James Hay, Lord Hay
Encyclopedia
James Hay, Lord Hay and Lord Slains (c.1797 – 16 June 1815) was a British
aristocrat
and soldier
.
James Hay was the son of William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll
and his wife Alicia Eliot (d. 1812).
Hay, an ensign
in the 1st Foot Guards
, was killed at the Battle of Quatre Bras
while serving as aide-de-camp
to General Maitland
. Had he lived, he would have succeeded his father as Earl of Erroll
upon his death in 1819; as it was, his brother William
who succeeded to that title.
In 1899 Murray's Magazine
published some recollections by Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros (a daughter of the Duchess of Richmond) about Duchess of Richmond's ball
that took place on 15 June 1815. She recalled "I remember being quite provoked with poor Lord Hay, a dashing merry youth, full of military ardour, whom I knew very well for his delight at the idea of going into action, and of all the honours he was to gain; and the first news we had on the 16th was that he and the Duke of Brunswick
were killed".
right-hand side. At the Duchess of Richmond's ball
, he dances with her daughter Sarah and the two are obviously in love. The Duchess says to Wellington, "Don't let young Hay die tomorrow". Later in the film, Hay serves alongside the Duchess' brother, the Duke of Gordon
, chieftain of Clan Gordon
. Wellington remarks to Hay that he is "a lucky fellow, to see such a sight (the French Army) in your first battle". The fictional Hay's last words are "Think of England, men, think of England!" but these are likely to have been fabricated by the scriptwriters. He is shot in the head by a bullet and dies instantly.
He is also portrayed in the Georgette Heyer 1937 novel "An Infamous Army", which deals with events of Waterloo through the eyes of fictional characters but describing real people and events.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
.
James Hay was the son of William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll
William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll
William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll , known as Lord Hay until 1778, was a Scottish peer.Erroll was the son of James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll and his second wife, Isabella Carr. He firstly married Jane Bell in 1792, and they had one child together...
and his wife Alicia Eliot (d. 1812).
Hay, an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 1st Foot 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...
, was killed at the Battle of Quatre Bras
Battle of Quatre Bras
The Battle of Quatre Bras, between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armée du Nord under Marshal Michel Ney, was fought near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815.- Prelude :...
while serving as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General Maitland
Peregrine Maitland
Sir Peregrine Maitland, KCB, GCB was a British soldier and colonial administrator who played first-class cricket from 1798 to 1808....
. Had he lived, he would have succeeded his father as Earl of Erroll
Earl of Erroll
The Earl of Erroll is an ancient title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay.The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are Lord Hay and Lord Slains , both in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earls of Erroll also hold the hereditary office of Lord High Constable...
upon his death in 1819; as it was, his brother William
William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll
William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll KT, GCH, PC , styled Lord Hay between 1815 and 1819, was a Scottish peer and politician.-Background and education:...
who succeeded to that title.
In 1899 Murray's Magazine
Murray's Magazine
Murray's Magazine was a monthly magazine published by the John Murray publishing house. Sixty issues were published, from January 1887 through December 1891.It was priced at 1/- ....
published some recollections by Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros (a daughter of the Duchess of Richmond) about Duchess of Richmond's ball
Duchess of Richmond's ball
The Duchess of Richmond's ball was held in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. The Duchess's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon Bonaparte invaded.Elizabeth...
that took place on 15 June 1815. She recalled "I remember being quite provoked with poor Lord Hay, a dashing merry youth, full of military ardour, whom I knew very well for his delight at the idea of going into action, and of all the honours he was to gain; and the first news we had on the 16th was that he and the Duke of Brunswick
Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel
Prince Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a German prince and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Oels. Nicknamed "The Black Dude", he was a military officer who led the Black Brunswickers against Napoleonic domination in Germany...
were killed".
Fictional portrayal
In the 1970 film Waterloo, he is a main character, constantly at Wellington'sArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
right-hand side. At the Duchess of Richmond's ball
Duchess of Richmond's ball
The Duchess of Richmond's ball was held in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. The Duchess's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon Bonaparte invaded.Elizabeth...
, he dances with her daughter Sarah and the two are obviously in love. The Duchess says to Wellington, "Don't let young Hay die tomorrow". Later in the film, Hay serves alongside the Duchess' brother, the Duke of Gordon
George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon
George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon GCB, PC , styled Marquess of Huntly until 1827, was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician and the last of his illustrious line.-Early life:...
, chieftain of Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
. Wellington remarks to Hay that he is "a lucky fellow, to see such a sight (the French Army) in your first battle". The fictional Hay's last words are "Think of England, men, think of England!" but these are likely to have been fabricated by the scriptwriters. He is shot in the head by a bullet and dies instantly.
He is also portrayed in the Georgette Heyer 1937 novel "An Infamous Army", which deals with events of Waterloo through the eyes of fictional characters but describing real people and events.