Jane Gibbons, also known as Jane Sharpe, is a major character in the Sharpe novels and its television adaptation.
She was portrayed by Abigail Cruttenden.
Biography[]
Novels[]
Captain Richard Sharpe first became aware of Jane in Sharpe's Eagle when he encountered her brother Christian Gibbons. After Gibbons' death, Sharpe found he was wearing a locket with a picture of Jane. He made a point of tracking her down when he next visited England and they became friendly.
The now Major Sharpe encountered Jane again while looking into the disappearance of the South Essex's second battalion. She was the niece by marriage of Sir Henry Simmerson. Her mother's sister had married into the aristocracy, but the orphaned Jane came from a humble background and Simmerson treated her as a poor relation, beating her. He was planning to marry her to his conspirator Bartholomew Girdwood. Jane attempted to help Sharpe expose Simmerson and Girdword's involvement in the illegal auction of soldiers, and afterwards eloped to Spain with him to avoid Simmerson's vengeance.
Jane visited Sharpe's friend Lieutenant-Colonel Hogan when he was dying, leaving Sharpe concerned she had contracted fever. Prior to the Battle of Toulouse, Sharpe sent Jane to England with his money, telling her to buy a house in the country. Instead, she was convinced by Lady Molly, who she met on the boat, to buy a town house in London and decorate it and herself in a gaudy manner. When Sharpe was arrested for stealing the Emperor's treasure, Jane went to Lord Rossendale for help but, on hearing Sharpe was accused of the murder of one of the witnesses, they began an affair. When Sharpe's old sergeant Patrick Harper went to her for help, Jane laughed in delight as Rossendale whipped him. They were left fearful of Sharpe's vengeance on learning he had been cleared.
Reverting to her maiden name Jane Gibbons, Jane accompanied Rossendale to Belgium during the Waterloo campaign, but received little acceptance from his peers. They attended the Duchess of Richmond's ball together where they encountered Sharpe, who demanded the return of his money. Eager to be rid of Sharpe so she could marry Rossendale, Jane encouraged him to kill Sharpe under cover of battle. She was secretly pregnant with Rossendale's child, a fact that filled her with disgust. Her plans came to nothing as Rossendale was killed at Waterloo.
Television[]
Jane was acquainted with Major Richard Sharpe, in unrelated circumstances, prior to encountering him at the illegal Foulness training camp. She was the niece of his old enemy Simmerson, and the unwilling fiance of Simmerson's ally Girdwood. She attempted to help Sharpe expose the operation and afterwards accepted his proposal and travelled to Spain with him.
Jane took a job as the regiment surgeon's assistant and married Sharpe. She fell ill with fever but recovered when Wellington was able to get hold of some quinine. However, she began to become disillusioned with Sharpe's uncultured nature and, while he was away on a mission, became charmed by the poet Shellington, only turning on him when Harris revealed one of his poems was plagiarized.
Sharpe promised her that Toulouse would be his last battle and gave her power of attorney over his belongings. When she learned he had survived the battle but challenged Colonel Wigram to a duel, Jane was persuaded by her friend Lady Molly to flee to England, where she withdrew his money from the bank and set up house in London. Rossendale informed her of Sharpe's arrest and they embarked on an affair, which was discovered by Harper despite Rossendale whipping him when he tried to deliver a letter.
After Sharpe was cleared, Rossendale had Sharpe transferred to a yeomanry in Yorkshire but he and Jane had to follow him north in order to inspect a property he had inherited. Sharpe confronted Jane at the house, bitter at her adultery and also wanting the return of his money, which Rossendale had gambled away. Jane told him that Rossendale would release him from his commission if he left them alone and Sharpe reluctantly agreed.
Jane accompanied Rossendale on the Waterloo campaign but was not accepted as merely his mistress. After another encounter with Sharpe, Jane encouraged Rossendale to kill him under cover of battle. While waiting for his return, she wrote that she was pregnant. Rossendale was killed during the battle, leaving her alone.
Trivia[]
- The reference book The Sharpe Companion claims Jane died in 1840, after which Sharpe remarried to Lucille Castineau. This contradicts Bernard Cornwell's Starbuck novels, in which Sharpe and Lucille's son Henri Lassan says his parents never married.
- In real life, Abigail Cruttenden was married to Sharpe actor Sean Bean. They have since divorced.
