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Stephen Maturin
Maturin
Character from Aubrey-Maturin Novels
Titles, Ranks Doctor
Ships crewed or commanded Majority of Aubrey's commands, as Surgeon
Afictation England, Royal Navy, United Irishmen, Naval Intelligence
First Appearance Master and Commander

Stephen Maturin is a main character in the Aubrey–Maturin series, which portrays his career as a naval surgeon, physician, naturalist and spy in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and the long pursuit of his beloved Diana Villiers. As well as his activities as a physician and agent, Maturin is a celebrated naturalist (a member of the Royal Society) with a particular interest in birds, and the discoverer of the then-unknown species of tortoise Testudo aubreii, which he named for Jack Aubrey.

He is described as a short, slight man with a "muddy complexion" (a result of his Hiberno-Spanish heritage and predilection for naked sun-bathing) and "curiously pale eyes". He weighs "barely 9 stone" (125 pounds, 56 kg). "Ill looking," untidy, and often even disreputable in appearance, he spends as little as possible on clothes, and when encouraged by his particular friend Jack Aubrey wears a periwig over his sparse, close-cropped hair (despite a considerable share of prize money earned over the years, and a fortune inherited from his Catalan godfather in 1812).

An advanced linguist, Maturin's first language was Irish- though the language has since been superseded in his mind due to lack of use- and he is fluent in English, Spanish, Catalan, French and Latin, can read Portuguese, and has a working knowledge of Greek, Malay, Arabic and Urdu. Sadly, despite continued efforts on the part of his companions, he rarely seems to successfully memorize or understand naval jargon. He is also a poor mathematician and no expert at small talk (both due to a penchant for tangents and a habit of secrecy related to his career as a spy).

Maturin often experiments with drugs, being a frequent user- and eventually an addict- of laudanum, as well as coca leaves, khat, and tobacco (in the form of cigars). He plays the cello and the flute, and, despite a strong moral opposition to violence, is a highly advanced duelist with both swords and firearms. For much of the series, he keeps heavily-encrypted diaries documenting both his intelligence activities and his personal life, and considers keeping a diary to be his only vice. He is a Catholic.

Maturin was played by Paul Bettany in the 2003 film adaptation Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Biography[]

Stephen Maturin (Esteban Maturin y Domanova) is the illegitimate son of an Irish officer serving in the Spanish Army and a Catalan lady. He is related to the FitzGerald family. As a boy he lived in Ireland, and spent his teenage years in Spain. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and later qualified as a Physician from the Sorbonne.

He was in Paris during the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, of which he was at first an ardent supporter. Returning to Ireland, he was a member of the "United Irishmen", and was apparently engaged to a woman called Mona, who died in unspecified circumstances. This death was extremely formative to Stephen. He was against the 1798 rebellion, and refused to take part.

In 1800, he travelled to Minorca as the personal physician of an ill but wealthy man. When the man died it was discovered that he had no personal assets whatsoever, and Stephen was left penniless and stranded. A fortuitous meeting with Jack Aubrey gained him both the position of ship's surgeon aboard HMS Sophie and a lifelong friend. After several months on the Sophie, the ship is taken by a French fleet. This leads to Stephen witnessing the Battle of Algeciras from the Rock of Gibraltar. He helps Jack when Jack is court martialed for losing the Sophie.

As an advocate of Catalan independence from Spain and a resolute opponent of Bonaparte's tyranny, Maturin became involved in intelligence gathering, eventually attaining status as a highly-revered secret agent, although he never accepts payment for his services. During the Peace, he and Jack travel to his small castle in Spain, but are forced to escape when war is declared. They escape to a merchant ship, and are taken by french privateers.

In 1802, he meets and falls in love with Diana Villiers, whom he eventually (after many vicissitudes) marries in 1813 or 1814. They have a daughter, Brigid, who Diana neglects, thinking the baby to be "off somehow" since birth. Stephen is committed to his daughter and is sure of her potential despite her language and behavioral delays, and entrusts her care to his personal servant, Padeen, who successfully brings Brigid out of her shell. Stephen also adopts two young Melanesian girls, Sarah and Emily, sole survivors of colonialism-driven smallpox on their home island.

After Diana's death in 1815 in a coach accident, Stephen then strikes up a relationship with fellow naturalist Christine Hatherleigh Wood, and proposes marriage.

Career[]

Stephen was both a surgeon in the Royal Navy after meeting Jack Aubrey, and a spy for the Naval Intelligence, and works closely with Sir Joseph Blaine.

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