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| Rear-Admiral Thomas Cochrane |
As a writer, I love to find out what inspired, or inspires the fictitious characters of other writers. Was it a grumpy neighbour, family member, old school friend or maybe even the local barista? The writer may not use all of their traits but their little idiosyncrasies sometimes can unintentionally creep in and become part of the players characteristics.
One individual who is said to have inspired C.S Forester's, Horacio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian's, Captain Jack Aubrey, is Royal Naval officer Thomas Cochrane. Although a naval hero who was known as the 'Wolf of the Seas' by the French during the Napoleonic wars, he also had a questionable reputation. Which may not have been something so unusual in those bygone days.
I came across a statue of him in the town of Culross, the other week and it was good to put a face to the character even he was a 'product of the author's imagination.'
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