FUSILIERS, commanded by his father, on the 15th of March, 1703, and
in 1706 he proceeded with his regiment to the relief of Barcelona.
In the following year he served on the staff of the army in Spain,
and was wounded at the battle of Almanza, where, it is said, he
was instrumental in saving the Earl of Galway's life. He served
several years at Minorca, and in 1713 he succeeded his father
in the colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS. In 1721 King George I.
advanced him to the dignity of BARON OF KILMAINE; and in 1724 he
succeeded his father in the title of BARON OF TYRAWLEY, and was
sworn a member of the privy council in the same year. The rank of
brigadier-general was conferred on his lordship on the 23rd of
November, 1735; that of major-general on the 2nd of July, 1739;
and in August of the latter year he was removed from the ROYAL
FUSILIERS to the fifth horse, now fourth dragoon guards. In March,
1743, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and in
the following month obtained the colonelcy of the second troop of
horse grenadier guards, from which he was removed, in 1745, to the
third troop of life guards, which gave him the privilege of taking
the court duty of Gold Stick. In 1746, when King George II. had
resolved to disband the third and fourth troops of life guards, his
lordship was removed to the tenth foot; he was again removed, in
1749, to the fourteenth dragoons; in 1752, to the third dragoons;
and, in 1755, to the second, or Coldstream regiment of foot guards.
He was appointed governor of Portsmouth on the 1st of May, 1759,
and was promoted to the rank of general on the 7th of March, 1761.
He held the appointment of governor of Minorca for several years;
and was employed as envoy and ambassador to the courts of Portugal
and Russia. He died at Twickenham on the 13th of July, 1773.
WILLIAM HARGRAVE,
_Appointed 27th August, 1739._
This Officer entered the army in April, 1694, and served under King
William in Flanders. He also served with distinction in the wars
of Queen Anne; was major of the thirty-sixth regiment, with the
rank of colonel in the army, at the battle of Dumblain in 1715;
and in 1730 he was appointed to the colonelcy of the thirty-first
foot: from which he was removed to the ninth foot in 1737, and in
1739 King George II. gave him the colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS,
which he retained until his decease in January, 1751.
JOHN MOSTYN,
_Appointed 26th January, 1751._
JOHN MOSTYN obtained a commission in the army in February, 1732;
he rose to the rank of captain in the thirty-first foot, and was
appointed captain-lieutenant in the second foot guards in 1742.
He served with his regiment on the continent; was wounded at
the battle of Fontenoy, and in December, 1747, he was appointed
aide-de-camp to the King, who gave him the colonelcy of the ROYAL
FUSILIERS in 1751. In 1754 he was removed to the thirteenth
dragoons; in 1757 he was promoted to the rank of Major-General;
in 1758 he obtained the colonelcy of the fifth dragoons, and
was removed to the seventh dragoons in 1760. He had previously
been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and he highly
distinguished himself at the head of the British cavalry in
Germany in numerous actions and skirmishes in 1759, and the three
succeeding years. In 1763 he obtained the colonelcy of the first
dragoon guards, and he was promoted to the rank of general in 1772.
He died in 1779.
LORD ROBERT BERTIE,
_Appointed 20th August, 1754._
LORD ROBERT BERTIE, son of the Duke of Ancaster, entered the army
in July, 1737, as ensign in the second foot guards, and in 1744
he was promoted to the rank of captain and lieutenant-colonel.
He was wounded at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, and appointed
aide-de-camp to the King in 1752: in 1754 he obtained the colonelcy
of the ROYAL FUSILIERS. He accompanied his regiment on board the
fleet in 1756, and was in the engagement off the island of Minorca.
In 1758 he was promoted to the rank of major-general; in 1760 to
that of lieutenant-general; in 1776 he obtained the colonelcy of
the second troop (now second regiment) of life guards; and was
promoted to the rank of general in 1777. He died in 1782.
RICHARD PRESCOTT,
_Appointed 12th November, 1776._
This Officer entered the army in the reign of George II. He saw
much service; and on the augmentation, in 1755, he was appointed
major of the fiftieth foot. In 1761 he was promoted to the
lieutenant-colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS, and the zeal and
attention with which he performed the duties of commanding officer
during the succeeding fifteen years was rewarded with the colonelcy
of the regiment in 1776. In 1777 he was promoted to the rank of
major-general, and in 1782 to that of lieutenant-general. He died
in 1788.
THE HONOURABLE WILLIAM GORDON,
_Appointed 20th October, 1788._
This Officer was appointed captain in the sixteenth light dragoons
in 1759; he subsequently held the commission of major in the
eighty-fourth, and lieutenant-colonel in the one hundred and fifth
regiment, which was disbanded at the peace in 1763. In 1777 he was
appointed colonel of the eighty-first regiment, and was promoted
to the rank of major-general in 1781: in 1783 his regiment was
disbanded; in 1787 he was appointed colonel commandant in the
sixtieth, and in 1788 he obtained the colonelcy of the ROYAL
FUSILIERS, from which he was removed in the following year to the
seventy-first regiment. In 1793 he was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general. He obtained the colonelcy of the twenty-first
regiment in 1803, which he retained until his decease in 1816.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE EDWARD,
_Afterwards_ DUKE OF KENT,
_Appointed 9th April, 1789._
During the early part of this century the ROYAL FUSILIERS had
the honour of being commanded by a Prince who was distinguished
alike for his social and military virtues:--namely, PRINCE EDWARD,
afterwards FIELD MARSHAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF KENT AND
STRATHEARN, the father of HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE QUEEN
VICTORIA.
Prince Edward, fourth son of His Majesty King George III., was born
on the 2nd of November, 1767. Being destined for the profession of
arms, in the eighteenth year of his age he proceeded to Germany
for the completion of his studies, and resided successively at
Lunenberg and Hanover, and was appointed, on the 30th of May,
1786, colonel of the Hanoverian Guards. During the succeeding
year he removed to Geneva, and while pursuing his studies at this
place, His Majesty conferred upon him the Colonelcy of the 7th
ROYAL FUSILIERS. Early in 1790 he returned to England; and after
passing a few days with his family he embarked, in obedience to the
King's commands, for Gibraltar, in order to acquire a knowledge of
garrison duty under Major-General O'Hara. While at Gibraltar he
commanded for several months the 2nd, or Queen's Regiment, until
the arrival of the 7th ROYAL FUSILIERS, as a reinforcement to the
garrison, in August, 1790. In 1791 he sailed with his regiment from
Gibraltar for Quebec; and while serving in Canada he was promoted
to the rank of major-general. From North America he proceeded,
during the winter of 1793-4, through the United States to Boston,
where he embarked for the West Indies, and joined the army under
General Sir Charles Grey, at the commencement of the siege of Fort
Bourbon, in the island of Martinique, and commanded the detached
camp at La Coste, above Point Petre. During the several attacks His
Royal Highness's conduct excited the admiration of the army; his
life was frequently exposed to the most imminent peril; and his
aides-de-camp, Captain, the late General Sir Frederick Wetherall,
and Lieutenant Vesey, were wounded near his Royal Highness's
person.[27] In compliment to the gallantry evinced by His Royal
Highness on this occasion, the lower fort, called Fort Royal, was
subsequently named FORT EDWARD.
After the capture of Martinique the array proceeded to St.
Lucie; and His Royal Highness commanded the grenadier brigade,
which, in conjunction with the light infantry brigade, under
Major-General Thomas Dundas, formed the storming-party which
carried Morné Fortuné. From St. Lucie the army proceeded to the
island of Guadaloupe; and the flank companies were detached under
Prince Edward and Major-General Dundas, who succeeded in gaining
possession of Morné Marscot, and Fleur D'Epée, commanding Point
à Petre. His conduct during this course of active and perilous
service again excited admiration, and His Royal Highness received
the thanks of Parliament. After the capture of the French West
India Islands[28] His Royal Highness returned to North America, and
was shortly afterwards appointed Commander of the Forces in Nova
Scotia and its dependencies. On the 12th of January, 1796, he was
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General; and, having returned
to England on account of ill health, he was created, on the 23rd
of April, 1799, _Earl of Dublin_, in Ireland, and DUKE OF KENT
AND STRATHEARN, in Great Britain; in the following month he was
promoted to the rank of General, and appointed Commander-in-Chief
of all the forces in British North America. On his return to
North America his arrival was greeted by all ranks; and during
his stay in that country he introduced numerous improvements in
the system of conducting public business. In August, 1800, His
Royal Highness returned to England; and in the following year he
was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Foot.
In 1802 he was appointed Governor of the important fortress of
Gibraltar, whither he immediately proceeded. His habits were
abstemious and regular; and he was himself a model of that strict
attention to duty and discipline which he required from others; but
while attempting to effect the removal of several long existing
abuses and irregularities, His Royal Highness experienced that
opposition which has attended every attempt to remedy evils, when
the private interests and privileges of individuals are concerned.
The Duke of Kent returned in 1803 to England, where he continued
to reside upwards of fifteen years. He was promoted to the rank of
Field-Marshal on the 5th of September, 1805; he was also elected a
Knight of the Garter, constituted a Knight Grand Cross of the Most
Honourable Military Order of the Bath, and appointed Keeper and
Ranger of Hampton Court Park.
During the period His Royal Highness resided in England, the
Royal Regiment of Foot experienced the advantage of his constant
care and anxiety for its interests, and of his influence in the
kingdom; and the service was benefited by the care he bestowed
in the introduction of regimental schools. His concern, however,
embraced the welfare of all His Majesty's subjects, and there was
scarcely a public charity in the metropolis which did not derive
benefit from his patronage, personal eloquence, and contributions,
and over many he presided. His private acts of benevolence in the
cases of widows and orphans who were known to His Royal Highness as
deserving objects of relief were very numerous, and the instances
of his charity and philanthropy were attested by the grateful
acknowledgments of those who had no claim on His Royal Highness's
bounty beyond the circumstance of a husband, father, or other
relative having performed faithful service under his command. The
provision made by His Majesty's Government for His Royal Highness
had not been equal to his necessary expenditure to support the
dignity of a Prince of the royal blood; particularly for the
periods he was on foreign service; and in 1816 economical views
induced him to proceed to the Continent. In May, 1818, he was
married at Coburg, according to the Lutheran rites, to Her Serene
Highness Victoria Maria Louisa, youngest daughter of the late
reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg. Shortly after the solemnities the
royal pair proceeded to England, and were remarried at Kew Palace
on the 11th of July, 1818, according to the rites of the Church of
England. In a few weeks after this ceremony the Duke returned with
his bride to the Continent; in the succeeding year they revisited
England; and on the 24th of May, 1819, the Duchess gave birth, at
Kensington Palace, to a daughter, named Alexandrina Victoria, Her
present Majesty.
In a few months after this happy event this amiable Prince, whose
social, private, and public virtues endeared him to his family
and friends, and procured him a place in the affections of the
British people, was attacked by pulmonary inflammation, produced by
accidental cold, and he died at his temporary residence at Sidmouth
on the 23rd of January, 1820. The remains of His Royal Highness
were removed from Sidmouth and deposited in the royal vault at St.
George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on the 12th of February, 1820,
with the usual honours and solemnity observed at the funerals of
the members of the Royal family.
SIR ALURED CLARKE, G.C.B.,
_Appointed 21st August, 1801._
Alured Clarke was appointed ensign of the fiftieth foot in 1755,
and lieutenant of the same corps in 1760. He served under Prince
Ferdinand of Brunswick in Germany, in the Seven Years' War; and
was appointed to the command of a company in the fifth foot in
1767; in 1771 he was promoted to the majority of the fifty-fourth
regiment, and in 1777 to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the ROYAL
FUSILIERS, with which corps he served in America, and obtained the
rank of colonel in 1781. In 1790 he was promoted to the rank of
major-general, and in 1794 he was rewarded with the colonelcy of
the fifth foot. In 1795 he commanded the land force at the capture
of the Cape of Good Hope; his services were afterwards transferred
to the East Indies, in which country he obtained the local rank of
lieutenant-general in 1796, and he was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general in the army in 1797. In 1801 he was removed to
the ROYAL FUSILIERS, and in 1802 he was promoted to the rank of
general: he was advanced to the rank of field-marshal on the 22nd
July, 1830. He died in 1832.
SIR EDWARD BLAKENEY, G.C.B.
_Appointed 20th September, 1832._
FOOTNOTES:
[27] When Prince Edward was ordered to storm Morné, Tartisson,
and Fort Royal on the 17th March, 1794, he placed himself at
the head of his brigade of grenadiers, and addressed them as
follows:--"_Grenadiers! This is St. Patrick's day; the English
will do their duty in compliment to the Irish, and the Irish in
compliment to the Saint!_--FORWARD GRENADIERS!"
[28] In commemoration of the important captures in the West Indies,
at the period above stated, an anniversary dinner takes place at
the United Service Club on the 17th of March (St. Patrick's day),
as it was on that Saint's day his late Royal Highness the Duke of
Kent, at the head of his grenadier brigade, carried Fort Royal
by escalade, when both his aides-de-camp, General Sir Frederick
Wetherall, and the late Major-General Vesey, were severely wounded
close to his Royal Highness. The following officers attended on
the 17th March, 1838:--The Marquis of Thomond, General Viscount
Lorton, Admiral Lord Colville, General Sir Lowry Cole, G.C.B.,
General Lord Howden, G.C.B., General Sir Fitzroy Maclean, Bart.,
Lieutenant-General Sir H. S. Keating, K.C.B., Sir William Pym,
K.C.H., and Major-General Reeves, C.B. All these officers, with the
exception of the Admiral, served in the Grenadier brigade under the
orders of their illustrious commander, His Royal Highness the Duke
of Kent.
LONDON: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street, For Her
Majesty's Stationery Office.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Footnote [19] is referenced from inside Footnote [18].
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example,
daylight, day-light; muskets, musquets; fusil; piquets; intrusted.
Pg 25, 'posts of Ticonderago' replaced by 'posts of Ticonderoga'.
Pg 33, 'unexpected even' replaced by 'unexpected event'.
Pg 78, the number '166' was missing and has been added into the table.
Pg 107, 'April, 1774' replaced by 'April, 1694'.
Pg 113, 'in the the Seven' replaced by 'in the Seven'.