[Algernon Culpepper (Liz)]

Your Name/Alias: Liz
Age: 22 (eep!)
Contact Info: YIM: dixiet318
Where'd You Find Us: Made the board, yo!
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Name: Algernon Beaufort Culpepper
Nickname (if applicable): Algie (affectionately), Oaf/Cretan/etc (by a Miss Staunton)
Age: 27
Date of Birth: February 28, 1784
Title: Mr. Culpepper

FAMILY
Alfred Beaufort Culpepper, Baron Sneddon (father, born 1747 [aged 63])
Eugenia Mary Culpepper (neé Redgrave), Baroness Sneddon (mother, born 1766 [aged 45])
Alfred Leonard Culpepper (brother, deceased as infant, born 1787)
Leander Roger Culpepper (brother, deceased, born 1790, died 1793 of fever)
Helen Regina Culpepper (sister, born 1792 [aged 18])
Margaret Eustacia Culpepper (sister, born 1795 [aged 16])

Felicity Staunton (future wife, if Algie has his way, born 1792 [aged 18])


BACKGROUND
Algernon Beaufort Culpepper was welcomed into the world on February 28, 1784 as the first child of Lord and Lady Sneddon. His father, a rather crusty fellow, had married Miss Redgrave, a young woman whose ample fortune was able to buy her an old and disagreeable husband, a little more than two years prior and was unimpressed with her first effort at childmaking. Algernon, for his part, was a fussy baby, which did little to endear him to either of his parents. Unfortunately for Lord Sneddon, neither of his two younger sons survived childhood, meaning he was stuck with Algie, as well as two rather plain and silly daughters, Helen and Margaret.

Algernon was tutored privately at home until he became of age to leave for school. He attended Eton and then went on to Oxford, where he studied, among other things, philosophy. An average student, it was at Eton that Algernon first became aware of his good fortune of being the only surviving son of an aging father. People were quite anxious to befriend the future (presumably the near future) Baron Sneddon. It also helped that his father, who cared very little for what Algie did, tended to give him whatever he requested just to shut him up. Thus, Algernon frequently found himself in possession of the latest and greatest, which currently happens to be a wellsprung barouche, a very fast curricle, and enough spending money to do as he pleases, all of which make him very popular within a certain set, one particular member of which is Linus Staunton, Baron Bunowen.

Last Season, Algernon traveled to London, having decided that he was ready to begin his search for a wife. He soon set his sights on the daughter of the Marquess of Ribbleswick, Lady Josephine Rondell, and pursued her relentlessly, reminding her of his £7,000 per annum and his intention to purchase a new set of greys for his curricle. As tends to be the case with Algie, Lady Josephine was not at all interested and soon made a late-summer match with a younger son of one of her father’s political allies. Feeling utterly rejected and generally mopey, Algernon accepted an invitation to go hunting in the Irish wilds with his friend Lord Bunowen. True, the place was quite out of the way, and Algernon was not too keen on voluntarily surrounding himself with Irish savages, but he took heart in the knowledge that Lord Bunowen’s father was a viscount and was, therefore, surely better than the rest of his countrymen.

It was on this hunting trip that Algernon met his future wife - Miss Felicity Staunton. While it was true that she had very little in the way of fortune, she more than made up for that lack by way of her beauty and wit. His spirits much improved, he began to court Miss Staunton, with the approval and encouragement of her parents. He could not, however, help but notice a certain reticence on her part, though he chalked it up to simple nerves. After all, he was sure that none of her other suitors had been so well off in the world as he was (has he mentioned yet his £7,000 per annum and his barouche?). Though the hunting trip ended far too soon for Algernon’s tastes, he continued to brave the choppy waters and absolutely medieval roads, visiting the Stauntons over the new year and again in early March, bringing with him for the last trip his younger sister Helen, who is of an age with Miss Staunton. He has been encouraging a friendship between the two ladies as well as reassuring Miss Staunton that beneath all the layers of wealth, privilege, and good (English) breeding, he is just a simple man. With these tactics on his side, he is confident Miss Staunton will be his before the end of this Season.

With his sister set to debut this Season, Algernon has traveled once again to London. As an added bonus, he is also able to study Miss Staunton’s behavior in Town, so as to better gauge whether or not she would be an appropriate baroness.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Algernon is neither attractive nor unattractive, which could be considered both a blessing and a curse.  Women are not likely to run screaming in the other direction, but neither are they likely to swoon into his arms.  His curly light brown hair is prone to frizziness, which he combats with daily smoothing creams, and his eyes, which are admittedly a lovely warm brown, are a touch too far wideset to be considered a true asset.  His nose is regrettably large, though perhaps it only appears this way because his face is so narrow.  He has a nice, warm smile, though his teeth are more of an off-white bone color rather than a gleaming pearl.  Not being one for physical exertion, it is lucky that Algie is naturally slim, however he lacks any manly musculature.  He is tall, standing at about 5' 9", and is typically well dressed.

Algernon has a fair sense of style, though he is more prone to experimentation than the average man.  His taste in clothes leans toward elaborate at times, though he could not accurately be called a dandy.  He is known, however, for his complicated cravat styles and has recently been working on one of his own, to be called (of course) the Algernon.

PERSONALITY
Algie has been spoiled and pampered all his life. This has resulted in a rather gregarious and pompous attitude in which he simply assumes that everyone will want to curry his favor and is impressed by him. While this might have been true at school and in his local neighborhood, the same cannot be said for London. It is perhaps for this reason that, consciously or not, Algernon sought out those members of high society who were either just a few ranks above him (but either desperately lacking in fortune or looks) or those who were below him (allowing him to lord his fortune and breeding over them). His circle of friends does not include the highest echelons of society but neither does it include those so desperate to cling to any form of civility that it might make Algie uncomfortable. Algernon does not enjoy being uncomfortable.

He much prefers a refined and civilized life indoors to traipsing about moors in Ireland or grassy knolls in Hyde Park. If it were up to him, he would build townhouses along Rotten Row and fence off the green spaces. Man was not meant to live outside, elsewise God would not have created houses. He does, however, enjoy hunting, but only if there is a lodge nearby where he can promptly change out of his soiled clothing once he tires of the activity. He can be lazy at times, which typically means that his hunting partners are usually forced to turn in before they are ready. Otherwise, Algernon will whine and complain until they turn back; he is not ashamed to act childishly if it means getting his way.

He is arrogant but in a way that is more obnoxious than odious. He truly believes that the fact that his father is an English baron makes Algernon himself a better example of the human race that just about anyone else he might meet. The fact that his father is moderately wealthy (in comparison to the rest of London society; in comparison to the population at large, they are wealthy beyond measure) only exacerbates his high opinion of himself. He is excessively interested in himself.

Algie is not modest in any way. Indeed, he is rather boastful and is more than willing to discuss, at length, is new waistcoat, his curricle, or his plans to purchase a new set of greys. He will also tell anyone who is unfortunate enough to express a polite interest exactly how much all of these cost, though of course only because he was asked (“Truly, discussing money is a pastime of the lower classes, but I live to serve!”). He has an opinion on most anything and will share it with most anyone; typically he disapproves of everything he deems un-English, though in certain cases, he is willing to make exceptions (see Miss Felicity Staunton).

He is easily bored as well as easily distracted. He is also easily discouraged and is unlikely to put excessive amounts of energy into anything. The apparent exception to this is his current pursuit of Miss Staunton. Those that know him well (primarily his mother and sisters) are rather shocked at this uncharacteristic show of tenacity and take it as a sign of his true devotion to Miss Staunton. In reality, it is simply that Algernon sees his good friend’s sister as an easily won prize; far easier than Lady Josephine. It is for this reason that Algernon has not yet given up. The fact that he has not yet been rejected outright by Miss Staunton only furthers his assumption that he will eventually be successful.

Addendum: Please note that any mentions of "Lord Sneddon" or "Baron Sneddon" posted before April 2, 2010, should assumed to be referencing Algernon, though his father is alive and Algernon is known as the Honorable Algernon Culpepper.

[Voice of Morality]

Approved!