Lord Charles Hay

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Lord Charles Hay
Bornc. 1700 (1700)
DiedMay 1, 1760(1760-05-01) (aged 59–60)
Allegiance
Major general
Battles/wars
RelationsJohn Hay, 4th Marquess of Tweeddale (brother)

Lord Charles Hay (c. 1700 – 1 May 1760) was a soldier of the British Army who saw service in the Anglo-Spanish War, the Wars of the Polish and Austrian Successions, and the Seven Years' War. He combined this with a political career, sitting for a time as a member of parliament.

Born into the nobility, the younger son of a marquess, Hay entered the army and rose through the ranks, seeing action in some of the European campaigns of the Anglo-Spanish War and the War of the Polish Succession. He won particular renown during the War of the Austrian Succession, when he commanded some of the regiments involved in the fighting. He saw action at the Battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy, distinguishing himself in the latter with an encounter with a French regiment, that was later remarked upon by Voltaire. His political career was also turbulent, at times spent in opposition to the Administration. It ended after a period of apparent mental instability, and he did not seek re-election. Further military promotions nevertheless followed.

Hay was appointed to an important command early in the Seven Years' War, to be part of a force sent to capture Louisbourg, but the commanders vacillated and Hay became discontent. He was overheard making opprobrious remarks about the conduct of the campaign, and was arrested. He spent some time waiting for a ship to be able to return to England, and on arriving there, demanded a court-martial to investigate the facts. The court-martial referred its decision to the king, but Hay died suddenly in 1760, before it could be announced.

Family and early life

Lord Charles Hay was born c. 1700, the third son of

3rd Foot Guards. He took part in the European campaigns of the War of the Austrian Succession, and was a virtual, if not actual, lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards at the Battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy.[1][3]

Fontenoy

Gardes Françaises and Hay's 1st Regiment of Foot
.

Deploying with the army on 11 May 1745, the day of the battle' he unexpectedly found himself, on reaching the crest of a low hill, face to face with the

Gardes Françaises, who, though anticipating an engagement as little as Hay, showed no sign of disorder. According to the French accounts, of which Voltaire's is the best known, Lord Charles stepped from the ranks and, in response to a similar movement promptly made by the French commander, politely called to him to order his people to fire, but in reply was assured, with equal politeness, that the French guards never fired first.[3] According to the story which he himself sent in a letter to his brother three weeks later, his men came within twenty or thirty paces of the enemy, whereupon he advanced in front of the regiment, drank to the health of the French, bantered them with more spirit than pungency on their defeat at Dettingen, and then turned and called on his own men to huzzah, which they did. Hay recalled that "it was our regiment that attacked the French Guards: and when we came to within twenty or thirty paces of them, I advanced before our regiment; drank to them and told them that we were the English Guards, and hoped they would stand till we came quite up to them, and not swim the Scheldt as they did the Main at Dettingen."[1]

Another view of the meeting, Hay and the French commander advancing to banter in front of their men. A work by Édouard Detaille.

One of Hay's biographers noted that "whichever be the correct version of the occurrence, Hay unquestionably showed extraordinary coolness."

Pelham Ministry.[1][2] His political career came to an end after a period in November 1746, when he was apparently "confined raving mad" and to have "been tied in his bed some time".[1] He did not seek re-election at the 1747 general election.[1]

Promotions

He was made

Halifax, Nova Scotia under General Peregrine Hopson.[2][3] The force was part of the expedition under Lord Loudoun.[3]

Halifax and dismissal

Loudoun's

Jeffery Amherst. Hay observed the successful siege and capture of Louisbourg from the Dublin, before his return to England aboard HMS Shannon.[2]

Hay demanded a court-martial to investigate the charges. This was agreed to, with Hay charged with endeavouring "to bring into contempt the conduct and authority of the commanders of the fleet and land forces in America," and with behaving "in a manner evidently tending to excite mutiny and sedition amongst the troops."[2] The court-martial took place between 12 February and 4 March 1760.[3] Samuel Johnson, who met Hay about this time, was apparently "mightily" pleased with his conversation, and remarked that his defence was "a very good soldierly defence."[3] The result of the court-martial was not made public, but was referred to the king for judgement. Before the king could decide on the matter, Hay died, on 1 May 1760.[3] He was unmarried.[1] Hay's biographer, Julian Gwyn, remarked that it was "doubtful that the first charge would have stuck; the second ... was absurd."[2]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sedgwick (ed.). "Hay, Lord Charles (c.1700–1760)". The History of Parliament.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gwyn. "Hay, Lord Charles". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rowley. "Hay, Lord Charles (d. 1760)". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 25. p. 253.
  4. ^ of Wellington's regimental website, Colonels of The Regiment Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine

References

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Member of Parliament for Haddingtonshire

1741–1747 		Succeeded by
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