Bernard Kenway (died 1717) was an English sheep farmer from Manchester, the husband of Linette Kenway and the father of Edward Kenway.
He was the grandfather of Edward's two children, Haytham Kenway and Jennifer Scott, as well as the great-grandfather of Haytham's son, Ratonhnhaké:ton. Through this line, he is an ancestor of Desmond and William Miles,[1] and of Victor Flores Castillo.[2] He is additionally an ancestor of Noa Kim.[3]
Biography[]
Early life[]
Hailing from Manchester, Bernard fell in love with a Welshwoman, Linette Hopkins, whom he married. The pair settled in Swansea and had a daughter together, though she died during infancy. In 1693, they had another child, a boy whom they named Edward.[4]
In 1703, Bernard and his family moved to Hatherton, a village near Bristol, where they ran a small holding keeping sheep. Although the Kenways' Welsh accent marked them as different, Bernard's true love for his wife and his fairness in commercial matters earned him the respect of the surrounding tradesmen. In 1711, Bernard left the sales part of the farm to Edward, but Edward's dissatisfaction with the farmer life caused him to frequently forgo his duties and spend time at the taverns instead.[4]
Initial troubles[]
At one point, in the Auld Shillelagh, Edward provoked the anger of Tom Cobleigh, his son Seth, and their associate Julian when he fought them to keep Tom from raping Caroline Scott's drunken maidservant Rose. Two days later, the group slaughtered two of Bernard's sheep and placed the carcasses in front of the Kenway house in order to provoke Edward. Bernard refused to let him retaliate, explaining that the Cobleighs and many merchants of Bristol had joined the Trade Organisation, an association of tradesmen protected by "powerful men", yet one that he himself had refused to join when he was approached.[4]
When Edward won the heart of an already-engaged Caroline Scott, Bernard and Linette were present at their wedding and witnessed Emmett Scott disowning his own daughter for this misalliance. They gave shelter to the young couple at their home, but Edward's ambitions would continue causing tension. Eventually Caroline, disappointed in her husband's plans of becoming a privateer, left the Kenway farmstead for her father's house. This pained Bernard and his wife, who had became fond of the young woman after she taught them how to read.[4]
In late 1712, a group of hooded men sent by Scott burned down the Kenway farmstead while Bernard and Linette were sleeping inside and while Edward was in Bristol, embarking on his life as a privateer. Edward returned to Hatherton due to his departure being delayed and tried to stop the raiders, but the group pinned him to the ground, beat him, and fled. Edward subsequently alerted his parents to the fire. After the fire had killed all the livestock, Bernard blamed his son for the attack, telling Edward that he was poison to his family and ordered him to leave and never return. Bernard also never saw Caroline again nor his granddaughter Jennifer who was born after Edward's departure.[4]
Later life and death[]
Following the attack on their farm, Bernard and Linette descended into poverty, forcing Bernard's wife to work in the Auld Shillelagh. In December 1717, Bernard died of pleurisy. A month later, Edward, then a pirate of the West Indies, received a letter from his mother informing him of Bernard's death.[4]
Legacy[]
By 29 October 2013, the Abstergo Entertainment researcher Philippe Chartrand was given Bernard as his research target for the Sample 17 Project, much to the researcher's subsequent chastisement.[5]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (first appearance)
References[]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game – Animus Training Program Quickstart: Character File Folios
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Assassin's Creed: Black Flag – [citation needed]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "Noob Alert"