Christian Gibbons is the secondary antagonist of the Bernard Cornwell novel Sharpe's Eagle and one of the two secondary antagonists, with Lieutenant Berry, of the television adaptation.
He was portrayed by Neil Dudgeon.
Biography[]
Novel[]
Even though he was the son of a saddler, Gibbons styled himself as a gentleman. He dreamed of being a cavalry officer but was unable to afford the commission, so settled for a lieutenancy in the light company of the South Essex, which had been formed by Sir Henry Simmerson, his uncle by marriage. One of his few concessions to sentiment was that he carried a locket with a portrait of his sister Jane. On the way to join Sir Arthur Wellesley's army, he met Josefina Lacosta in Lisbon and convinced her to accompany him, making his life sound glamorous.
Gibbons was aware of Lieutenant Richard Sharpe, promoted from the ranks, but mistook him for a private and tried to get him to salute him, prompting Sharpe to knock him from his horse. Captain Hogan talked him out of challenging Sharpe to a duel, while Sharpe talked Gibbons out of pursuing the wives of a Spanish regiment. He was made Simmerson's aide at Vadelacasa, where both Simmerson and the Spanish commander took their regiments to challenge a group of French cavalry instead of blowing a bridge as ordered. Gibbons passed on an order to Sharpe to form skirmishers, which Sharpe refused, knowing they would be sitting ducks for cavalry. When the action ended in disaster, with both regiments' squares broken by cavalry, Gibbons fled across the bridge with Simmerson and other members of the regiment where Simmerson blew the bridge, stranding many of their men including the wounded. Gibbons tried to place Sharpe, among those stranded, under arrest, telling him to throw over his sword and the regimental colours, but Sharpe retorted that he was fighting for them while Gibbons and Simmerson had abandoned them.
Since Captain Lennox, the light company commander, had been killed, Simmerson gave the company to Gibbons, but Wellesley overruled him, making the South Essex a battalion of detachments and giving Sharpe the captaincy of the light company, although Gibbons remained Simmerson's aide. Gibbons and his friend Berry played cards with Josefina, who offered her body as a stake. She claimed they had cheated but Gibbons struck her, letting Berry attempt to rape her. Sharpe intervened, taking her to his room where they became lovers. Gibbons and Berry got their revenge by beating Josefina and drunkenly trying to rape her again.
When Berry was killed during a night skirmish, Gibbons realised Sharpe was responsible and he would be next. At Talavera, Gibbons joined Simmerson in fleeing the field, only for Sir William Lawford to relieve Simmerson of command and order Gibbons back to his company. Gibbons watched from a distance as Sharpe and Sergeant Harper captured a French eagle. He then attacked Sharpe, who was without his rifle, and came close to killing him, but was killed by Harper, who bayoneted him through the back.
Television[]
Gibbons was a lieutenant in the South Essex and the nephew of Sir Henry Simmerson. He first encountered Lieutenant Sharpe in an alleyway and tried to strike him for blocking his path only for Sharpe to easily overpower him. On learning Sharpe was raised from the ranks, he considered challenging him to a duel but was talked out of it by Major Hogan, who told him Sharpe had killed three dragoons while saving Sir Arthur Wellesley's life.
En route to Vadelacasa to blow the bridge, Gibbons was angered when Sharpe and his men went on ahead, casually shooting and eating rabbits. He attempted to rob an apple seller, in the process accidentally disrupting Spanish partisans dealing arms, with Teresa Moreno having to calm the situation. He desired Josefina, prompting his friend Berry to offer to play cards for money to pay Josefina's maids and win her favour. Berry won and attempted to claim Josefina for himself, but Sharpe put a stop to his rough treatment of her and placed Josefina under his protection.
After the disastrous action at Vadelacasa that saw Simmerson humiliated and Sharpe promoted to captain, Simmerson told Gibbons and Berry that they would lose his patronage unless they got rid of Sharpe. Gibbons helped Berry beat Josefina in order to provoke Sharpe into a duel, but refused to accept Sharpe's challenge himself, saying he didn't fight duels over whores. He fled the field at Talavera with Simmerson and was presumably discredited with him.
