (TV)
Sharpe’s Regiment, Revenge (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
One of the officers discovered dining and playing parlour games in the
deserted Regiment barracks by Sharpe. Despite bad first impressions,
Sharpe takes Carline back to Spain to fight with the South Essex.
Name:
Lucille Castineau nee Lassan
aka Madame la Vicomtesse de Seleglise (Book)
nee Maillot (TV)
Occupation:
Landowner
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Revenge, Sharpe's Waterloo (TV)
Sharpe's Revenge, Waterloo and Devil (Books)
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Quote:
"Be Careful."
"You get the chicken, I'll get the wine."
Distinguishing Features:
Tall, dark, gallic, thin with a long sharp nose, Lucille thinks herself
not as doll pretty as Jane, but she has a greater beauty inside, as well
as strength and compassion, and becomes the love of Sharpe's life.
Never able to marry Sharpe due to inability to afford a divorce from Jane,
she remains Sharpe's companion for the rest of his life and the mother to
his son, Henri Patrick (see the Starbuck series of books), and his
daughter, Dominique.
Sharpe first met Lucille when she shot him full of holes, thinking him responsible for her brother Henri's death and that he has come back for her. Sharpe had in fact been seeking Lassan, hoping the French officer would exonerate Sharpe of the charges Ducos had laid against him. When Frederickson, who has finally considered Lucille worthy to be his wife, leaves to pursue Ducos, Lucille is forced to tend Sharpe herself. As Sharpe recovers from his wounds (in the book he was also shot in the shoulder and lost part of his ear), he is at first very bad tempered and rude, but, with no other company, he is forced to learn French, and soon there is a strong mutual attraction between the two. In the books, there is nothing to stop Lucille conceiving Sharpe's child, but on the screen Sharpe, very uncharacteristically, refuses to break his marriage vows until Harper tells him Jane has taken Rossendale as a lover. In the time it takes to walk back into the house Sharpe is breaking Lucille's door down and giving into temptation. Thus poor Frederickson returns and finds he has indeed left the fox guarding the hen house, and his friendship with Sharpe never recovers from this blow.
On TV Sharpe returns to England, to permanently break with Jane, but not before Lady Anne convinces him to be unfaithful to Lucille, though Sharpe actually refuses her the first time. He returns to Lucille, because in both book and film, it is with Lucille that he has decided to spend his life.
Occupation:
Mercenary
Rank:
Sergeant
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Revenge (TV and Book)
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Distinguishing Features:
Brutish and dull witted. Challon is the hired muscle in
Ducos’ plan to destroy Sharpe once and
for all by setting Sharpe up to be accused of theft while Ducos himself
absconds with the jewels.
Challon shows up at Chateau Lassan nearly two years later still looking for
the treasure.
Name:
Occupation:
Soldier
Rank:
Private (Sharpe’s Company)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Company (TV)
Sharpe’s Company, Waterloo (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Husband of Sally Clayton, the prettiest wife in the Regiment. Killed off at Badajoz on TV, in the books, Clayton doesn’t make his wife a widow until Waterloo.
Name:
Occupation:
Army Wife
Rank:
None
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company
Distinguishing Features:
Sally was one of the wives lucky enough to officially accompany her husband to war.
The prettiest wife in the Regiment, Sally is desired by all, including
the evil Obidiah Hakeswill. In the film version, he rapes and murders (or vice versa)
the very recently widowed Mrs Clayton (it's a close call as to which of the
Claytons fell first). In the books, Sally is widowed at Waterloo and
given into young Charlie Weller's care.
Occupation:
Pirate
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Devil
Distinguishing Features:
The Devil Cochrane, scourge of the Spanish colonial government in Chile. A Scotsman, a sailor, a jailbird and a rebel.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Major
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Company
Distinguishing Features:
Friend and hunting companion of Colonel Windham. Collett is killed during the siege of Badajoz.
Place of Origin:
Gypsy
Appearances:
Sharpe's Mission
Distinguishing Features:
Conchita flirts with Harper,
Harris and Hagman. She is murdered along with
the other gypsies in the camp by Colonel Brand in his attempt to silence the
gypsy girl Zara.
Name:
Occupation:
Formerly a dealer in other people's property, now a rifleman.
Rank:
Chosen Man (Sharpe's Rifles to Gold TV)
Corporal (Sharpe's Battle Book)
Place of Origin:
London, England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles to Gold and Legend (TV)
Sharpe's Battle (Book)
Quote:
"Sir, it's time to go mad."
"It's very hard to trust a man who wants to borrow your picklock."
Distinguishing Features:
Choosing the army over gaol, hanging or transportation, Cooper is the smart mouth of the group, always ready with a quick line that leaves Sharpe wordless for reply. Cooper's sticky fingers make him the ideal scrounger of the group. We never see him in action, but Sharpe knows exactly who to go for when in need of such odd items as a picklock (Rifles TV). Cooper was last seen wounded in Sharpe's Gold (TV). We assume he was repatriated, as he pops up again hale and hearty in Sharpe The Legend.
Rank:
One of Brand's Boys
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Mission
Quotes:
"Congratulations Colonel. You must be able to smell the garlic."
"You seem a bit soft hearted to be chosen men."
Distinguishing Features:
One of Brand's Boys, he admits to being a murderer but denies that he ever was
a French spy. He dies honorably while defending Rocha fort from a French
assault, allowing Sharpe and his men to blow up the powder magazine and escape
thru a secret tunnel.
Name:
Father Curtis
aka El Mirador
Occupation:
Priest and spymaster
Rank:
Doctor
Father
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Sword
Quote:
"I will see to it that Harper goes first to the church then to Ramona's bed. And you will see to it that the girl goes from your bed to the church."
"I think the theological reasoning would bore you Sharpe."
"Sure, we're ALL going to die, Patrick"
"God forgive me, but I wish it had lasted longer."
Distinguishing Features:
This crafty little priest is Wellington's number one spy in Spain. Curtis
fought with Spain against the British, but now fights with Britain and
Spain against France. A master swordsman, doctor of theology, healer and
spymaster, Father Curtis finds himself number one with a bullet on
Napoleon's hit list. Leroux has discovered his identity and is on his
way to kill Curtis, but Sharpe discovers the identity of El Mirador in
time, thanks to Harris, and manages to prevent the planned assassination.
 |
Name:
Peter d'Alembord aka Dally
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant (Sharpe's Honour)
Captain (Sharpe's Regiment)
Major (Sharpe's Waterloo)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Honour (TV)
Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Revenge, Waterloo (Books)
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Quote:
"If you would deign to hold that thing more like a sword and less like a cleaving instrument, one might hold out a morsel of hope."
"Your paths of glory lead but to a lady's bedchamber."
Distinguishing Features:
Dally is a handsome yet foppish young man who doesn't really seem suited
to the army, yet there he is, sitting out a scandal in England that
occurred as the result of a duel. When Dally first meets Sharpe he is in
awe of the man. He is both
frightened of Sharpe's reputation, his bad temper and he thinks Sharpe's
elaborate bluff against the French in Honour is proof that Sharpe is mad.
When the bluff works, Dally learns respect for the ragged Major and soon becomes one of the very few officers Sharpe considers a friend. Dally though, like Harper, learns you can only follow Sharpe, never lead him, a lesson quickly learnt when trying to teach Sharpe how to fence like a gentleman.
Dally accompanies Sharpe to England during Regiment, and he goes with Harper to track down Jane in Revenge, after first having let Sharpe escape the provosts.
Dally is reunited with Sharpe at Waterloo, dining with Sharpe and Lucille often before the battle. Dally is fearful that he is going to die in the battle, because he has just become engaged and is looking towards a rosy future. Poor Dally's portents very nearly come true. He is shot in the leg and as a result of malpractice on the part of the surgeon, rather than the actual wound, is forced to loose the leg as he almost bleeds to death.
Occupation:
French Chasseur
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Rifles
Distinguishing Features:
De l’Eclin pursues Vivar and Sharpe from Corunna to Santiago in a cat
and mouse like hunt, nearly catching Sharpe several times. Outside
Santiago, De l’Eclin takes on Sharpe, and Sharpe is loathe to shoot
him outright - he doesn’t want to damage the calvary trousers De l’Eclin
is wearing. Finally dragging De l’Eclin from his horse, Sharpe wins a
pair of trousers and boots that he wears for the rest of the war.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Ensign
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Eagle
Quote:
"Four shots a minute!"
Distinguishing Features:
Young and green. Denny fails to heed Leroy’s advice about following
Sharpe to glory and dies in his first battle against the French.
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Waterloo
Quote:
"You're nothing but a silk stocking full of shit."
Distinguishing Features:
Young, inexperienced and career conscious, Doggett is at first proud
to be on the Prince of Orange's staff, but after witnessing cowardice
after military bungle, Doggett decides Sharpe is quite correct in his
assessment of the Prince.
Occupation:
Palace Guard
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
Spain, of Irish descent
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Battle
Distinguishing Features:
One of the few good apples in a rotten barrel, Donaju helps Sharpe
train the Irish palace guard.
Occupation:
French Officer
Rank:
Chef du Battalion
Colonel
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Enemy
Distinguishing Features:
Dubreton is tricked into fighting Sharpe by the deserters, but he soon
forms a gentlemen’s agreement with Sharpe and is most courteous in their
efforts to release the hostages, even inviting the British officers to
Christmas dinner. He is a man who plays fairly by the rules of war.
Occupation:
Hostage
Rank:
None
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Enemy
Quote:
“Lost in solitary gloom, withering in my bloom.”
Distinguishing Features:
The English wife of a French Colonel, Sarah has been captured by
deserters while praying at the convent. Quick thinking and educated,
she alerts Sharpe to where she is being held by means of reciting a poem.
The French only see her as an excuse to move into the town, but her
husband genuinely loves her.
Name:
Occupation:
Spy and advisor to the Emperor Napoleon
Rank:
Major
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Seige, Revenge (TV)
Sharpe's Battle, Enemy, Honour, Siege, Revenge (Books)
Quote:
"An Eye for an Eye."
Distinguishing Features:
Aptly toad like, cold blooded, misygionistic and ruthless, Ducos is a
political animal, having survived several changes of government by being
a lying weasel and court toady. Ducos is a career yes man. He is also a
control freak and frequently ventures out into the field to personally
supervise his Machiavellian schemes, usually against a British officer
named Sharpe. Kill Sharpe, Ducos has reasonably concluded, and the whole
British army in Spain will crumble and retreat. This is, in effect, the
plot and motives for Honour,
Siege and Revenge.
Ducos is a hater of women, and he demonstrates his contempt to Helene, whom he forces to participate in his plans. He is spiteful, going to great lengths to get his revenge on Sharpe for breaking his spectacles in Enemy, when they first meet. Ducos has announced that he is glad the Spanish whore La Aguja is dead. Not the best way to convey your condolences to an emotional Richard Sharpe. Sharpe, torn up with grief over Teresa's death, manages to channel his anger into the cool act of deliberately removing and stomping on Ducos' glasses, grinding them into the dirt. Sharpe them humiliates Ducos further by calling his bluff and scaring off the French with his Rocket troop. Ducos does not take these twin insults lightly.
Ducos is also a coward, unable to face Sharpe without the restraint of a goon squad or crippling grief (on Sharpe's part) . Ducos proves he's got a streak of yellow a mile wide by fleeing when Sharpe brutally and bloodily escapes when being held in the Fort of Santa Maria in Honour. Sharpe is a wee bit peeved at this stage as Ducos has just busted up his prize telescope, a gift from Wellington for saving his life, in return for the broken glasses. Resourceful even under duress, our Sharpie uses the broken bit of telescope to saw through his ropes and mangle the guards who were holding him, going straight for the groin on the guard who had been looking at him like he was dessert.
In the book Siege, Ducos manages to snare Sharpe in his trap, but Sharpe escapes, and discovers he was bait to trap Ducos all along. Sharpe is not a happy man and takes out his anger on those he feels have betrayed him.
Sharpe is next set up by Ducos in Revenge, being charged with stealing the Emperor's jewels, which Ducos himself has made off with, down to Naples. Frederickson manages to find Ducos via his repeated orders for new spectacles and the lads take off for Naples, though things are a bit strained between Sharpe and Frederickson.
Ducos has hired the local Cardinal's army and a few mercenaries, but it's not enough to stop Sharpe, his mates and a handful of Calvet's men. They storm the house, see off the mercenaries and scatter the Cardinal's troops with a few pennies from heaven. Sharpe shoots Ducos off his horse, but it's never entirely clear whether the bastard is really dead this time (as he appeared to have bought it in the TV version of Honour, but apparently not).
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Major
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles (TV)
Sharpe's Rifles, Waterloo (Books)
Quote:
"An officer should act like a gentlemen. Even when he is not a
gentlemen."
Distinguishing Features:
Originally commanding the 95th Rifles, Dunnett was caught by the French
during the retreat of Corunna. He never approved of Sharpe's having been
risen from the ranks, but manages to be polite when he meets Lt. Colonel
Sharpe during the battle of Waterloo. Dunnett had sat out the Peninsular
war as a POW, and thus finds his former Lieutenant now outranks him.
 |
Occupation:
Spanish partisan leader
Place of Origin:
Spain - descended from Aztec Indians
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold (TV)
Quote:
"Meow, meow, meow, yow, yow, meow ...... meow"
Distinguishing Features:
El Casco is a Spanish partisan leader who wears 300 year old armour. He comes
to see Wellington and proposes trading 52 deserters for 50 Baker rifles. In
his mountain caves he has a horde of Aztec gold and practices torture upon his
hapless victims. He is found by Sharpe as he prepares to serve up Elli Nugent
as a human sacrifice. He is chased into the treasure rooms of his caves as he
fights Sharpe and is shot and killed by Harper.
Occupation:
Partsisan, vet and bandit
Rank:
Nothing formal
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Battle (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
El Castrador has expanded his services to include French soldiers and
has become the leader of the local Partisans. He helps Sharpe maintain
order and discipline with the Irish troops by demonstrating that all
deserters will have their bollocks cut off.
Occupation:
Partisan and French Spy
Rank:
Not known
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Battle
Distinguishing Features:
Juanita collects the uniforms of every soldier she has ever slept with,
which is also how she collects her information. Sometime lover of Loup,
she is sent into the British fort to collect uniforms, including Kiely’s
and Perkin’s, and tries to get Sharpe’s.
When Juanita tries to interfere in the duel between Sharpe and Loup, Harper shoots her off her horse. In the TV version she is killed by Kiely for her treachery.
Occupation:
Partisan
Rank:
Leader
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Honour
Distinguishing Features:
Violent and savage. Matarife’s favourite method of execution is, while chained to his captive, fighting with long blades and killing them cut by cut, the chain preventing them from escaping the blade. Not surprisingly at all, Matarife’s brother happens to be an inquisitor. Under orders from Ducos, Matarife kidnaps Helene and hands her over to the church, then lies about her whereabouts to Sharpe. Sharpe has to fight Matarife for Helene, in Matarife’s chosen method, but Sharpe is quicker and manages to win.
 |
Name:
Sir Augustus Farthingdale
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Enemy
Distinguishing Features:
Another English aristocrat who wants to make a name for himself in Spain.
Sir Augustus has published a book on army procedure without ever having
set foot on a battlefield and his connections force Wellington to rescue
Farthingdale’s wife from the deserters who have captured her.
Farthingdale disapproves of the choice of Sharpe for the mission,
but he has no choice as Sharpe is now a Major. And when he disagrees
with Sharpe’s idea of staying and fighting the French, Sharpe reminds
Farthingdale that his “wife” is a whore of Sharpe’s aquaintance. Sharpe
takes over command for the price of his silence.
Name:
Lady Isabella Farthingdale (TV)
Lady Josefina Farthingdale (Book)
Josefina Lacosta
Occupation:
Professional escort
Place of Origin:
Portugal
Appearances:
Sharpe's Eagle, Enemy (TV)
Sharpe's Eagle, Gold, Enemy (Books)
Quote:
"I have no morals, yet I'm a
very moral person."
"My husband's watch?"
"They treated me like an animal"
(to Teresa) "You're lucky to have him."
Distinguishing Features:
Dark and beautiful, Sharpe first sees Josefina accompany
Christian Gibbons, but is told he'll never be able to afford her.
Sharpe wants her more than the Eagle he's promised for Lennox, so
when Christian treats Josefina with cruelty, Sharpe takes his
oppurtunity to play hero. He really can't afford to keep her though,
and must borrow money (from Hogan in the book,
Leroy on TV).
Sharpe gets his eagle, but Josefina moves onto greener pastures. First with Captain Claud Hardy, whose body Sharpe is sent to find in Gold, and then Sir Augustus Farthingdale.
Josefina turns out to be the kidnapped wife Sharpe has been sent to rescue from the clutches of the deserters, and Josefina turns on her best temptress act as a reward, in spite of Sharpe's marriage. Sharpe discovers Josefina is not really married to Sir Augustus, but hired to pose as his wife. Sharpe uses this knowledge to blackmail Fartingdale in allowing Sharpe to take command.
Occupation:
Secretary of War
Rank:
Lord
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Distinguishing Features:
The quintessential politician, Fenner is self serving, corrupt and cruel.
He has purchased Lady Anne’s services as mistress and spy, and uses her
to spy on Sharpe. The plan backfires when Lady Anne decides to use Sharpe
against Fenner. Fenner has been skimming the books in a big way,
transferring men and stores in and out of battalions secretly and taking
hefty kickbacks for his trouble. When Sharpe finds out what Fenner is
up to, he means to stop him, but not if Fenner can kill or disgrace
Sharpe first.
Lady Anne manages to find the missing ledgers containing records of all the illegal transactions, saving Sharpe and blackmailing Fenner. Fenner resigns, now unable to afford his public office.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Ensign
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger
Distinguishing Features:
Cheerful and popular. So of course Hakeswill hates him and decides to
teach Fitzgerald a lesson. Which he does, luring Fitzgerald to his
death during the siege of Mysore.
Occupation:
Naval Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Siege, Revenge (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Snobbish, having enquired of Sharpe’s origins,
Ford is Bamflyde’s
offsider and serves as his second in the duel with Sharpe over the
desertion of the fort.
Name:
William Frederickson
aka Sweet William
Occupation:
Career soldier
Rank:
Captain of the 60th Rifles
Place of Origin:
Half German and Half English.
Appearances:
Sharpe's Enemy, Siege, Revenge (TV)
Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Siege, Revenge (Books)
Quote:
"I collect perfect teeth from dead Frogs. When I get back to London I'm going to have a complete set made."
Distinguishing Features:
False hair, false teeth, eyepatch and gruesomely scarred, Frederickson
carries all the badges of a professional soldier, as well as a pair of
pliers for his French teeth collection. Older and grittier
than Sharpe, Frederickson commands the Royal American Rifles, a unit
raised in America and left over from the Revolutionary war, with only
one actual American, Thomas Taylor, left among their ranks.
Sharpe laughs that Frederickson doesn't care in Enemy, and in truth, the only thing he does care about is getting the job done, often betraying his ruthless German origins, and his love of architecture, showing Frederickson as a man of higher learning.
Frederickson respects Sharpe and considers him a good friend, one worth fighting for, until Sharpe does him the diservice of bedding Lucille, upon whom Frederickson was sweet on.
Occupation:
Marine
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Siege (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
One of the men left behind with Sharpe to defend the fort, Fytch bravely
dies while trying to stop the French breaking through the barricades.
 |
Occupation:
Soldier
Rank:
Private (Sharpe's Tiger)
Lieutenant (Sharpe's Gold)
Captain (Sharpe's Battle)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Tiger, Gold, Battle (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Tom was Sharpe's best friend in the ranks while they fought in India,
and Sharpe is delighted to meet his old friend in Almeida, now an
officer with the Portuguese army. Wellington had allowed deserving
Sergeants to become officers with the Portuguese because they were
desperately needing in training. Tom survives Sharpe blowing up the
fort of Almeida to meet him again in Battle, Tom's Portuguese soldiers
having been sent there to reinforce and mind the Irish. Tom
sacrifices his life to save Sharpe's during an attack by Loup,
lighting a wagon of gunpowder to serve as a distraction. Sharpe
finds Tom had still kept his one of the tin tinderboxes they had
bought in Mysore together, just about the only thing left after
the explosion.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Eagle
Quote:
"I don't fight duels over whores."
Distinguishing Features:
Nephew to Sir Henry Simmerson and brother
to Jane. Christian is a
nasty piece of work and his first meeting with Sharpe nearly
ends in a duel. Sharpe takes Josefina away from Christian,
and Christian returns the favour by attempting to rape Josefina.
Christian finds Sharpe on the battlefield first and nearly
succeeds in killing him if not for the timely intervention
of Patrick.
Name:
Occupation:
Wife and Adulteress
Place of Origin:
Essex, England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Regiment, Siege, Mission, Revenge, Justice, Waterloo (TV)
Sharpe's Eagle, Gold and Company (as portrait only), Regiment, Siege, Revenge, Waterloo (Books)
Quote:
"You belong in the gutter!"
Distinguishing Features:
Blonde, beautiful, young and sheltered, Sharpe first falls for Jane
when he sees her portrait in a locket he has just taken off the
body of her brother Christian (who has just come off the worse
in an argument with Sharpe and Harper). He carries the portrait
with him for a long while, and even showed it to Teresa in the
book versions of Gold and Company.
Sharpe did not meet Jane until 1809, while in England on some business, and he held the image of her dear until he meets her again in Regiment. Jane is as beautiful as he remembered and when Jane agrees to help him, Sharpe cannot believe that his feelings might be returned. Jane's image has been an ideal for him, she came to represent what he was fighting for, she represented England, and her acceptance and fledgling crush on the dashing officer meant a lot to Sharpe's self image and self esteem. She was everything he aspired to in a wife; rich, genteel, educated. The complete opposite to the dark and fiery Teresa.
Sharpe elopes with Jane, to Patrick's despair, to save her from the punishment she expects from her Uncle, Simmerson, in regards to her conspiring to help Sharpe against her Uncle. Jane follows Sharpe to Spain and manages to charm Patrick and Ramona, who employs herself as Jane's maid.
Sharpe is very much in love with his wife, and frets for her all through Siege, thinking she has caught a fever from Hogan whom she had visited before he died. In the films Sharpe must also enlist the help of Harris to see off the unwelcome advances of would be poet Percy Shellington. Sharpe doesn't entirely trust Jane in the fidelity department, probably because he's no great shakes there himself.
Jane soon finds army life not to her taste, and frets that her husband will be more of a social millstone than a lift when she returns to England. Thus is does not take too much convincing for her to find an excuse to leave Sharpe and abscond back to England with all his money, which is quickly frittered away by her fair weather friend and inveterate gambler Rossendale. It doesn't take much convincing from Rossendale to get her into bed, either.
In Justice, Sharpe returns to England to find his career shafted thanks to Rossendale, and Jane bitterly uses Rossendale's influence to threaten Sharpe away from trying to claim his money. Sharpe now only wants his money back, to help with Lucille's farm, as Jane's parting words firmly bury their relationship. Now only hate an enmity lie between them.
Lucille sees Jane at the Ball in Brussels the evening before the battle of Waterloo and warns Sharpe of the hate in Jane's eyes. Lucille is worried, knowing that Jane would, and indeed has, asked Rossendale to kill Sharpe after the cover of battle, and thus preserve her stolen fortune and allow her to marry her titled lover. Sharpe, finding Jane and Rossendale at the ball, threatens Rossendale at the point of a sword for his money. One abortive duel in the forest later finds Sharpe with a promissory note in exchange for Jane. Sharpe has crudely explained to Rossendale that he has sold his wife to him.
The note is worthless, however, as Rossendale, an untried soldier, dies on the field, leaving Jane with little money, no title, no friends and with child.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Enemy
Distinguishing Features:
Commander of the rocket troop.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Lt. Colonel
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Quote:
"Ambush would have broke a lesser man."
“Black as bog.”
Distinguishing Features:
Aspiring suitor of Jane Gibbons. Of fastidious appearance, including a tarred moustache. A coward,
equally terrified of Irish and dogs. Girdwood had been attacked by
a dog as a child, and by Irish on his one and only field command.
Saved from disgrace by his friend and patron Simmerson, Girdwood is
set up as commander of Foulness, the secret army camp in Essex.
Arrested by Sharpe at Foulness, Girdwood reluctantly accompanies
the Regiment to Spain, with Sharpe acting as the real commander.
Girdwood’s first taste of battle proves too much, and he goes
quite insane.
Occupation:
French adviser to the Tippoo
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger (Book)
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Distinguishing Features:
Kind hearted and fair. Gudin quite likes Sharpe, recognising him as
a good soldier, and is happy to have Sharpe join the European
soldiers fighting for the Tippoo within Mysore. He is quite
disappointed when he has to arrest Sharpe for spying. He later meets Sharpe in Spain, never having progressed in his career after Seringampatam, and Sharpe, still ranking Gudin as the best Colonel he has ever served under, gives the French a victory.
 |
Occupation:
Inquisitor
Rank:
Father
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Honour
Distinguishing Features:
Cruel, secretive, corrupt, scheming and an information broker,
Hacha is a credit to his profession. He involves himself in
Ducos' scheme for the money and the political influence should
the King of Spain return. Hacha arranges for the death of
Helene’s husband, her disappearance into the convent and to
extract letters of support for the Spanish King by whatever
methods he feels fit, often using his violent brother as his heavy.
In the TV version, Ducos dispenses with Hacha’s services at the point of a gun.
Name:
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:
Occupation:
A liar, a thief, a rapist and a murderer.
Rank:
Sergeant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company and Enemy (TV)
Sharpe's Tiger, Triumph, Company and Enemy (Books)
Quote:
"When old Obidiah's up, he's up like an animal."
Distinguishing Features:
A complete bastard. Hakeswill is Sharpe's nightmarish nemesis,
haunting our lad from India until he turns up again in Spain.
It was Hakeswill who got Sharpe flogged in India. Hakeswill's
main goal in life seems to be to cause Sharpe as much misery
and grief as possible. Why, it is never really explained.
Having succeeded in having Sharpe flogged once, Hakeswill
betrays Sharpe to the Tippo and causes him to be flogged
again.
Sharpe is really shaken when Hakeswill shows up in Spain, the harbinger of a run of bad luck that starts when he loses Lawford to a war wound and ends when he loses his wife Teresa to Hakeswill's bullet. It is Sharpe in the book who administers the final bullet that ends Hakeswill's miserable life.
Hakeswill is a complete psychopath who failed to be properly hung at age 12 for raping the Vicar's daughter. He escaped into the army where he later recruited a young 16 year old Sharpe, and proceeded to make life hell for the boy. Hakeswill's main distinguishing features are a hanging scar upon his neck, from which he claims he cannot die, a severe twitch and facial tick, probably as a result of the botched hanging, cruel yet childlike blue eyes and a tendency to talk to his mother out loud a lot.
Occupation:
Ruler of Britain
Rank:
Prince Regent
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Distinguishing Features:
Over pampered and over weight, and becoming every bit as loony
as his father, the Prince reads about Richard Sharpe taking the
Eagle at Talavera and becomes Sharpe’s number one groupie. The
Prince bestows upon Sharpe a promotion to Brevet Major and when
Sharpe arrives in London, he is summoned to an audience with the
Prince. The Prince by this stage now imagines himself having
fought alongside Sharpe at Talavera, and Sharpe realises he has
an influential, but ineffectual patron.
Nevertheless, Sharpe appeals to the Prince to be allowed to take
his men to Spain, appealing to the Prince’s vanity by calling the
missing Regiment the Prince of Wales’ Own Volunteers.
The name stuck.
Occupation:
Calvary Officer
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Eagle, Gold (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
The man who won Josefina from
Sharpe in Eagle. Hardy has been
sent to fetch the Spanish gold, but upon his non return, Sharpe
is sent out to rescue his romantic rival. Sharpe finds Hardy
dead, having been murdered by the partisans.
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:
Ramona Harper (TV)
Isabella (Books)
Occupation:
Camp Follower
Place of Origin:
Badajoz, Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company, Sword, Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Siege, Revenge, Waterloo, Devil (Books)
Sharpe's Company, Enemy, Honour, Gold, Battle, Sword, Mission (TV)
Quote:
"For me, no ups, no downs."
Distinguishing Features:
Patrick finds and protects Isabella/Ramona during the siege of Badajoz.
After the siege, Ramona decides to stay with Patrick, even though he
speaks no Spanish and she speaks no English. They become lovers and
she bears him a son. In the books, Patrick names his first born Richard.
On TV the child is delivered by the chosen men while Harper is off
adventuring with Sharpe, and Ramona names the poor child after all
the midwives. Harper is not keen to marry Ramona, however.
On screen, he is tricked into wedlock by Father Curtis. In the
books, Harper is given permission to marry by Leroy in Honour.
Ramona accompanies Harper throughout the war, looking after her son, her man, and his best friend. After the war, Patrick has quite a bit of trouble getting Ramona back to Ireland, as only official wives, those on company strength, were allowed to return. Many Spanish and Portuguese wives were abandoned at the docks. Patrick and Ramona manage to get to Dublin, and though Patrick had intended to return to Donegal, he gets no further than Dublin, where he uses his fortune to buy a pub. Ramona gives him several more children and seems happy, except when her man is drawn away to go off adventuring with "him", Sharpe.
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.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
General
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger
Distinguishing Features:
Veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Harris does not approve
of the plan to rescue McCandless, but agrees to it, mainly because
Sharpe manages to convince him it could work.
Occupation:
Recruiting Officer
Rank:
Sergeant
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Quote:
"I shall march you till you drop."
Distinguishing Features:
Fat and bad tempered. Havercamp is a showman of the snake oil variety.
He lies, cheats, bribes and shanghais men into the South Essex’s
Second Battalion. He unknowingly recruits Sharpe
and Harper while
claiming to be personally aquainted with the heroes.
Name:
Occupation:
Engineer and spymaster
Rank:
Captain (Sharpe's Eagle Book)
Major (Sharpe's Gold Book) (Sharpe's Rifles TV)
Lt. Colonel (Sharpe's Siege Book)
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles to Eagle (TV)
Sharpe's Rifles to Siege (Books)
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Quotes:
"You mind is making appointments, Richard, your body should never keep."
"You've got ambition, which could be the making of you, Richard, but you've got a romantic heart, which could be the breaking of you. Ambition and romance are a poisonous brew."
"Good thinking Gibbons. Sharpe would have shot out your left eye at
a minute past six and you would have spent all day tomorrow looking up at
nothing with the other"
"Take my advice, go behind that tent and blow out what's left of your brains."
Distinguishing Features:
Hogan's coats button up over a number of different duties, Wellington
said, and button tightly they did. Colourful, Irish and theatrical,
Hogan, ostensibly an Engineer, also work as an exploring officer and
spymaster for Wellington, gathering information as he and his spies
scouted ahead for the army.
Hogan recruited Sharpe instantly to his little spy family, convincing Wellington to send Sharpe off on dangerous missions and indeed even pimping Sharpe as need be. The role was taken over by other spymaster Majors in the series, but in the books Hogan remains one of Sharpe's greatest supporters and friends until his death due to fever in Sharpe's Siege (book). It is through his machinations that Sharpe meets Teresa, and even Jane, after a fashion. Hogan genuinely cared for Sharpe and tried to get him out of trouble as much as he dumped him into it, best illustrated in Sharpe's two adventures with Helene and Battle (Book).
 |
Name:
Joaquim Jovellanos
aka El Catolico
Occupation:
Former Spanish Officer, now Partisan
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Gold (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Famous for quoting the Scriptures while torturing his prisoners,
and the betrothed of Teresa. When
Sharpe runs off with both
the gold and Teresa, Jovellanos follows Sharpe to Almeida where
they circle around each other until they finally duel in the
church bell tower. Sharpe wins the duel by impaling himself on
Jovellanos’ sword, thus disarming him.
Occupation:
Hotel Proprietor
Place of Origin:
St Giles Rookery, London, England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Regiment (Book and TV)
Quote:
"When I first saw you, I didn't know whether to drown you or help you."
Distinguishing Features:
Sharpe's oldest surviving friend, Maggie found Sharpe after he had run
away from the foundling home, and taught him the ways of the world,
including his sexual initiation. Once a working girl, Maggie has made
something of herself and now runs Bennet's place, a dubious establishment
in the London slums.
 |
Occupation:
Exploring Officer
Rank:
Major
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Gold (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Deeply religious. Kearsey has gone a bit native and believes the
noble Spanish partisans are more deserving of the gold than the
British, in spite of his orders. He actively hampers Sharpe being
able to collect and transport the gold back to British lines.
Kearsey is killed during the siege of Almeida.
Occupation:
Soldier and deserter
Rank:
Private (Sharpe’s Enemy)
Chosen Man (Sharpe’s Enemy)
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Enemy (TV)
Distinguishing Features:
A former Connought Ranger, Kelly saw Sharpe take the Eagle at Talavera.
Now a deserter, he finds raping and pillaging not to his taste so he
helps Sharpe capture the deserters and dies bravely as a newly
instated corporal.
Name:
Lord Benedict Kiely
Earl of Kiely
Occupation:
Commander of the Real Companic Irlandesa
Rank:
Commander
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Battle
Quote:
"You've killed me Sir."
Distinguishing Features:
Talk, dark and good looking, given to alcohol and brooding.
Untried in battle, Kiely has definite ideas about heroism
and seems to have a death wish, engaging a French calvary
officer in single combat. He resents Sharpe's experience
and advice, and becomes too involved in his mistress,
Dona Juanita de Elia, to notice the dissension within his
ranks due to anti-British propaganda.
In the book, betrayed and humiliated Kiely blows his brains out. In the TV version, Kiely betrays Sharpe in order to save his wife, and yet dies in the rescue attempt in any case.
Occupation:
Wife
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Battle (TV)
Quote:
"Treat me like you would the lowest Marseille whore."
"I'm carrying my husband's child, sir."
Distinguishing Features:
Pale and English, this wilting rose is distressed both by her husband's
infidelity and a nasty spot of morning sickness. She begs Sharpe to
intervene on her behalf regarding her husband's indiscretions,
but Sharpe gently refuses her offer of payment for the favour.
Lady Kiely proves to me made of sterner stuff than her husband, having already survived the loss of a child, she now helps fight against the French, survives abduction by Loup and then reluctantly assumes the mantle of widowhood.
Occupation:
Privateer (to the Americans and French)/Pirate (to the
British) and commanding officer of the schooner, Thuella
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
Marblehead, Massachusetts, United States of America
Appearances:
Sharpe's Siege (Book)
Quote:
"When they dangle us at a rope's end I'll say that not every Britisher is a bastard."
"Bugger me."
Distinguishing Features:
"He had a cutwater of a face; sharp, lined,
savagely tanned; a dangerously handsome face framed by a tangled shock of
gold-dark hair. It was battered, beaten by winds and seas and scarred by
blades and scorched by powder-blasts, but still a handsome face; enough to
make the girls look twice."
Smokes cigars.
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Lieutenant (Sharpe's Eagle)
Captain of Fusilier Battalion (Sharpe's Company)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Eagle, Gold, Company (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Quiet and honest, Knowles first meets Sharpe when he takes
command of the Light Company of the South Essex and the
two quickly become friends and allies, Sharpe relying on
Knowles to smooth out the tensions within the unit and
to act as his liaison. They have an excellent working
relationship, one that Sharpe misses when Knowles is
transferred. They remain friends and Knowles gives his
life for Sharpe's family. He is the first to reach the
Moreno house in Badajoz and is killed by Hakeswill while
trying to protect Teresa and the baby.
 |
Name:
Josefina Lacosta
Name:
Occupation:
Novice Nun
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe's Sword (TV)
Quote:
"I love you."
Distinguishing Features:
Quiet and doll like, the novice is shocked into silence after
witnessing the torture and murder of her priest and fellow nuns.
She is found hiding in the woods by Sharpe and taken back to
camp to be cared for by Ramona. Lass will not leave Sharpe's
side and insists on sleeping with him, and finds herself
unable to resist the temptation to feel him up while he's
trying to sleep.
When Sharpe is shot, Curtis decides it is Lass who should tend the rifleman, which she does with Ramona's help, removing the musket ball and stitching up the wounds. She stays with Richard throughout his fever, and when the fever finally breaks, he repays her kindness in an amazing show of endurance. Sex with an seriously injured Richard Sharpe is still so amazingly powerful it miraculously restores her powers of speech. Richard keeps his promise however and returns her to the church in exchange for Curtis arranging a marriage for Harper and Ramona.
Name:
Henri Comte de Lassan (Book)
Henri Maillot (TV)
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Capitaine
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Revenge (TV)
Sharpe's Siege, Revenge (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
In command of the fort Sharpe captures in
Siege, and the brother
of Lucille, Lassan is a quite, studious, deeply religious man
who would prefer to serve in the priesthood than in the army.
He is a kindly man, tortured by his conscience for the
smallest of sins. Lassan had turned his quarters in the
fort into a library, but all his precious books were
burnt for warmth or used for personal hygiene purposes
when the British captured the fort.
Lassan takes the loss of the fort hard, and Ducos exercises his spite by making poor Lassan the fall guy, along with Sharpe, in his next plot. Lassan is stated to be the only living witness to Sharpe's crime, but when Frederickson demands that Lassan appear in person to give his testimony, Lassan is murdered by Ducos men to preserve his silence. Lassan's body is mutilated by the removal of two fingers to explain why his written statement was illegible, and the murder is set up so that Sharpe will get the blame. Lucille certainly believes in Sharpe's guilt and shoots him in revenge for her brother the first chance she gets.
Name:
Henri Patrick Lassan aka Patrick Lassan
Viscount Seleglise of the Duchy of Normandy
Occupation:
Observer for the French Government of the American Civil War.
Rank:
Chasseur Colonel of the Imperial Guard
Brevet General during the Austrian Wars
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Waterloo, Devil (Books)
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Copperhead, Battleflag (The Starbuck Books)
Distinguishing Features:
The bastard son of an English rifleman and a French aristocrat, born
shortly before the battle of Waterloo and named for his father's
Irish best friend. Patrick is tall like his father, with his
mother's dark, thin face. Choosing the French Calvary over
the British Rifles (and breaking his father's heart in the process), he became an officer cadet at St Cyr in
1832, Patrick has served in the Crimea and Austrian wars,
amongst others, and though very handsome and charming,
and very much the rogue, his face shows the marks of
these wars. He has a scar from a Russian sabre on his
right cheek, a scar where an Austrian rifle bullet
broke his left jaw and a Cossack bullet took out
his left eye. Nevertheless the adventurous Lassan
is never short of female companionship, though his
father disagreed with his taste in women.
Name:
Occupation:
Officer in His Britannic Majesty's Army, later politician in the House of Commons and Magistrate
Rank:
Lieutenant (Sharpe's Tiger - Book)
Lieutenant Colonel (Sharpe's Eagle)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifle, Eagle, Company and Regiment(TV)
Sharpe's Tiger, Eagle, Gold, Company and Regiment(Books)
Quote:
"You must really buy yourself a uniform one of these days."
"I don't want to be punished for a dirty uniform, sir".
"You're a bastard, Sharpe. Just because you captured an Eagle doesn't
mean you can do what you like."
"You want your sergeant's stripes, don't you?"
"Just big pussy cats".
"I'm glad I brought you, Sharpe".
hissed "I'll have you flogged for that display
when we're back!".
"Change takes time"
"God, you're ruthless"
" You won't, of course, tell anyone about this when
we're back?"
"We're not here to enjoy ourselves. We're here to do a job".
"I reckon you've just made Sergeant, Sharpe".
Distinguishing Features:
An elegant dandy, monied, fashionable, aristocratic and able to buy
his promotions, William Lawford represents everything Sharpe hates
about the British Army and the officer class. Except Sharpe
likes his superior officer very much, and the feeling is quite
mutual. Complete opposites, they forged a friendship that
surpassed rank and class while stuck together in adversity
in India on a mission to rescue Lawford's Uncle. Sharpe kept Lawford alive and
Lawford taught Sharpe how to read and write, using only one
page of the bible while in the dungeons of the Tippoo.
Sharpe feels that he owes Lawford a debt of honour and gratitude for teaching him to write his own name. Lawford, recognising Sharpe as the superior soldier, wants to see his friend do well, and is always trying to help in some small way.
Lawford lost an arm during the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, it was Sharpe himself who hacked it off to save Lawford's life. Lawford was repatriated back to England and Sharpe lost an influential patron. Sharpe did not see Lawford again until he became embroiled in Fenner's mess in Sharpe's Regiment. Again, with a mind to his own political future, Lawford tried to extricate Richard as gently from the situation as he thought he could. It is interesting to note that Lawford's betrayal of Sharpe, like Jack's, is signalled by the loss of an arm.
Sharpe could not help feeling a sense of betrayal, however, as Lawford's backroom deals nearly backfired as Fenner decided to dispense with Sharpe more cheaply than Lawford's suggestion of an overseas posting.
Occupation:
Mercenary and looter
Rank:
Corporal
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Revenge (Book)
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Quote:
"I Remember you."
Distinguishing Features:
A Dragoon hired by Ducos to guard the treasure
that Sharpe managed to
steal back. Lebecque has another try for the fortune after Waterloo, thinking
Sharpe must have squirreled away at least some of the gold.
Occupation:
British officer
Rank:
Major (TV)
Captain (Book)
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Eagle
Quotes:
"This is a fool's mission. Watch my flank Sharpe."
"I want an Eagle, an Imperial Eagle touched by the hand of
Bonapart himself."
Distinguishing Features:
Once a Highlander and something of a hero while fighting in India,
the recently retired Lennox now finds himself in the worst Regiment
he’s ever seen. Stranded on the wrong side of the river by
Simmerson’s blowing up of the bridge, Lennox
and Sharpe are
attacked by the French, and lose the King’s Colours. Dying in
disgrace, Lennox asks Sharpe to get him a French Eagle, to
wipe away the stain.
Occupation:
Spy
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
Paris, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Sword
Quote:
"Ah, my favourite English spy."
Distinguishing Features:
Leroux is the man with the sword Sharpe wants. Supposedly
the brother of Helene, in the film Leroux appears dark and
swarthy. In both he is a spy, and a cruel one at that.
Leroux has a nasty reputation for torturing his victims by
peeling their skin off and it is by this method that Leroux
broke Jack Spears. In the film Spears says Leroux saved his
life by deciding to cut his arm off at the last moment, before
Spears could die of his injuries.
In the book, Leroux who fires the shot that nearly kills Sharpe, and certainly sends him down to the dying room, so serious is the gunshot wound to his stomach. But Harper finds Sharpe and helps to nurse him back to health by way of a bath in icy water (the film version delegates these responsibilities and dilutes the dramatic impact).
Sharpe, healing from his wounds, finally catches up with Leroux (after a great chase across the battlefield in the book, by calling him out in the film), and challenges him to a duel. Sharpe wins the Klingethal sword he has coveted, but, for all it's fine craftsmanship, it is nothing compared to the crude sword Harper has made for him out of love. So, following a fine Celtic tradition, Sharpe throws the Kligethal sword into the river, and keeps Harper's sword.
Name:
Occupation:
Officer in British Army, formerly Virginian plantation owner
Rank:
Captain (Sharpe's Eagle)
Major (Sharpe's Enemy)
Lt. Colonel (Sharpe's Honour Book)
Place of Origin:
Virginia, the former British colonies of America
Appearances:
Sharpe's Eagle (TV)
Sharpe's Eagle, Company, Honour (Book)
Quote:
"Money talks, merit walks."
"Slaves, cotton, and molasses"
"You and the young lord twins or what?"
Distinguishing Features:
A tall, lanky American who is rarely seen without his ever present
cigar clenched between his teeth. Leroy's family made their fortune
in cotton, slaves and molasses, but lost it all by choosing the
British side during the revolutionary war. Leroy is now a political
refugee and serves in the South Essex, his only home.
As an American, Leroy is expected to be more egalitarian than the other officers in the South Essex, and indeed, he is more respectful to Sharpe than most. Lennox also accredited Leroy with being one of the few good officers in the South Essex when it first arrived in Spain.
Leroy was horribly scarred in the siege of Badajoz and had to wear a glove on one hand afterwards to cover the disfigurement. He was killed during the battle of Vitoria.
Occupation:
Calvary Officer serving under the British Crown
Rank:
Captain, Kings German Legion
Place of Origin:
Germany
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold, Sword (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Kind hearted, dedicated to his job and loyal, Lossow takes an
instant liking to Sharpe and will do as much as he can to help
save his friend's neck from the French and Partisans who are
after the Spanish gold Sharpe is carrying. Lossow's calvary
charge saves Sharpe from the French lancers in Gold, and
Lossow's Germans manage to break the French square that
is hiding Leroux in the book version of Sword, allowing
Sharpe to capture the spy. Sharpe is inspired by the memory
of Lossow's charge while taking the forts in Sharpe's Devil.
Occupation:
Officer and terrorist
Rank:
Brigadier General
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Battle
Distinguishing Features:
Wolf by name and nature, Loup dresses himself and his pack/unit in
wolf grey with wolf pelts and they mark their territory with wolf's
heads. Loup's territory is the Franco-Spanish border and he is
involved in a bitter and bloody battle of terrorism with the
local Partisans. Loup is determined to be the most feared
bully on the block and it is into the resultant horror that
Sharpe stumbles. He dispenses instant justice by executing
two of Loup's men, thus causing an instant blood feud between
Loup and himself. Loup takes his promise to protect his men
very seriously, and, ignoring the greater machinations against
the British, attacks Sharpe's men in two violent and bloody
counters that almost cost Sharpe his life as well as his career.
Sharpe pays forfeit in the life of a friend; Perkins on TV and
Tom Garrard in the book.
Sharpe at last confronts Loup in a creek between the French and British armies, neither of whom interfere in the two officers swinging at each other. Sharpe, weak with blood loss, finally manages to trap Loup under the water and drowns him. On TV Sharpe just shoots him.
Loup is blind in one eye and speaks English with a Scots accent, having being interred in Edinburgh as a prisoner of war for a time.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Sergeant
Place of Origin:
Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Distinguishing Features:
In spite of being born there, or maybe because of it, Lynch despises
everything Irish, including his own name, Sean, which he changed
to John. An absolute bastard to any Irish under his command,
Sharpe assigns Lynch to a unit made up entirely of Irish when
they reach France, and doesn’t seem surprised that Lynch meets
a messy end.
 |
Occupation:
Officer of the East India Company
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Tiger, Triumph (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
A Calvinist and a workaholic, McCandless cannot return to Scotland
while he feels he still has work to do in India. While furthering
British interests in India he is caught by the Tippoo and held in
the dungeons. The only one to know the best way to attack the city,
McCandless rescue becomes a matter of importance to the British.
Baird suggests they send McCandless’ own nephew, William Lawford,
into Mysore to free him. Lawford won’t go without Sharpe, who is
busy being flogged at the time.
Lawford and Sharpe end up sharing a cell with McCandless, but
they escape as the British attack and Sharpe manages to set off
the Tippoo’s traps too early.
In Triumph, McCandless chaperones Sharpe through India, protecting him from Hakeswill and engineering his promotion to Ensign after the battle of Assaye. Unfortunately, Sharpe's patron is shot dead by Hakeswill minutes later.
Occupation:
2nd Brigade of Guards (Scots Guards)
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearance: Sharpe's Waterloo
Distinguising Features:
He was saved by Sharpe when a French sapper attacked him at La Haye
Sainte during the battle of Waterloo. He was also the only other
witness, other than Harper, who saw Sharpe trying to assassinate the
Prince of Orange.
Occupation:
French Officer
Rank:
Colonel
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Revenge (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Maillott (no relation) was an elderly Colonel who served in an
administrative capacity as a yes man to the Emperor. Ducos shot
him in the head after Maillot handed over the wagons of treasure.
Occupation:
Sometime labourer
Rank:
Sergeant of the French Imperial Guard
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Distinguishing Features:
An ex-soldier, now a lazy drunkard with a hatred for all things English,
especially Sharpe. Doubly so as Malan was a
one time admirer of Lucille. Malan resents
Sharpe's presence in the village but decides, grudglingly, to help
Sharpe see off Challon and his toadies
if only for Lucille's sake.
Occupation:
Aristocrat and spy
Rank:
Count
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Siege
Quote:
"It doesn't do to duel with your new commanding officer"
Distinguishing Features:
A foppish dandy to whom Sharpe takes an instant dislike and suspects
of duplicity. The Marquerre feeds the British false information.
First about the political sentiments of the local population, then
he convinces Bamflyde that Sharpe has been killed and that retreat
is the best option. Sharpe kills the Maquerre in a savage duel for
is treachery.
In the TV version Marquerre was less of a fop, Sharpe actually liked him for a bit and Hagman shot him from a distance.
Name:
Catherine, Comptess de Maquerre
Occupation:
None
Rank:
None
Place of Origin:
France
Appearances:
Sharpe’s siege (TV)
Quote:
"I cannot offer you silver or gold, but I can
offer you my virtue."
Distinguishing Features:
The sister of the French traitor and the second women ever to be turned
down by Sharpe. Sharpe, having suffered the guilt of adultery once,
is trying his best to remain faithful to Jane. She calls him a monster
for refusing the offer of her virtue in exchange for his assistance and
protection, but she forgives him enough to tell him to make lime by
burning oyster shells as a defence against the French.
She does not forgive her brother for lying to her family throughout
the war.
Name:
Marquese de Casares el Grande y Melida Sadaba
Occupation:
Spanish Officer
Rank:
Not known
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Honour
Distinguishing Features:
The husband of Helene. Fat, rich, an excellent swordsman and not
without some influence, the Marquese is easily talked into duelling
with Sharpe over the matter of Helene’s adultery. He is a far more
skilled opponent than Sharpe, but skill is nothing compared to the
full force of an angry Sharpe, but the duel is broken up before
Sharpe can land the killing blow. The Marquese is killed in his
bed that night by El Matarife and
Father Hacha, and Sharpe is
accused of the murder.
Occupation:
Officer of the Spainish Colony of Chile
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Devil
Distinguishing Features:
Tall, handsome. Lover of Bautista.
Occupation:
Army recruit
Rank:
Recruit
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Regiment
Distinguishing Features:
Young and tragically romantic. Marriott has joined the army to
escape a broken heart, having been rejected in love. Sharpe
tries to advise the love lorn Marriott (much to Harper’s
amusement), but Marriott finds the harsh realities and
cruelties of the camp too hard for his poetic soul to bear.
When he hears that his sweetheart may have reconsidered, he
deserts. He flees across the marshes and into the sea where
the tide is coming in. In spite of Sharpe trying to help
save him, Marriott is shot dead, and Sharpe is forced to
bury him in the thick mud.
Name:
La Marquesa Helene Mendora
aka La Marquesa de Cassares el Grande y Melida Sabada
aka La Puta Dorada (The Golden Whore)
Occupation:
Spy
Rank:
Unknown if she had any official status
Place of Origin:
France. Half English, half French, she married her Spanish husband on the orders of the Emperor.
Appearances:
Sharpe's Honour (TV)
Sharpe's Sword, Honour (Books)
Quote:
"I'm off to commit adultery...LOTS of it!"
"Make sure you will come soon." (And to herself:) "But then - you always do!"
Distinguishing Features:
Golden haired, pale of skin, mysterious, beautiful, treacherous, deadly,
she is a siren to Sharpe's hormones. She is what he lusts after in Sword,
and she is what he risks his neck for in Honour. But like most of
Sharpe's women, he is more in love with the idea of her, than
Helene herself, and he demonstrates this by being unable to
betray his own ideal, his honour, to follow her to France and
live out the war in luxury, but haunted by his conscience.
Sharpe's honour means more to him than anything, because
certainly Helene can coax Sharpe into betraying his marriage,
his friends, his orders and even himself, as he dreams of and
is tempted by a life he could never have.
Sharpe first meets Helene in Sword (book only), suspecting, but a little too driven by an organ other than his brain to care, that she is spying for the French in the town. She even has a telescope turned towards the fort, but easily distracts Sharpe from such concerns with a few soft words and touches. As it happens, Helene is communicating with her brother in the fort, the master spy Leroux, who also possess the other thing Sharpe wants, the Kligenthal sword.
Once introduced to Helene, Sharpe becomes obsessed with her, ignoring Harper, Jack and his duties to lie with his golden mistress.
In the meantime, the British attack the forts in Salamanca. Sharpe is gravely wounded in his pursuit of Leroux, and ironically nursed back to health by Helene in her expensive residence. Sharpe is just beginning to develop a taste for luxury when duty calls and he must drag himself back to the battle field.
Helene shows up again as part of a plot by Ducos to rid himself of Sharpe, Helene, the British and make a tidy profit on the side. He instructs Helene to embroil Sharpe in a duel with her husband, and when that doesn't work, has the Marquesse murdered and Sharpe fingered for the job. Sharpe escapes the noose with a little help from Hogan (Nairn on TV) and hunts down Helene, who is now, thanks to the Spanish Inquisition, locked up in a nunnery. Sharpe, little heathen that he is, breaks into the nunnery to rescue Helene from a life of poverty and virtue. Their reunion is warm, to say the least, but they are caught by the French and soon Helene is asking Sharpe to bargain away his honour for his life.
Sharpe remains stubborn, and is taken to Santa Maria and tortured by Ducos. Helene enlists her General Verigny to rescue Sharpe from Ducos, and they wine and dine him to make up for his rough treatment. Helene again asks Sharpe to sign Parole, but he delays his decision by drinking himself into unconsciousness. He manages to escape the next day, somewhat the worse for wear, due to a fortuitous accident with some gunpowder in the fort, with his honour intact.
Helene tries to escape the on coming British at Vitoria in her wagons laden with her fortune, but she is caught up in the crush and Sharpe is compelled to rescue her once more. Harper, far more practical, starts filling his pack and Sharpe's with tangible wealth.
Helene has her freedom, but she has no money and no country. And no Sharpe, as he decides she is not worth the price and accepts only a new telescope as a gift from her. A gift that will later nearly get him courtmartialled and shot.
Name:
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Ensign
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company
Distinguishing Features:
16 years old with weeks of experience, young Matthews follows
Sharpe and Price around like a puppy. Unfortunately, following
Sharpe has its price. When Sharpe decides to ignore his orders
and have a go at the French, his pride gets Matthews killed,
even though it was Hakeswill, and not the French, who fired
the lethal bullet.
Occupation:
None
Rank:
None
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Battle
Distinguishing Features:
Rescued from being pack raped by French soldiers, Miranda decides
on Perkins for her protector in much the
way Isabella did with
Patrick in Badajoz. She becomes the young Pekin’s first love.
In the TV version Miranda is killed to keep her silence by Juanita.
Name:
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company, Enemy (TV and Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Born 1810. Sharpe's daughter by
Teresa, and legitimised by virtue of Sharpe's
marriage to Teresa in Badajoz (Book). Sharpe had little to do with
the raising of his daughter as he was a fighting soldier, and,
after Teresa's death, he left his daughter in the care of her
Spanish relatives, with what money he had, and never saw her again.
Occupation:
Partisan
Rank:
Not known
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Gold (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
Father of Teresa.
Name:
Teresa Moreno
aka La Aguja (The Needle)
Occupation:
Partisan and Assassin
Rank:
Comandante
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles, Eagle, Company, Enemy (TV)
Sharpe's Gold, Company, Sword, Enemy (Books)
Quote:
"All men should have daughters. It puts honey on their tongues."
"If you were a man I would challenge you to a duel and kill you."
"He's lucky to have me." (to Josefina)
Distinguishing Features:
Proud, clever and ruthless. In the books, Teresa escaped an arranged
marriage with a Partisan leader, El Catolico,
to run off with Sharpe.
In the series, Teresa's love is equally hard won, as after having
watched the French rape and murder her mother she had dedicated
her life to killing French, and nothing more, until she sees
Richard Sharpe. It is a difficult relationship, with Teresa
torn between her duty to herself, her promise and Spain, and
her love for Sharpe. In Eagle (TV),
she tells Sharpe she wants
things to be simpler, without him, but she knows she cannot live
happily without him, either. He has forced her to admit she would care
if he lived or died in battle, and she realises she would.
In Company, Teresa reveals to Sharpe she has given birth to their daughter, and while Sharpe is digesting that bit of news, tells him their daughter is in the town the British army is about to lay Siege to. Sharpe nearly goes insane trying to get to Teresa through the breach before Hakeswill does, and only Harper can stop him killing everything in sight. In the ruins of the chapel in Badajoz, Sharpe makes his daughter legitimate by marrying her mother.
Yet in spite of his love for Teresa, Sharpe is unable to stay faithful, falling for the rich charms of Helene in Sword (Book) and nearly allowing himself to be seduced by Josefina in Enemy (Book, as he does fall in the episode). It is Sharpe's guilt over his infidelities that make Teresa's death so much harder to bear.
Occupation:
Officer
Rank: Captain
Place of Origin:
Spain
Appearances:
Sharpe's Devil (Book)
Distinguishing Features:
The man who saved Sharpe from one of Bautistas assassination attempts. Bautista discovers this and demotes Morillo to private and sends him to the mines.
Occupation:
Officer and drunkard
Rank:
Captain (Sharpe's Tiger)
Major (Sharpe's Company)
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Tiger, Triumph (Books)
Quote:
"It is a flogging offence."
Distinguishing Features:
Well on the way to letting drink ruin his looks and career,
Morris compensates by being cruel and dishonourable. Giving
in all too easily to the perverted whims of his Sergeant,
Hakeswill, Morris agrees to set up Sharpe for a well deserved
flogging.
Morris was last heard of as serving in Dublin when Hakeswill remembers him to Sharpe in Company.
Name:
Occupation:
Spymaster
Rank:
Major
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold, Battle and Sword (TV)
Quotes:
"Which would you rather me do Sharpe...play Bialach Na Brugar, the Munro March, or send you on a
dangerous mission?"
"Don't lick me laddie!"
"Washed in the blood of the Lamb ye should be, not just in the blood of the French."
Distinguishing Features:
Scottish, sprightly and with a wicked sense of humour, Munro might
have been the most dangerous spymaster to ever order him into the
field, as Sharpe discovered in
Battle and Sword. Unable to play
the bagpipes to save his life, Munro can play Sharpe like a violin
though, sending the lad off on the most perilous missions and setting
him up several times in order to flush out spies and traitors. Munro
demonstrates he has no misgivings about sacrificing Sharpe if it was
expedient to do so.
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Rifles
Quote:
“They’ll think I liked you.”
Distinguishing Features:
Sharpe’s immediate superior. He is gravely wounded while retreating
from a French attack. Before he dies, he gives Sharpe his heavy
calvary sword. His death leaves Sharpe in command as an officer
for the first time in his career, and it creates a power vacuum.
Murray gave Sharpe one good piece of advice though, to win over
Harper. After quite a few fights Sharpe and uneasy alliances
manages to do this , so much so that Harper becomes his best friend.
Harper replaces the sword Murray gave Sharpe with one he has made
himself.
 |
Occupation:
British Officer
Rank:
Major (TV)
Major General (Books)
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Company, Enemy, Honour (TV)
Sharpe's Enemy and Revenge (Books)
Quote:
"It is bloody soldiering!"
Distinguishing Features:
Dour, Scottish and secretive, another one of Wellington's spymasters.
It is Nairn (in the series) who sends Teresa on her fateful mission
to spy on the French in Enemy, and Nairn who arranges Sharpe's fake
execution in Honour.
In the books, Sharpe grew to genuinely like Nairn, and was quite upset when the bagpipes heralded Nairn's death in Revenge (Book).
Occupation:
Emperor of France
Rank:
Commander of France's armed Forces
Place of Origin:
Corsica
Appearances:
Sharpe's Waterloo (TV)
Sharpe's Waterloo, Devil (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Napoleon is a real historical figure who rose through the ranks to
declare himself Emperor of France. He is most famous his defeat at the
battle of Waterloo. If you want to know more, go read a book at your
local library.
In the books he is glimpsed at a distance in Waterloo, and has tea with Sharpe in Devil.
Occupation:
Officer
Rank:
Ensign
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Christmas (Short Story)
Distinguishing Features:
Just 17 years old but looking 14, Nicholls dashed about the army in a uniform made for him by his mother, only to be shot, under a flag of truce, on Christmas Eve in his first ever encounter with the French.
Occupation:
Faithful dog to Sharpe in peacetime France.
Rank:
Sharpe's equal.
Place of Origin:
Normandy, France
Appearances:
Sharpe's Waterloo (Book)
Sharpe's Ransom (Short Story)
Quote:
Woof, woof!
Distinguishing Features:
Big, fierce and unkempt (see page 28). The dog was named Nosey on the
grounds that the Duke of Wellington, 'Nosey' to his men, had spent 20
years giving Sharpe orders , so when Sharpe had
found the dog in peacetime, he had decided to return the compliment.
Nosey doesn't have a huge part to play in the Sharpe saga, but he is a valuable ally when Sharpe is out scouting in Northern France in his capacity as Lieutenant Colonel of the Belgian Light Dragoons and as a member of the Prince of Orange's staff.
During this scouting expedition Sharpe is first alerted to a group of French Dragoons by Nosey, who spies them and starts barking. Later Sharpe is attacked by two of these Dragoons and is nobley helped by Nosey, who at his command, leaps at one of the men and fends him away from Sharpe. Fortunately some Prussians are in then vicinity, too, and they help out. Sharpe is unharmed.
Aware that this could be the start of an invasion prompted by Napoleon's return from exile, Sharpe goes off to tell the powers that be of what he has seen. While Sharpe is talking to his superior officers, Nosey is put in charge of a young officer called Doggett, who has the job of stopping the dog eating all the chickens in the yard outside an inn, which is being used as a base for the talks.
Sharpe should be making his way to the Duchess of Richmond's Ball in Brussels but instead he takes Doggett and Nosey to the village of Frasnes, and there he spies a whole battalion of Voltigeurs, at least 600 of them. Doggett and Nosey are sent back to the crossroads of Quatre Bras to wait for Prince Bernhard and pass on the news of the French troops. Doggett is given permission to give Nosey a good kicking, if he gives him any trouble.
After a scuffle between French troops and Prince Bernhard's troops at Quatre Bras, Sharpe and Nosey head off to Brussels to find the Duke of Wellington, who is attending the Ball, to tell him that the invasion of France has truly begun, and that Napoleon is gaining ground.
Nosey was last seen hunting foxes with Sharpe when Challon decided to pay a visit. Alas, Nosey was not of great use in seeing off these Frenchmen.
Occupation:
None
Place of Origin:
Dublin, Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold (TV)
Quotes:
"She never misses."
"There's enough black sheep in our family to fill a field!"
"Get out of my way!!....." (BANG!)
Distinguishing Features:
Bess Nugent is the 48 year old cousin of Wellington and has come to Spain to
find her missing husband Will. When Wellington refuses to mount a search she
attaches herself to Sharpe and his men who are on a secret mission to trade
rifles for deserters. As Sharpe plans to return to base she and her daughter
Ellie leave to carry on the search themselves. She is shot and killed while
trying to evade El Casco's partisans.
Name:
Occupation:
None
Place of Origin:
Dublin, Ireland
Appearances:
Sharpe's Gold (TV)
Quote:
"We can talk about guns."
Distinguishing Features:
Ellie is the neice of Wellington and on a mission to a find her father,
a relative Wellington had been forced to find a post for. Sent up to the
hills to make maps, Ellie's father has disappeared.
Ellie arrives in the British camp with her obnoxious mother who demands that a search be conducted for her husband. When that request is refused, the women strike out on their own, causing Sharpe, with a mission of his own to deal with, no end of trouble.
Ellie, quite taken with Sharpe, flirts with him, and, upset over killing a Frenchman, manages some more substantial comfort from Sharpe.
 |
Name:
Prince William
HRH Prince of Orange
Occupation:
Heir to the throne of the Netherlands
Rank:
Prince.
Place of Origin:
Netherlands
Appearances:
Sharpe's Waterloo
Quote:
"They should form square."
Distinguishing Features:
Neither bright nor handsome, the young Prince spent more time whoring
than studying at Oxford. Equally incompetent on the cricket pitch and
the battlefield, the Prince is responsible for the slaughter of most
of the men under his command (including Harris and Hagman in the TV
version).
Enraged at the Prince's cowardice and poor leadership, Sharpe decides to do the world a favour and attempts an assassination of the Prince under the cover of battle. However, in the book, Sharpe only wounds the Prince and Harper mocks him for being a lousy shot.
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Occupation:
Royal Marine
Rank:
Captain
Place of Origin:
England
Appearances:
Sharpe’s Siege
Distinguishing Features:
Palmer is sent out to patrol the roads near the Teste de Buch fort with
Sharpe. Their orders are to disrupt any passing French traffic, which
they do so. But upon returning, they find the fort deserted and are
forced to defend the fort against a much larger and better armed
French force before escaping with the help of Killick.
In the TV version, Palmer was one of the wounded soldiers left behind when Bamflyde abandoned the fort.
Name:
Louisa Parker (Sharpe's Rifles)
Dona Louisa Vivar Countess Mouromorto (Sharpe's Waterloo)
Occupation:
Missionary
Place of Origin:
Godalming, England
Appearances:
Sharpe's Rifles (TV)
Sharpe's Rifles, Devil (Books)
Distinguishing Features:
Louisa Parker crosses paths with Sharpe while he's on the run from the
French, and when Louisa defies her missionary relatives and runs away
with Shar