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Thread: Westbroke Mansion, New Hampshire

  1. #1
    Lucius Malfoy's Avatar Pure-Blood
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    Default Westbroke Mansion, New Hampshire


    Family History



    The Harrisons are an old landowning family in the American colonies. The family legend is that their first ancestor came to England in the mid 1600s, among the first colonists to cultivate the land that would eventually become the Province of New Hampshire. However, a more accurate record notes a certain Robert Harrison, who was a local magistrate, in the Province of New Hampshire, during King William's War in 1688. With this record, the Harrisons have been in America for around a century and have always lived in the New England area. Robert would begat Thomas, another magistrate within the province. Thomas begat John, a British officer during Queen Anne's War in the early 1700s. John begat Robert II who died young, but whose son, Lionel, would come to lead the family. Lionel was an infant at the time, so the estate was handled by his widowed mother and a relative of his family until he turned 18 years old.

    Lionel continued the trend of his family to serve with the local law and justice of New Hampshire, rising to eventually be a chief justice within the province. This career preceded a time at a military academy in Pennsylvania before deciding to take up a more civilian role and be closer to his family. However, when the Revolutionary War broke out, Lionel re-joined the army in 1775, but sided with the Continentals. He quickly became a noted figure for his aptitude with artillery, a field that he would excel at and earn him renown within the Continental Army. His friendship with Arthur Lionheart ensured was made a quartermaster for the Patriots and, eventually, their chief artillery officer, due to merit and skill, by 1777. Lionel accompanied the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army to many battlefields and was involved in some of the most major actions of the war. As a Brigadier General, Harrison was commander of the Continental Artillery Regiment, which was named Harrison's Hammers, whose cannons aided the Army in various battlefields. Most notably the Siege of Boston, Fort Washington, and Trenton. The regiment was disbanded in 1776 and replaced with four artillery units, which Lionel still held command over due to his expertise with artillery.

    From 1779 to the eve of the Surrender at Yorktown in 1791, despite the ongoing war, Harrison set up various artillery schools and would go inactive, trusting command to his officers over the artillery in the Continental Army. for some months in order to give attention to training at these academies. He was especially seen the artillery school at Pluckemin, New Jersey, which was a precursor for a future military academy unknowingly. He served as Lionheart's representative in the north, ensuring fresh supplies and recruits were a steady stream to the Continental Army as advances were made across all fronts. This job was associated by his younger son, Benjamin, who worked directly in the Second Continental Congress. He returned to more active service when the main army moved south and began the final campaigns that would end the war on the American Continent. His cannons were heard from Richmond to Yorktown as the Patriots won the war and forced the British to surrender. By the end of the war in 1783, Lionel Harrison had been raised to Major General and served as the commander at West Point. After Arthur resigned from his commission in December of 1783, Harrison became the senior officer of the army. A position he held till the following year when his political career would begin.

    His political career would begin in 1784 when Lionel resigned from the army and took up his post as Secretary of War for the fledgling government. An office which he took up with great enthusiasm and vigor to ensure America was prepared for future conflicts, despite the absence of a standing army and navy. While he desired to rejoin the army during Shay's Rebellion, his duty to the government kept him away. Yet he would rise higher, as by 1789, Lionel was elected Senator of his home state of New Hampshire.

    A little further background information:
    - Robert III Harrison was the eldest son of Lionel and older brother of Benjamin. At the outbreak of the war, Robert considered joining the Continental Army. However, when the Continental Navy was commissioned in 1775, Robert signed up within a heartbeat. In that same year, he was assigned to the Trumble, as a sailor, but this service ended in 1777 when the ship was burned to prevent its capture by the British Navy. From there, transferred to the Warren, a ship he gained a second-in-command for before it, too, was burned in 1779 to prevent capture. After this, he requested leave and returned to his home to recover. Due to the popularity of his father back home, Robert was welcomed home by a fanfare and learned of his mother's efforts to find him a wife. One was chosen from the notable Prynne family, a lady by the name of Joy-Again (later called Joy within his household). They married in early 1780 before Robert returned to the navy, just after the French naval collaboration began. With various vacancies available, Robert was able to gain both an officer's rank and the command of a 32 gun frigate, designated the Dover. He was able to not only command his ship, but also command small fleets against larger convoys and smaller British flotillas, gaining good experience during the waning years of the war. Compared to the prestigious French Navy, however, most of his combat was against British shipping that mostly ended by 1783. The Dover was returned to the French later that same year, forcing him to return home. The navy was disbanded in 1785, a deep disappointment to Robert, who had gained the rank of Commodore by the end of his naval career. Despite not taking a greater political career, Robert is known for his stance on seeing the navy reformed.

    - Benjamin Harrison was the second son of Lionel and the younger brother of Robert. While both his brother and his father served with great distinction on the front lines of the Revolution, Benjamin stayed at home to manage to family's estates and serve his term as a civilian official, notably as Mayor of Dover from 1773 to 1775. He, eventually, earned an invitation to serve as a Congressional representative for his state, during the Second Continental Congress. With this heightened role, Benjamin did ensure that the regiments of New Hampshire were able to get necessary replacements, wounded were brought home, the families of the dead were notified, and supplies were given to the Continental Army. As representative, he did his best to serve in the interest of his home state and worked hard for the sake of independence. His political career was modest, overshadowed easily by achievements of Lionel and Robert, and ended in 1781 when the Second Continental Congress was dissolved. Offered a second time to serve, Benjamin declined the offer, whose seat eventually went to his popular father, Lionel, and decided to return to New Hampshire to serve locally.In 1784, Benjamin would marry Anne Sanford who was from a prominent family in Rhode Island.

    Family Tree
    Robert Harrison - b. 1631 and d. 1701
    Thomas Harrison - b. 1655 and d. 1705
    John Harrison - b. 1680 and d. 1731
    Robert II Harrison - b. 1702 and d. 1737
    Lionel Harrison - b. 1735 and d. ???? - Married Meredith (Mary) Harrison (b. 1746)

    Issue of Lionel and Mary Harrison
    - Robert III Harrison (b. 1752) - Married to Joy-Again (Joy) Prynne (b. 1769) (married 1779)
    - Benjamin Harrison (b. 1757) - Married to Anne Sanford (b. 1765) (married 1784)

    Issue of Robert III and Joy Harrison
    - Charlotte Harrison (b. 1782)
    - Henry Harrison (b. 1784)

    Issue of Benjamin and Anne Harrison
    - Eleanor Harrison (b. 1786)

    Family Members

    Lionel Harrison

    Lionel Harrison in full military attire, shortly after his promotion to Major General. ca. 1783.

    Age: 54 (b. 1735)
    Spouse: Meredith (Mary), née Johnson (b. 1746)

    +2 Charisma
    +2 Artillery Command
    +1 Wealth

    Heritage
    Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.

    Religion
    Deist: You are a Deist. You believe in a vaguely defined Supreme Being which the Christians call God, but only as a creator: as far as you’re concerned, the First Cause does not interact with its creations at all and is content to let them operate as they will. Deists tend to be the most radical embracers of the Enlightenment and all the liberal ideologies it brings. Thomas Jefferson was an example of a historical American Deist.

    Idolized philosopher
    Jean-Jacques Rousseau: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His belief that humans were fundamentally good and that direct democracy, whereby all are free even as they impose their will on each other because their own will was taken into account within the general collective, was the best sort of democracy rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with radically liberal and populistic inclinations. +1 Charisma.

    Early Life
    Officer: Prior to entering politics, you secured a commission in the British (or if you’re still especially young, Continental) Army and took part in the mid-to-late 18th-century ‘cabinet wars’ between the Great Powers, from King George’s War to the French and Indian War, culminating in the American Revolution. You bring to the table your military experience and fame, or infamy, from your years at war. +1 Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery Command.

    Role in the Revolution
    General Officer: You were a general officer in the Continental Army, likely far removed from the front lines. Instead your role was at the war table, planning out operations, measuring resources and wrangling with the Continental Congress and your fellow generals over the direction of the war. At most, on the field you were likely directing artillery fire from the rear. If the Infantry and Cavalry Officers were the arms of the Continental forces, you were one of its brain cells. +1 Artillery Command or Logistician.

    Role in the Confederation Period
    Congressman: Whether a newcomer or already a member of the wartime Continental Congress, you became a member of the post-Revolutionary War Congress of the Confederation, the feeble and virtually powerless nominal legislature of the USA under the original Articles of Confederation. With no military, no means of acquiring revenue, and little credence in the eyes of foreign powers, you and the rest of this Congress may as well not have existed - but you and it did, and despite your overall powerlessness, you still learned valuable political lessons & forged connections with the other Congressmen while you were there. +1 Charisma or Espionage.

    Robert III Harrison

    Commodore Robert III Harrison, commander of the frigate, Dover. ca. 1780


    Age: 37 (b. 1752)
    Spouse: Joy-Again (Joy), née Prynne (b. 1769)

    +2 Naval Command
    +1 Charisma
    +1 Wealth
    +1 Personal Combat

    Heritage
    Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.

    Religion
    Congregationalist: You belong to one of many Congregationalist churches, typically concentrated in the Northeast of the country. The Congregational Presbyterians are successors of the old Puritans, being staunch Calvinists who believe that God has predetermined the fates of all men toward either salvation or damnation without any human agency in the matter: they’re insular, are most likely to be distrustful of or outright hostile toward other sects, and combine a dead-serious take on the Protestant work-ethic with a zealous drive for spiritual and moral purity in all spheres of life. Dutch-descended Calvinists also fall under the Congregationalist umbrella.

    Idolized philosopher
    Jean-Jacques Rousseau: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His belief that humans were fundamentally good and that direct democracy, whereby all are free even as they impose their will on each other because their own will was taken into account within the general collective, was the best sort of democracy rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with radically liberal and populistic inclinations. +1 Charisma.

    Early Life
    Sailor: Prior to entering politics, you were a sailor on the high seas. Perhaps you were a captain in the Royal and/or Continental Navies, just a civilian mariner involved in the fishing or shipping industries, or even a privateer who settled down after the Revolution. Being used to the dangers of sailing for long periods of time, you’re keenly aware of how to ration your supplies and pick out the quickest and safest routes of travel. +1 Naval Command.

    Role in the Revolution
    Naval Officer: You captained a ship or commanded squadrons of multiple ships in the Continental Navy during the war. In this capacity, in addition to maintaining discipline among your crew and maximizing usage of the talents of your specialists (navigator, bosun, etc) you had the unenviable task of battling the mightiest sea power in the world - the Royal Navy - on its home ‘turf’. Still, you proved (as historical US naval commanders, such as John Paul Jones, did) that it could be done. +1 Naval Command or Scout.

    Role in the Confederation Period
    Planter: Following the Patriot victory in the Revolutionary War, the dissolution of the armed forces and the ascent of the Articles of Confederation, you retired to life on your country estate until the time came to get more involved in public life. As a planter, you would have been busy managing your estate - whether it was worked by slaves, free tenants, or a mix of both - and keeping up with other socialites in peacetime, which may have also involved getting into duels over honor. +1 Charisma or Personal Combat.

    Benjamin Harrison

    Benjamin Harrison as the Mayor of Dover. ca. 1774

    Age: 32 (b. 1757)
    Spouse: Anne, née Sanford (b. 1765)

    +2 Wealth
    +1 Espionage
    +1 Charisma
    +1 Personal Combat

    Heritage
    Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.

    Religion
    Deist: You are a Deist. You believe in a vaguely defined Supreme Being which the Christians call God, but only as a creator: as far as you’re concerned, the First Cause does not interact with its creations at all and is content to let them operate as they will. Deists tend to be the most radical embracers of the Enlightenment and all the liberal ideologies it brings. Thomas Jefferson was an example of a historical American Deist.

    Idolized philosopher
    John Locke: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was John Locke. His belief that there existed a moral Law-of-Nature forbidding men from harming one another’s lives or possessions without cause and that a night-watchman state whose role was limited to protecting the lives, liberty and property of its citizens was ideal rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with moderately liberal inclinations. +1 Wealth.

    Early Life
    Merchant: Prior to entering politics, you ran your own business as a merchant of at least local note. In this role you not only crunched numbers but also learned to buy low and sell high, to efficiently manage not only accounts but also your workers, to spot and plan for both opportunities and risks, and to deal with both competitors and tough customers - all skills that should serve you well in the realm of politics. +1 Wealth.

    Role in the Revolution
    Congressman: During the war, you were part of the Continental Congress. You did not fight in the field but instead politically represented the American states & people, presenting their demands to the British Crown at the Revolution’s eve and providing civilian leadership to revolutionary forces which foreign countries could negotiate with. As a delegate of the Congress, you also likely wrangled with overambitious generals from time to time, and may have even fought a duel or several over honor in clashes with prickly fellow Congressmen. +1 Wealth, Personal Combat or Charisma.

    Role in the Confederation Period
    Tycoon: Following the Patriot victory in the Revolutionary War, the dissolution of the armed forces and the ascent of the Articles of Confederation, you retired to civilian life as a merchant prince until the time came to get more involved in public life. As a business tycoon, your primary concern would obviously have been trying to make more money than ever before, whether as a shipping magnate, a large proto-retailer, a mail delivery boss, etc. +1 Wealth or Espionage.

    Personal Buildings

    TIER I

    TIER II

    TIER III
    Last edited by Lucius Malfoy; September 14, 2019 at 05:05 PM.
    Gaming Director for the Gaming Staff
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  2. #2
    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default Re: Westbroke Mansion, New Hampshire

    A letter comes for Lionel Harrison, penned by President Lionheart's own hand.
    Old friend,

    You know that there is no need for stifling formalities between us, so I shall say simply: once more I invite you to stand at my side, now as Secretary of War in my cabinet. With any luck, the Army which we spoke of raising back up for the defense of the nation will soon be a reality, and in this new capacity you will be tasked with its organization and direction should you accept this role.

    Kind regards,
    Arthur Lionheart
    President of the United States of America

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