John Fraser (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir John Fraser, GCH
(1760 – 14 November 1843) was a British Army
officer.
Fraser was the second son of William Fraser of Park, near Fraserburgh
(a kinsman of George Fraser, 15th Lord Saltoun), and his wife, Katherine née Kinellar. On 29 September 1778, Fraser was appointed a lieutenant
in the 73rd Highlanders, afterwards the 71st Highland Light Infantry
. He was later on board Rodney's fleet with a second battalion
(afterwards disbanded) of this regiment during the actions with the Spanish
Caraccas fleet under Juan de Lángara
and at the relief of Gibraltar
. He served at the defence of Gibraltar in 1780–82, until the loss of his right leg, his second wound during the defence, compelled him to return home.
Fraser was captain of a garrison
invalid company at Hull
in 1785–93, and at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, raised men for an independent company. He became a major
on 28 August 1794, and a lieutenant colonel
, royal garrison battalion, on 1 September 1795. He served at Gibraltar in 1796–8, part of the time as acting judge
advocate and civil judge. On 1 January 1800 he was appointed colonel
of the Royal African Corps, composed of military offenders from various regiments pardoned on condition of life-service in Africa
and the West Indies. With this corps, he served on the west coast of Africa in 1801–4, and made a brave but unsuccessful defence of Gorée
in Senegal
, against a superior French
force from Cayenne
. Gorée was compelled to surrender on 18 January 1804, but not before the enemy's loss exceeded the total strength of the defenders at the outset.
After his exchange, Fraser was appointed to command an expedition against Senegal, which never started. He became a major general
in 1808, served in Guernsey
in 1808–9, and in the latter year he was appointed to the staff at Gibraltar. Fraser commanded that garrison until the arrival of General Campbell. He was then sent to negotiate for the admission of British troops into the Spanish fortress of Ceuta
(on the Moroccan
coast opposite Gibraltar); afterwards he commanded the British garrison there until his return to England
on promotion to lieutenant general
in 1813. In 1809, in recognition of its distinguished conduct in the West Indies, the Royal African Corps was reorganized as the Royal York Rangers, another Royal African Corps being formed in its place. Fraser retained the colonelcy of the rangers until the regiment was disbanded after the peace. He was made Lieutenant-Governor of Chester Castle
in 1828, GCH
in 1832, and was a member of the consolidated board of general officers. He became a general
in 1838.
Fraser married, first, on 15 April 1790, Everilda, daughter of James Hamer of Hamer Hall, Lancashire
, and they had one son and two daughters, one of whom, Everilda (d. November 1840), married General Francis Rawdon Chesney
(1789–1872). His second marriage, about three years before his death, was to Miss A'Court. Fraser was described by his kinsman, Lord Saltoun, as a brave, chivalrous, upright old soldier. He died at Campden Hill, Kensington
, London
, on 14 November 1843 and was buried at St Barnabas' Church, West Kensington, London
.
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....
Sir John Fraser, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(1760 – 14 November 1843) 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.
Fraser was the second son of William Fraser of Park, near Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2001 Census at 12,454 and estimated at 12,630 in 2006. It lies at the extreme northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, around north of Aberdeen, and north of Peterhead...
(a kinsman of George Fraser, 15th Lord Saltoun), and his wife, Katherine née Kinellar. On 29 September 1778, Fraser was appointed a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 73rd Highlanders, afterwards the 71st Highland Light Infantry
71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot
The 71st Regiment of Foot was a Highland regiment in the British Army, which in 1881 became the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry .- First formation :...
. He was later on board Rodney's fleet with a second battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
(afterwards disbanded) of this regiment during the actions with the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Caraccas fleet under Juan de Lángara
Juan de Lángara
Juan Francisco de Lángara y Huarte was a Spanish naval officer and Minister of Marine.-Life and career:He was born at Coruña, Galicia, the son of a renowned Basque family...
and at the relief of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. He served at the defence of Gibraltar in 1780–82, until the loss of his right leg, his second wound during the defence, compelled him to return home.
Fraser was captain of a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
invalid company at Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in 1785–93, and at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, raised men for an independent company. He became a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 28 August 1794, and a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, royal garrison battalion, on 1 September 1795. He served at Gibraltar in 1796–8, part of the time as acting judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
advocate and civil judge. On 1 January 1800 he was appointed colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the Royal African Corps, composed of military offenders from various regiments pardoned on condition of life-service in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the West Indies. With this corps, he served on the west coast of Africa in 1801–4, and made a brave but unsuccessful defence of Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, against a superior French
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...
force from Cayenne
Cayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
. Gorée was compelled to surrender on 18 January 1804, but not before the enemy's loss exceeded the total strength of the defenders at the outset.
After his exchange, Fraser was appointed to command an expedition against Senegal, which never started. He became a major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1808, served in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
in 1808–9, and in the latter year he was appointed to the staff at Gibraltar. Fraser commanded that garrison until the arrival of General Campbell. He was then sent to negotiate for the admission of British troops into the Spanish fortress of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
(on the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coast opposite Gibraltar); afterwards he commanded the British garrison there until his return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on promotion to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1813. In 1809, in recognition of its distinguished conduct in the West Indies, the Royal African Corps was reorganized as the Royal York Rangers, another Royal African Corps being formed in its place. Fraser retained the colonelcy of the rangers until the regiment was disbanded after the peace. He was made Lieutenant-Governor of Chester Castle
Chester Castle
Chester Castle is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is sited at the southwest extremity of the area bounded by the city walls . The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the River Dee. In the castle complex are the remaining parts of the medieval castle together with the...
in 1828, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
in 1832, and was a member of the consolidated board of general officers. He became a 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....
in 1838.
Fraser married, first, on 15 April 1790, Everilda, daughter of James Hamer of Hamer Hall, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and they had one son and two daughters, one of whom, Everilda (d. November 1840), married General Francis Rawdon Chesney
Francis Rawdon Chesney
right|thumb|200px|General F.R.Chesney in 1863Francis Rawdon Chesney , general and explorer, was a son of Captain Alexander Chesney, an Irishman of Scottish descent who, having emigrated to South Carolina in 1772, served under Lord Rawdon in the American War of Independence, and subsequently...
(1789–1872). His second marriage, about three years before his death, was to Miss A'Court. Fraser was described by his kinsman, Lord Saltoun, as a brave, chivalrous, upright old soldier. He died at Campden Hill, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 14 November 1843 and was buried at St Barnabas' Church, West Kensington, London
West Kensington, London
- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character....
.