John Grey

Lord John Grey is an English soldier and diplomat. At age sixteen, he meets the infamous Jamie Fraser before the Battle of Prestonpans, and the two do not meet again until he becomes the governor of Ardsmuir, a Scottish prison. They form a tenuous friendship, which soon becomes complicated by the fact that Lord John has fallen in love with Jamie.
== Personal History ==
John William Bertram Armstrong Grey was born to Gerard Grey, Duke of Pardloe and Earl of Melton, and his wife Benedicta Grey, née Armstrong. Grey has three elder brothers: Harold "Hal" Grey, from his parents' marriage, and Pauland Edgar DeVane, half-brothers from his mother's first marriage. Hal is about nine years older than John, and although it is unclear just how much older John's half-brothers are, John was about ten when Edgar married. 
Grey is a fine swordsman, having first begun lessons at the age of three. At a young age, he once struck Hal on the leg with a sword, doing no lasting damage but leaving a scar. He was enrolled for The Society for the Appreciation of the English Beefsteak, a gentlemen's club, upon his birth by his godfather, who began taking him there for lunch every Wednesday starting when he was seven. As an adult, Grey continues to frequent the club, preferring it to White's, of which he is also a member.
On Grey's twelfth birthday, he was given a pocket watch by his father, identical to the one his brother received on his own twelfth birthday. The next day, Grey's father was found dead by his mother, having been murdered in the night. Not knowing who had committed the murder and wanting to protect her family, Grey's mother covered it up, making it appear as though Pardloe had committed suicide; at the time, he had been suspected as a Jacobite supporter, and his death was perceived by some as an admission of guilt. The family was dishonored by the allegations, and an attempt to have the dukedom of Pardloe revoked was briefly made. 
Thoroughly shamed, Grey's elder brother Hal chose to be referred to by his lesser title, the Earl of Melton, rather than take on one that was associated with such a scandal. As the head of the family, Melton's choice was accepted by his mother, who became known as the Dowager Countess instead of the Dowager Duchess. If John had followed suit, he would have been called the Honourable John Grey, as befitting an earl's younger son. However, John insisted on continuing to be called Lord John, as befitting a duke's younger son. Immediately after his father's death, Grey was sent to Aberdeen, Scotland, to stay with his mother's family and avoid the scandal, although it was not until much later in his life that Grey came to realize this was done for his own protection.
== Personality ==
John is described by Claire as a sensitive, kindly, and honorable man, and in fact values his honor above nearly all other things in life. He is known, however, to behave rashly on occasion, and he is a fierce commander on the battlefield.
As a closeted homosexual, during a time when sodomy was a crime punishable by death, John is adept at schooling his features and behavior in order to conceal his attraction to men. In turn, he is skilled at detecting the most subtle changes in the demeanor and expression of others.
== Appearance ==
Lord John is described as a man of slight build and shorter-than-average height (about 5'6"), with thick blond hair and large, long-lashed, light blue eyes. Several characters observe that his features, of fine bones and fair skin, are "saved from girlishness only by the firm set of mouth and jaw". John has observed to himself that his beard grows in nearly the same color as his hair, but thick as well, and he keeps his face clean-shaven as a rule. He declines to wear a wig, preferring to wear his own hair, though this is usually bound back to combat its naturally wavy unruliness.
After a lifetime of soldiering, John has numerous scars on his body, including several crisscrossed over his left breast, a jagged one down his left forearm, and a deep one across the top of one thigh.
== Name ==
== Trivia ==
Category:18th century characters
Category:Characters
Category:Main characters
Category:English characters
Category:Protestant characters
Category:Male characters
Category:Characters in Season 2
Category:Characters in Season 3
Category:Characters in Season 4
Category:Characters in Season 5
Category:Characters in Season 7
Category:Grey Family