Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple
Sir Hew Dalrymple | |
---|---|
Born | 3 December 1750 Ayr, Scotland |
Died | 9 April 1830 (aged 79) London, England |
Buried | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Rank | General |
Commands held | Northern District |
Battles/wars | Peninsular War |
General Sir Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple, 1st Baronet (3 December 1750 – 9 April 1830) was a Scottish general in the British Army and Governor of Gibraltar.
Early life
Dalrymple was the only son of Captain John Dalrymple, of the 6th Dragoons and his second wife, Mary, née Ross (c.1719–1793).[1] Following his father's death in 1753, Dalrymple's mother married Sir James Adolphus Oughton.[1]
Military career
Dalrymple was
Lieutenant-colonel of the 68th Foot in 1781, he was promoted to colonel when he transferred to the 1st Foot Guards. In 1793 he commanded a composite battalion of grenadiers in
In 1796, he was appointed
On 1 January 1801 he was promoted
In 1808, he was appointed commander of the Portuguese Expedition, landing on 22 August after Junot's defeat at Vimiero to replace Wellesley and Burrard. He immediately halted Wellesley's pursuit of the beaten French to Lisbon. Lacking either confidence or intelligence, or both, on 31 August Dalrymple signed a truce with Junot allowing him to return to France in British ships with all his weapons, men and loot.[2]
This infamous truce, known as the Convention of Cintra,[3] was denounced both in London and in Portugal.[2] Dalrymple sailed for home to face an enquiry 4 October, and never held a field command again.
Sir John Moore, Dalrymple's replacement in Portugal, said he "was never able to determine on any point whatever".[4] "Sir Hew, having never had the experience of command, seems quite at a loss how to work with the different heads of department; the troops suffer".[5]
Made Colonel of the
Miscellaneous
- He was nicknamed "Dowager" by the army.[citation needed]
- Dalrymple was played by John Woodvine, in the 1999 Hornblower (TV series) episode, The Duchess and the Devil.
- Dalrymple features prominently as the governor of Gibraltar and commander in Portugal in books 20 and 21 of Dewey Lambdin's Alan Lewrie series of Naval fiction.
Family
In 1783 he married Frances, daughter of General Francis Leighton, and together they had three daughters and two sons.[2]
References
- ^ a b Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 13, London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dalrymple, Sir Hew Whitefoord. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ Inquiry into the Convention of Sintra. Napoleon-series.org. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ^ Moore, cited by SGP Ward, in Journal of Society for Army Historical Research, Vol LVIII No. 236 Winter 1980
- ISBN 0246107553
External links
- Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
- Napoleonic Guide
- The Gentlemans Magazine