Joe Newbury

Joe Newbury is a rifleman in the 5th Battalion 60th Rifles. He is a PC belonging to Keiju. His PB is an unknown extra from Sharpe's Enemy.

Family
Father: George Newbury

Mother: Abigail Newbury

Siblings: Sarah, James (Able Seaman, HMS Seahorse)

History
Newbury joined the Army to avoid punishment after an altercation with a militia patrol. Until his flight from Buckler's Hard, he had been employed in one of the old great houses nearby, first as an under-gamekeeper and later as a footman. He had been returning to his master's house late one night after carrying a message when he was challenged by a militia patrol. When they attempted to detain him, there having been a number of house robberies in the past fortnight, Newbury resisted and in the ensuing scuffle managed to strike at least two before he was able to flee.

He was only too happy to take the King's shilling when offered it by the first recruiting party he came across, knowing it would be a sure escape from capture. The former footman served first with the 35th Regiment in the Mediterranean, where he spent a couple of years before learning of the existence of Rifle regiments. The idea of being part of such a regiment was an enticing one, not the least for the prospect of gaining a break from the Line. Newbury saw no other option about it. His volunteering for the 60th Rifles did not please his officers, but his persistence paid off. He was with the 60th at Vimeiro and other engagements, until the evacuation.

Since returning to the Peninsula, Newbury has known little except monstrously bad luck. He was wounded at Pombal and gave that wound little chance to heal before injuring his knee and later sustaining a concussion. The latter too was given no chance to mend. All that came before he and a good many others in the baggage train were captured by a raiding French cavalry troop. The subsequent escape from French lines did nothing to better his condition and ultimately it became necessary to send the rifleman to the army's hospital at Belem, many leagues to the rear. His repeated concussions caused him to lose the ability to discern colours properly, though during his convalescence, Newbury has mostly managed to adjust to this impairment.

With enforced rest, he managed to recover from his ailments and was accordingly sent to rejoin the army, in the company of many others from different regiments. The mixed little column having finally caught up to the army, Newbury is happy to once again be back with the Rifles.

Appearance
Joe Newbury is not a bone-thin fellow, but neither is he fat. His frame is slim and sturdy, and he carries himself with a lithe sort of grace. Past employment as a running footman has given him a lean musculature and the ability to maintain a jogging pace for several miles, both of which help put him in good stead for the demanding lifestyle of a Rifleman. Of just above average height, he possesses an overall build that leaves him happily proportionate.

A series of misfortunes, in action and otherwise, have left Newbury with a handful of scars. The most notable one is across his torso, the permanent reminder of a lucky French bayonet slash. He also has a very slight but occasionally noticeable limp, after turning a knee while on scouting duties. The leg has healed completely but, when it is cold or rainy, has the unfortunate tendency to ache rather fiercely. His greatest lingering ailment is the fact that, as a result of numerous blows and knocks to the head, he is colour-blind.

Newbury wears his dark hair relatively short, just long enough to show underneath his shako. He has sideburns as well, though they're lighter in colour than the rest of his hair. He's not sure why. Never one to tolerate even the slightest stubble, he shaves daily and takes special care to trim his sidewhiskers regularly, so they are kept to a reasonable length.

His face is well-formed and open, without a scar or mark to blemish it. A sharp nose is the only angular part of his face. His eyes are keen and brown, bright with a spirit that is an irrepressible part of his countenance as a whole. To glance at him is to see liveliness embodied. The only unusual feature of his head is the prominence of his ears, which stick out like small sails.