James Travers
Encyclopedia
General
James Travers VC
CB
(6 October 1820 – 1 April 1884) was an Irish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
military family, and all seven of his brothers (three of whom were killed in India
) served in the armed forces. They were the sons of Major-General Sir Robert Travers (1770–1834) C.B., K.C.M.G., of the 95th Rifle Brigade, who was one of six brothers who again all served in the military, and one of three to be knighted for their services, including Rear-Admiral Sir Eaton Stannard Travers (1777–1858), who was engaged in battle with the enemy upwards of over one hundred times, and was mentioned in dispatches eight times for gallantry. James Travers grew up in County Cork
, where the first of his ancestors to be born there, Sir Robert Travers M.P., was killed at the Battle of Knocknarness in 1647.
He was appointed adjutant to the Bhopal contingent in March 1843 and promoted to Captain and brevet Major in January 1846. He was involved in the battle of Sobraon and mentioned in despatches. He was appointed second in command of the Bhopal contingent in March 1846, promoted to Lt-Colonel on 20 June 1854, and on 15 February 1856 to be commandant. In 1856, he commanded a force in the field against the rebel Sankar Singh.
After the outbreak of the mutiny in 1857, he moved from Bhopal to Indur and assumed command of the forces there. Travers was 36 years old, and a Colonel in the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed led to his award of the Victoria Cross:
He returned to duty with the 2nd and on 8 September 1860 was appointed commandant of the Central India Horse and on 23 July 1865 he was promoted to Major General. He was promoted to Lt General in 1873, General in 1877, placed on the supernumerary list in 1881. Travers was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath
. He married Mary Isabella Macintyre on the 19th November 1849 in Bengal
, India. Mary was born in 1830 and died at Kilrock, Bridge of Allan
in Scotland
on the 16th June 1933.
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....
James Travers VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
CB
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...
(6 October 1820 – 1 April 1884) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
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...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Military background
James Travers came from a distinguished Anglo-IrishAnglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
military family, and all seven of his brothers (three of whom were killed in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) served in the armed forces. They were the sons of Major-General Sir Robert Travers (1770–1834) C.B., K.C.M.G., of the 95th Rifle Brigade, who was one of six brothers who again all served in the military, and one of three to be knighted for their services, including Rear-Admiral Sir Eaton Stannard Travers (1777–1858), who was engaged in battle with the enemy upwards of over one hundred times, and was mentioned in dispatches eight times for gallantry. James Travers grew up in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, where the first of his ancestors to be born there, Sir Robert Travers M.P., was killed at the Battle of Knocknarness in 1647.
Military career
James Travers was educated at the military college at Addiscombe. He received a commission in the Bengal infantry and arrived in Calcutta in January 1838. He served with the 57th native infantry at Barrackpore and then the 2nd native infantry at Firozpur. He served with this regiment in Afghanistan between 1840 and 1842, being mentioned in despatches in action at Zamin-Dawar, was involved in a cavalry fight at Mukur, was at the capture of Ghazni and the actions at Beni-badain and Maidan. On his return to Firozpur he was awarded three medals and recommended to be Major by brevet on attaining the rank of Captain.He was appointed adjutant to the Bhopal contingent in March 1843 and promoted to Captain and brevet Major in January 1846. He was involved in the battle of Sobraon and mentioned in despatches. He was appointed second in command of the Bhopal contingent in March 1846, promoted to Lt-Colonel on 20 June 1854, and on 15 February 1856 to be commandant. In 1856, he commanded a force in the field against the rebel Sankar Singh.
After the outbreak of the mutiny in 1857, he moved from Bhopal to Indur and assumed command of the forces there. Travers was 36 years old, and a Colonel in the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed led to his award of the Victoria Cross:
He returned to duty with the 2nd and on 8 September 1860 was appointed commandant of the Central India Horse and on 23 July 1865 he was promoted to Major General. He was promoted to Lt General in 1873, General in 1877, placed on the supernumerary list in 1881. Travers was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath
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...
. He married Mary Isabella Macintyre on the 19th November 1849 in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, India. Mary was born in 1830 and died at Kilrock, Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on the 16th June 1933.