Dear Bernard:

Some time ago, someone guessed Cruel Copinger, the semi-legendary Cornish smuggler.  You answered “Must Be” but this was after the guesser had written “My downfall here is that I have an answer, but am unable to fit it to the riddle, ergo it must be wrong.”  I believe your response was to his guess, Cruel Copinger, and not to his self-deprecating “ergo it must be wrong.

Therefore I submit Cruel Copinger, the semi-legendary  Cornish smuggler, is Sharpe’s father.

Looking forward to “Fools and Mortals”  because I seem to be both.

Scott Evans