Alfred Edward Turner
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Alfred Edward Turner KCB
(3 March 1842 - 20 November 1918) was a British Army
officer of the late nineteenth century, who served in administrative posts in Ireland.
of the Inner Temple
. Alfred attended Westminster School
and then the Addiscombe Military Academy
, entering the Royal Artillery
in 1860. In 1865, he married Blanche Hopkinson.
, the Viceroy of Ireland; he held the post until 1884, when he was given the position of deputy assistant adjutant-general in the Nile Expedition
, for which he was mentioned in despatches. In 1885, he returned to a staff appointment in Dublin, as the assistant military secretary to Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the Commander-in-Chief in Ireland, and the following year was appointed the private secretary to the Viceroy. From 1886 to 1892 he served as a Commissioner of Police in various Irish counties, and was created a Companion of the Bath in the civil division.
From 1895 to 1898, Turner was the assistant adjutant-general for the Royal Artillery, for which he was created a Companion of the Bath in the military division, and from 1900 to 1904 he was the Inspector General of Auxiliary Forces, receiving a knighthood in 1902. His first wife had died in 1899, and he remarried in 1902 to Juliette Whiting.
He died on 20 December 1918, survived by two sons and a daughter.
KCB
KCB is a Three-letter acronym that may stand for:* Kekchi Council of Belize* Kenya Commercial Bank Group** Kenya Commercial Bank** Kenya Commercial Bank ** Kenya Commercial Bank * Klezmer Conservatory Band...
(3 March 1842 - 20 November 1918) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer of the late nineteenth century, who served in administrative posts in Ireland.
Early life
Turner was born on 3 March 1842, the eldest son of Richard Turner and his wife Frances (née Johnstone). Richard Turner was a barrister and a bencherBencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. Alfred attended Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and then the Addiscombe Military Academy
Addiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
, entering the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1860. In 1865, he married Blanche Hopkinson.
Staff service
In 1882, Turner was appointed an aide de camp and military private secretary to Earl SpencerJohn Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer
John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer KG, PC , known as Viscount Althorp from 1845 to 1857 , was a British Liberal Party politician under and close friend of British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone...
, the Viceroy of Ireland; he held the post until 1884, when he was given the position of deputy assistant adjutant-general in the Nile Expedition
Nile Expedition
The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition , was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to the Sudan to help Egyptians evacuate from Sudan after Britain decided to abandon the country in the face of a...
, for which he was mentioned in despatches. In 1885, he returned to a staff appointment in Dublin, as the assistant military secretary to Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the Commander-in-Chief in Ireland, and the following year was appointed the private secretary to the Viceroy. From 1886 to 1892 he served as a Commissioner of Police in various Irish counties, and was created a Companion of the Bath in the civil division.
From 1895 to 1898, Turner was the assistant adjutant-general for the Royal Artillery, for which he was created a Companion of the Bath in the military division, and from 1900 to 1904 he was the Inspector General of Auxiliary Forces, receiving a knighthood in 1902. His first wife had died in 1899, and he remarried in 1902 to Juliette Whiting.
Later life
In retirement, he was the chairman of the Alliance Franco-Britannique, a director of the North Borneo Chartered Company and the Manchester North Borneo Rubber Company, and chairman of North Borneo State Rubber. He wrote two books of military history, on Napoleon's invasion of Russia (The Retreat from Moscow and Passage of the Beresina) and on the Franco-Prussian War (From Weissenburg to Sedan), and a volume of memoirs, Sixty Years of a Soldier's Life (1912).He died on 20 December 1918, survived by two sons and a daughter.