Aleister Sterling, commonly referred to as "Al" or "Sterling", is a member of the Royal Navy currently serving in the Caribbean. During his life, Sterling has also proven himself in the ring as a bare knuckle boxer, found work upon merchant vessels in the Caribbean and American Colonies, and studied at the College of New Jersey.
Early Life (1725-1741)[]
Aleister Sterling, originally born Aleister Burke, was born in early December of 1725 in English governed Jamaica to father Gallagher Burke, an English farmer, and mother Elisabeth Sterling, a language tutor of Swedish birth. In 1727, shortly after the birth of his son, Gallagher Burke was accused of bludgeoning a man to death following a dispute outside a local pub, and fled Jamaica. His whereabouts have been unknown since. After his father abandoned Aleister and his mother, she adjusted records to change his surname to her own, to avoid any associate with the sullied Burke name.
Elisabeth closely oversaw Aleister's education, tutoring him year-round to be sure he would be able to obtain a scholarship to attend a university in the American Colonies. In addition to providing tutoring services, Elisabeth also turned the reasonably sized family home in a boarding house for sailors who were temporarily ashore in Jamaica to support herself and her son. This continued until the age of 16, when Elisabeth fell ill, and Aleister had to take over the majority of the responsibility for running the boarding house so the family would not become bankrupt. After Elisabeth regained her health, she ran a brief fund raising campaign to collect a small purse of money and send Aleister to the American Colonies.
Leaving Jamaica, attending College (1741-1744)[]
Shortly after turning 16, Aleister signed aboard as a Ship's Mate on a merchant vessel bound for the New Jersey colony. It was during this time that Aleister discovered a proclivity towards ship life. He also experienced combat sport for the first time, using some free moments to engage in sparring sessions with his ship mates. He proved himself to have a hardy constitution, never falling to a knockout of having to retire due to exhaustion.
Disregarding his own desires, and keeping his word to his mother, Aleister did not sign aboard for a return trip to Jamaica, but instead sought entry to the College of New Jersey to study Politics and Law. Aleister did well enough on entry exams to earn a modest scholarship, and used the majority of the funds raised by his mother to pay for his first year of studies. During any moments that Aleister was not studying, he found various jobs to allow himself a small spending allowance, before dedicating his free time to continuing to spar in bare knuckle boxing matches, eventually reaching competitions and making a name for himself as a Welterweight competitor. He was known for a dauntless tenacity, refusing to back down from any competitor, or to allow any amount of injury or exhaustion to stop him from seeing a bout through.
Sterling, right, during his title fight in 1742
During the summer between his first and second years, Aleister spent his first free month at sea, serving aboard a local merchant vessel as a navigator's apprentice. During his second month, Aleister entered into any paying boxing tourney or match, managing to preserve an undefeated record of 56-0-4, with four fights being declared a draw after being brought to premature endings by judges or other extenuating circumstances. Aleister would complete this month of competition by winning the Welterweight title in New Jersey, defeating his opponent by knock-out in the 59th round.
Sterling would use his winning to fund his second year of schooling, as well as taking additional assessments to increase the size of his scholarships. Aleister's schooling would be mostly without event for the duration of 1742 into 1743. Aleister planned to again spend his summer split between sailing and boxing, however this plan would not come to fruition. While ashore during the last leg of a voyage aboard a merchant vessel which was chartered to sail from New Jersey, to the southern tip of Florida, and then to Georgia, Aleister was made aware of rising tensions caused by England being drawn into war with France and Prussia as an ally of Austria, Aleister made the decision to seek passage to Massachusetts to join into a forming militia, before any conflict began. Aleister did this as an opportunity to further his name and potentially earn a commission in the Royal Army.
King George's War (1744-1748)[]
Aleister became a Private in the Massachusetts Bay Militia and began training, learning how to wield musket and pistol. He was a part of the militia forces that joined with the British Army during a successful assault on a French fortress in Louisbourg. Aleister continued to serve after this, joining in several other minor assaults throughout the war, being raised to the rank of Corporal in 1746. The remainder of his time would be spent up and down the British and Colonial line, defending depots, forts, and towns from continual sieges by French and Indian forces. In 1748, a victory would be won by England, and Aleister would be dismissed from service shortly after.
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Aleister in Naval uniform, 1751
After his time in the militia, Aleister realised that he desired further military service. He decided that seeking a career in the Royal Navy would suit him best, as he preferred sailing life to life ashore. Aleister joined onto several vessels, and spent nearly all of the next two years at sea, working tirelessly to obtain a certification as a ship navigator, as well as studying ship repairs and maintenance. Aleister spent the second half of 1748 serving as navigator aboard a merchant vessel making trips around the whole of the Caribbean and as far north as Canada. During these months he was able to make a few visits to his mother, and helped her in
securing passage to the American Colonies, where she settled in Princeton, New Jersey to begin tutoring local college students, and opened a new boarding house, drawing in tenets of similar status. After making sure his mother was settled, Aleister began seeking a position within the Royal Navy.
In the middle of 1749, ALeister was able to find a position in the Royal Navy as a Seaman in the Caribbean, and is currently serving in this role. At the moment, he intends to service until the year 1754, upon which he will have completed another 4 years of military service and will return to New Jersey to complete his schooling in Law.