Bravo Fleet
Summary
Jedediah is passionate about the causes that he believes in. He tries to be fair and open-minded and, perhaps naively sees all men as equal. Like many other followers of the Wesely brothers, he is an abolitionist, which he openly espouses. He also sides with the Patriots, though he is much less outspoken about that.
He is a first-generation American, whose family came to America in 1751, two years before his birth. He is the youngest of five surviving children. He is deeply committed to his Faith and loves his new country.
History
William joined the Royal Navy, at the ripe age of twelve as ship’s boy. After a few years, he became a powder monkey. A dangerous job, but he liked doing it. He stayed in the Navy for twenty years, until the age of thirty-two, after rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
He was a pretty typical sailor, given to debauchery, gluttony, and often drunkenness. Nevertheless, he managed to fall in love with his Captian’s daughter Sara Nelson and in 1740 he married her while in port in London.
About a year later, he was transferred to shore duty, because of hIs expertise in cannons. In 1742, they welcomed there first child into the world and named him William junior. Sara who had been a nominal member of the Church of England, but never much more than that, began to listen to the Weselys whose style and theology was much different than she was used to. But, she was soon caught up in it and became part of the Great Awakening that was spreading like wildfire in Britain.
She wooed her husband until he started attending the meeting and he too was got caught up and became as devoted as her.
While the intensity of the revival fires eventually died down, the Quarels remained devoted to their new-found faith. William reformed his ways, as did Sarah (who had less to repent of) and they raised their family in that way.
In 1751, he resigned from the Navy having grown discontented with some of the policies of the Crown. He moved his family across the Atlantic. They bought the Green Dragon and expanded it into not only a tavern but an inn with a dozen rooms.
Jedidiah was born on September 20, 1753, in Boston, the only Quarels’ child to be born in the Colonies The Junior Wiliam followed in his father’s footsteps (against the wishes of William Senior) and joined the Royal Navy. He is now serving aboard the HMS Britianna a 100 gun First Rate ship.
Eve, the eldest sister has returned to London with her husband. They are firmly on the side of the British. Abraham is less fervent but still is on the side of the Loyalists. He is a silversmith.
Jeddah’s education wouldn’t have been defined as classical in the strict British sense, but he learned to read and write well enough to have been admitted to Harvard had he so desired.
He did not just accept the faith of his parents at face value. He had to accept it on his own which he did when he was fifteen. While he doesn’t push his beliefs on others, he has never attempted to hide them, or be subdued in expressing them, including his belief that owning other humans is wrong.
He and his parents are less vocal in their support of the Patriots because they are loyal to the cause and feel they can best serve the “rebels” by staying in the background and offering the Green Dragon as a place where information can be gathered and clandestine meetings can be held.
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Their “spying” is more passive, to a degree, even benign (though still enough to get them hanged for treason should they be discovered).
Jedidiah, who has been working at the inn since he was sixteen oversees the night shift. He is a good diplomat and despite his young age is respected and listened too. He also does some occasional hunting and fishing to supply meat for the inn, or at least a portion of it.
While his parents and sister are more passive in their support for the Patriots, he takes a more active role gathering information clandestinely, and as things progress he will act as a provocateur and even a saboteur.