James Willoughby Gordon
General Sir James Willoughby Gordon | |
---|---|
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order |
Early life
He was the eldest son of Captain Francis Grant-Gordon RN and Mary, daughter of Sir Willoughby Aston, 5th Baronet of Risley, Derbyshire.[1] His younger brothers were Admiral Charles Gordon and Rear-Admiral Henry Gordon, who was twice mayor of Bath.[2][3]
Military career
Gordon was
He was appointed Assistant Adjutant General in
He was Quartermaster-General to the Forces from 1811 to 1851.[4] During this time, he was one of the many present for the Robert Adams' narration of his adventures as a Barbary slave in North Africa. Despite the veracity of this narration being questioned by many during this time, Gordon publicly proclaimed his faith in the truth of Adams' story, announcing that "if he proved an imposter, he will be the second only to Psalmanazar." Gordon's support of Adams was very significant, due to the controversial nature of The Narrative of Robert Adams.[5]
He was given the colonelcy of the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) from 1815 to 1823[6] and of the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) from 1823.[7] He was promoted full general on 23 November 1841.
Gordon died at his residence in the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 1851 from a severe attack of bronchitis.[8] His body was subsequently taken by railway and buried in the family vault at Knighton on the Isle of Wight.[9]
Honours
He was elected a
He was also Member of Parliament for Launceston from 1830 to 1831.[11]
Family
On 15 October 1805, Gordon married Julia Lavinia, daughter of
Works
- Military Transactions of the British Empire: From the Commencement of the Year 1803, to the Termination of the Year 1807. Luke Hanfard & sons, near Lincoln's-inn fields. 1808.
References
- ^ a b c d "GORDON, Sir James Willoughby, 1st bt. (1772-1851), of Niton, I.o.W". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ISBN 978-5-04-126964-7.
- ^ Oliver, Vere Langford (1896). The History of the Island of Antigua: One of the Leeward Caribbees in the West Indies, from the First Settlement in 1635 to the Present Time. Mitchell and Hughes. p. 23.
- ^ a b c d e British Generals of the Napoleonic Wars 1793-1815
- ISBN 978-0-521-60373-7.
- ^ "85th, or The King's Regiment of Light Infantry (Bucks Volunteers)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 15 July 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "The Royal Welch Fusiliers". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 12 July 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Obituary". Hampshire Advertiser. 11 January 1851. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Army". Edinburgh Evening Courant. 13 January 1851. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Library Archive". Royal Society. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ "Leigh Rayment". Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Debrett's Baronetage of England. C. and J. Rivington. 1828. p. 705.
- ISBN 1-85149-025-6.
Further reading
- Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 22. London: Smith, Elder & Co.