George Higginson
Encyclopedia
General
Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson, GCB
, GCVO
(21 June 1826 – 1 February 1927) was a British general
and Crimean War
hero who served more than 30 years in the Grenadier Guards
.
, England. He was the son of General George Powell Higginson, Grenadier Guards, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Corunna, and Lady Frances Elizabeth Needham, daughter of the 1st Earl of Kilmorey. He spent his childhood in West London, which at that time consisted of villages and fields, and was educated at Eton College
.
Higginson was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
in 1845 and, as Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, he served throughout the Crimean War
. He participated in the battles of Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman, having his horse shot from under him at Inkerman. He was also present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol, following which he served as Brigade-Major of his regiment, until the end of the war.
Higginson, throughout his career, travelled extensively on military affairs, to Ireland
, Canada
, France
, Italy
and Russia
. He also spent time in the United States
during the American Civil War
, where he had family ties. From 1879 to 1884 he was Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards
and General Officer Commanding
the Home District. As Commanding Officer of the Brigade of Guards, he was asked in 1882 to assist in the (now defunct) Royal Tournament
.
Higginson served as Lieutenant Governor of the Tower of London
from 1888 to 1893.
Higginson wrote an autobiography in 1916, entitled 71 Years of a Guardsman's Life.
Higginson was knighted on July 18, 1903 and his 100th birthday was celebrated with great splendour in his native Marlow. He was a personal friend of the Royal Family
, and had close ties with King Edward VII. King George V and Queen Mary were regular visitors to Gyldernscroft, his home in Marlow. In 1923, aged 96, he became a godfather to George Lascelles, later 7th Earl of Harewood, the first grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, and elder son of HRH Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles.
Higginson was associated for many years with the Gordon Boys Home, now Gordon's School, at West End near Woking
, Surrey, which was founded as the national memorial to General Charles Gordon, who was killed at Khartoum
, Sudan, in 1885.
To mark his 100th birthday, the inhabitants of Marlow organised a public collection and, with its proceeds, purchased Higginson Park, alongside the River Thames
, as a memorial to their town's most famous son. Higginson himself contributed generously to the collection. At a ceremony in the town, HRH Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, presented the deeds of the park to Higginson.
Higginson died in February 1927, and his funeral, with full military honours, was described by observers as the grandest Marlow had seen, with hundreds lining the streets.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(21 June 1826 – 1 February 1927) was a British general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
hero who served more than 30 years in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
.
Military career
Higginson was born in 1826 in Marlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
, England. He was the son of General George Powell Higginson, Grenadier Guards, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Corunna, and Lady Frances Elizabeth Needham, daughter of the 1st Earl of Kilmorey. He spent his childhood in West London, which at that time consisted of villages and fields, and was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Higginson was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
in 1845 and, as Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, he served throughout the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. He participated in the battles of Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman, having his horse shot from under him at Inkerman. He was also present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol, following which he served as Brigade-Major of his regiment, until the end of the war.
Higginson, throughout his career, travelled extensively on military affairs, to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He also spent time in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, where he had family ties. From 1879 to 1884 he was Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards
Major-General commanding the Household Division
The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the troops of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is also General Officer Commanding London District.-Recent Commanders:The holders of this office include:...
and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
the Home District. As Commanding Officer of the Brigade of Guards, he was asked in 1882 to assist in the (now defunct) Royal Tournament
Royal Tournament
The Royal Tournament was the World's largest military tattoo and pageant, held by the British Armed Forces annually between 1880 and 1999. The venue was originally the Royal Agricultural Hall and latterly the Earls Court Exhibition Centre...
.
Higginson served as Lieutenant Governor of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
from 1888 to 1893.
Higginson wrote an autobiography in 1916, entitled 71 Years of a Guardsman's Life.
Higginson was knighted on July 18, 1903 and his 100th birthday was celebrated with great splendour in his native Marlow. He was a personal friend of the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, and had close ties with King Edward VII. King George V and Queen Mary were regular visitors to Gyldernscroft, his home in Marlow. In 1923, aged 96, he became a godfather to George Lascelles, later 7th Earl of Harewood, the first grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, and elder son of HRH Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles.
Higginson was associated for many years with the Gordon Boys Home, now Gordon's School, at West End near Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey, which was founded as the national memorial to General Charles Gordon, who was killed at Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, Sudan, in 1885.
To mark his 100th birthday, the inhabitants of Marlow organised a public collection and, with its proceeds, purchased Higginson Park, alongside the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, as a memorial to their town's most famous son. Higginson himself contributed generously to the collection. At a ceremony in the town, HRH Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, presented the deeds of the park to Higginson.
Higginson died in February 1927, and his funeral, with full military honours, was described by observers as the grandest Marlow had seen, with hundreds lining the streets.