William Laurence
Character Profile
| Name: | William Laurence, Chinese name Lao-ren-tze |
| Date of Birth: | c. 1774 |
| Service: | Aerial Corps, formerly Navy |
| Rank: | Former Captain |
| Nationality: | British |
| Billets: | HMS Shorewise, Fourth Lieutenant HMS Normandy, Second Lieutenant HMS Goliath, First Lieutenant HMS Belize, Captain HMS Reliant, Captain Loch Laggan covert, captain to Temeraire |
Biography
William Laurence was the third son of Lord Allendale, who held the family seat at Wollaton Hall in Nottinghamshire. He was raised in privileg as a gentleman's son, with an education and travel that included as a boyhood trip to Rome. Lord Allendale was a staunch advocate for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade, and young Will absorbed these views from his father.
Lord Allendale's oldest son, George Laurence, stood to inherit his father's title. The second son entered the church; Will was intended for the same profession but wanted to enter the Royal Navy instead.
In the face of paternal opposition, Will Laurence ran away from home at age 12 and became a midshipman under the command of Captain Mountjoy, a family friend. As a young midshipman, he was once taken prisoner by the French and treated with perfect courtesy, which left a deep impression as to how prisoners should be treated.
He was promoted to lieutenant in 1791 at the age of 17. His first posting as lieutenant was to the HMS Shorewise under Captain Barstowe, a coarse man who had risen through the ranks to become captain. Barstowe was conscious of his own lack of social graces and took his resentment out on those who made him feel that lack, such as young Laurence, whom he punished mercilessly.
Fortunately, subsequent postings gave Laurence the chance to prove his abilities. While he served as second lieutenant aboard the HMS Normandy under Captain Yarrow, the ship ran onto a reef and left them wrecked on an island 700 miles from Rio. Laurence, along with Tom Riley and 10 other men, were sent in the ship's cutter for rescue. The captain and premier, not willing to go themselves, supplied them only with hard tack and coconuts. Laurence and his men caught fish and ate it raw.
Laurence credited his successful rescue mission as the reason Captain Thomas Foley chose him as first lieutenant on the HMS Goliath. During that posting, he served at the Battle of the Nile and received a decoration for his service. He served on first or second rate ships of the line for most of his naval career, and considered himself fortunate in his postings. He also visited India prior to 1805, presumably during his naval service.
During this time, Laurence had the prospect of marriage to Edith Galman, whom he had known since childhood, but they were not formally engaged. He was four years her senior.
Aerial Corps, 1805+
Laurence's career in the Navy was abruptly derailed in January 1805, though through no fault of his own. While patrolling in the north Atlantic as part of Admiral Croft's squadron, Laurence's HMS Reliant captured the Amitie, a ship with a most precious cargo - a Celestial egg ready to hatch.
Laurence had his officers and midshipmen draw lots to determine who should harness the dragonet and transfer to the Aerial Corps. He included himself out of fairness but found the prospect distasteful, as did all of the group except for the giddy midshipman Battersea. Another midshipman, Carver, had his name drawn for the task; Laurence viewed this with particular dismay, as he knew that Carver's fear of heights was a serious flaw for an aviator.
However, upon emerging from the shell, the dragonet ignored Carver and explored the ship for some minutes, then abruptly chose Laurence and allowed him to harness, feed, and name it. At a loss, he impulsively chose the name Temeraire in honor of a particularly graceful ship.
At the time of Temeraire's hatching in 1805, Laurence had been away from England for most of the previous four years.
As Temeraire's captain he was stationed at Loch Laggan covert. He served in the Battle of Dover and the Battle of Shoeburyness. He was sent on several long journeys.
In 1805 he had to travel to China because the Chinese did not consider Laurence as a worthy companion for Temeraire and decided to take the dragon back. Laurence was nearly killed several times during the voyage. The conflict was resolved when Laurence was formally adopted by the Emperor.
During the return journey his crew retrieved the Kazilik and Akhal-Teke eggs from the Ottomans (for which the British paid half a million pounds). Almost immediately after his return, Laurence was instructed to find the cure for the dragon plague, which was decimating the Corps. Along with the rest of Lily's formation, he and Temeraire journeyed to Africa and discovered the mushroom that cured the disease. After bringing the cure to England, Laurence learned that the Admiralty intended to send an infected dragon to France, to kill their dragons. Laurence's honor and love of dragon-kind would not allow for this, so he and Temeraire brought the mushroom to France, where they were hailed as heroes by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. However, Laurence insisted on going back to England, where he was convicted of treason, stripped of his rank as captain, and given a death sentence (though it would not be carried out so long as Temeraire stayed in the breeding grounds).
During Napoleon's invasion of England, Laurence and Temeraire fought valiantly against the invaders despite the death sentence hanging over his head. Temeraire, in particular, was essential to countering the strategies of the French. As a reward for this good behavior, Wellesley commuted his death sentence to labor and transportation. He was ordered to travel to a penal colony in Australia, along with Temeraire.
Laurence's personal habits were formed by his upbringing and his time in the Navy, which included observing the formalities of dress and personal interaction. He preferred his clothing to be well-kept and was distressed by the haphazard way in which aviators tended to pack. He was also unaccustomed to their casual social behavior.
Accustomed to the all-male Navy and only formal social interaction with women (except servants), he was initially deeply uncomfortable in dealing with women in the Aerial Corps. He adjusted, however, and formed a relationship with Jane Roland during September 1805 while both were at the Dover covert.
