There are those who note that nearly all the characters in this opus have names of particular interest. What about Despard? Conceivably, Gilbert could have had in mind Edward Despard (1751-1803), a renegade British Army officer who was hanged for conspiracy against the Crown. On the other hand, it seems more likely that Gilbert simply thought the name resonated with visions of desperately despicably dastardly deeds.
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Characters