Colin Firth

Memoirs
Having managed to survive to a substantial age and partaken in exploits that may be considered interesting to some, fascinating to others and mundane to most, I find it justifiable to take pen to paper and record the experiences that, once put together comprise the sum of my life. I would like to preface this journal with the assertion that I do not write this in the egotistic supposition that my life has any historical significance. Admittedly, this entire exercise is based on a certain degree of egotism. Yet, consider this observation before passing any judgments on my motivations.

If there is one thing that the sea has taught me it is humility. Out in the vastness of the deep a man becomes truly acquainted with exactly how insignificant he is. Yet, the same inexplicable urge that forces us us to build, destroy, love, hate and question the very nature of our purpose calls to us to raise our voices and shout into the void, “I am here and I matter!” We all struggle with our own meaning and purpose in life perhaps that is the intent of the whole thing. I find this labor to be cathartic to the onus imposed by that search. Perhaps at the end of this narrative and hopefully at the end of my life, I can find peace in knowing that in some way, through my actions and relationships that I was here and I did matter to someone and through that significance, no matter how infinitesimal I left the world a better place for having been in it.



Family History
I was born in the township of Marston, northeast of Oxford on the 18th of May, year of our lord, 1686 to Lachlan and Gillian Firth. Our family is of Scottish origin, Roxburghshire Scotland northwest of Newcastle Scotland to be exact and elevated themselves from a very meager rural substance through a largely unlikely series of events that lead to my great grandfather Liam Firth, being educated through service to John Colet, the well known humanist, theologian and scholar.

My father was a very well respected professor of literature at Exeter College, Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University and held the position of Chancellor from 1693 through to the time of his passing in 1708. I remember my father as being a man of even temper and depth. I do not remember him ever speaking unkindly to me or my mother and quite frankly, now that I think on it, I do not remember him ever being cross. Then again, I was not a particularly mischievous child, often content with sitting in a quiet place with a good book. He was quite dedicated to his work though and left the challenge of raising me mostly to my mother. He was a sly old fox and had quite a reputation as a man who could make difficult things easy and impossible things merely challenging.

My mother, by maiden name is Lady Gillian Greenwood, daughter of Lord Greenwood of Rossendale. Lord Rossendale reluctantly allowed his youngest daughter to court outside the Gentry shortly after meeting my father. As my father told the story, the good Lord Rossendale was a bit of a sportsman and a drinker.

Professor Firth did quite a bit of research on Lord Rossendale before traveling to Lancashire to court Lady Gillian whom he had met through her brother Jonathan during a lecture on medieval literature. Arriving with a bottle of very rare brandy he had acquired from a fellow from the University of Paris with whom he corresponded, he was shown into his Lordships sitting room and sat and waited for the better part of the day. Once Lord Rossendale finally arrived, my father gifted him the bottle and they promptly began to drink. The two talked for quite some time.

My father was quite the talker and had that kind of mind that retained information, no matter how trivial. In fact, if I were to better describe it, his mind preferred the trivial and managed to turn that on its ear to make it the most pertinent piece of information you had ever heard. He also did a considerable amount of investigation on Lord Rossendale’s hobbies, interests and enterprises. I remember him saying, “Before I met your grandfather, I made it my business to know his business better than he in order to make myself as genial as he thought himself to be.”



A very long story short, he managed after some time to convince Lord Rossendale to agree to the courtship after a game of Chess. Although he alluded to the matter being settled on the outcome of that game, he never fully admitted it and I was sworn to never tell my mother the tale knowing that it would probably be the end of him.

Lady Gillian was by nature her own woman, born with an inquisitive nature, a strong mind and a staunch determination to have her opinion known. That, coupled with a very fiery temper, probably led to my grandfather’s decision to let her court my father in the same way that you would let a hound court a fox. Fox indeed since these were the very qualities that attracted the good Professor to the woman who would become my father. You see, my father was a man who never liked to take things easy. He preferred a challenge in all things and a struggle in some, a trait that I later found in myself. This more than anything was the reason why I managed to convince myself to become a fighting man.

Politically, the Firths are staunch Royalists and by extension Tories. My father lost two brothers during the Civil War fighting for King George I when the loyalist army held Oxford as its stronghold. My father also toyed with the idea of running for office in the House of Commons, but work at University always seemed to derail that ambition.

We are also devout Anglicans, although I did have some bit of a trial with some friends at school who would later become founders of the Methodist branch of Protestantism. They and I are no longer on speaking terms.

Commissions

 * HMS Manticore
 * Macedon
 * March 3rd, 1723
 * At Sea


 * HMS Werewolf
 * Mordaunt Sleek
 * February 26th, 1723
 * At Sea


 * HMS Lovecraft
 * Reason
 * March 3rd, 1723
 * At Sea


 * HMS Vampire
 * Mercy
 * 1723


 * HMS Gryphon
 * Tigre Mastercraft
 * April 2nd 1723
 * At Sea


 * HMS Hobgoblin
 * Raa Mastercraft
 * February 16th, 1723
 * At Sea

Port Battle Record
{|
 * width="150" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Port
 * width="200" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Date
 * width="100" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Battle type
 * width="150" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Enemy
 * width="75" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Result
 * width="200" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Ship
 * width="300" align="Left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|Role
 * Turpitude
 * March 29th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Pirate
 * Defeat
 * HMS Manticore
 * Captain
 * Jaqueme
 * April 15th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:FRANCE.JPG]] French
 * Victory
 * HMS Manticore
 * Captain
 * St. John's
 * April 16h, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Pirate
 * Victory
 * HMS Manticore
 * Captain
 * Belize
 * June 1st, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:SPAIN.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Lovecraft
 * Captain
 * Turtling Bay
 * June 5th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Pirate
 * Victory
 * HMS Manticore
 * Captain
 * Puerto Cabezas
 * June 5th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Pirate
 * Victory
 * HMS Manticore
 * Captain
 * Leogane
 * June 22nd, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:FRANCE.JPG]] French
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Bridgetown
 * June 23rd, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:SPAIN.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Charlestown
 * June 25th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Pirate
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Nassau
 * June 25th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:SPAIN.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Santiago
 * June 29th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:SPAIN.JPG]] Spanish
 * Defeat
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * St. John's
 * June 29th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:FRANCE.JPG]] French
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Jaqueme
 * July 6th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:FRANCE.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Turtling Bay
 * July 6th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Commodore
 * Jaqueme
 * July 6th, 1723
 * Attack
 * [[File:FRANCE.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Captain
 * Turtling Bay
 * July 6th, 1723
 * Defense
 * [[File:PIRATE.JPG]] Spanish
 * Victory
 * HMS Vampire
 * Commodore
 * Commodore