Sebastian Moran

Colonel Sebastian Moran is an ex-army colonel and the right-hand man of Professor James Moriarty. Sherlock Holmes once described him as the "second most dangerous man in London."

Sebastian Moran was born in London in 1840, the son of Sir Augustus Moran, CB, sometime Minister to Persia. After being educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, he went on to a distinguished military career. Formerly of the 1st Bangalore Pioneers (Madras), he served in the Jowaki Expedition of 1877-1878 and in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, seeing action at the Battle of Char Asiab, 6 October 1879 (for which he was "mentioned in despatches"); the Battle of Sherpur, 23 December 1879; and at Kabul.

A highly skilled shot and prolific big-game hunter, Holmes remarked that Moran's "bag of tigers" was still the record in India, and no single British hunter had taken more. Although there was no open scandal after his turning to crime, he was obliged to retire from the army and return to London. Outwardly respectable, he acquired an evil reputation in London's underworld which led to his recruitment by Professor Moriarty as chief of staff of his criminal empire. In addition, Moran was employed for select assassinations that required his peculiar skill with the rifle.