John Irwin (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir John Irwin KB
(1727/8 – May 1788) was a British Army officer.
, Irwin was commissioned into the 5th Regiment of Foot in 1736. He served in an attack on the French
coast in 1758 and then fought under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick
in Germany
in 1760.
He served as Member of Parliament
(MP) for East Grinstead
from 1762 to 1783, Governor of Gibraltar
from 1765 to 1767, member of the Irish privy council, and as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
from 1775 to 1782. Losing the last of these posts on the fall of Lord North's administration in March 1782, he moved back into his house in Piccadilly
and his place in parliament, rising to full General
and retiring from parliament in 1783. In debt, in 1783 he moved to France and then Parma, where he was welcomed by Duke Ferdinand
and Archduchess Amelia and hosted British ex-patriates and visitors to the city until his death.
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 John Irwin KB
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...
(1727/8 – May 1788) was a British Army officer.
Career
Educated in IrelandIreland
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...
, Irwin was commissioned into the 5th Regiment of Foot in 1736. He served in an attack on the 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...
coast in 1758 and then fought under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg , was a Prussian field marshal known for his participation in the Seven Years' War...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1760.
He served as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for East Grinstead
East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)
East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system...
from 1762 to 1783, Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
from 1765 to 1767, member of the Irish privy council, and as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland was title of the commander of British forces in Ireland before 1922.The role nominally is held by the President of Ireland today as the supreme commander of the Defence Forces.-Commanders-in-Chief, Ireland, 1700-1922:...
from 1775 to 1782. Losing the last of these posts on the fall of Lord North's administration in March 1782, he moved back into his house in Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
and his place in parliament, rising to full 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 retiring from parliament in 1783. In debt, in 1783 he moved to France and then Parma, where he was welcomed by Duke Ferdinand
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
Ferdinand Maria Philip Louis Sebastian Francis James of Parma was Duke of Parma from 1765 to 1802. He was the second child and only son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France, eldest daughter of Louis XV of France and Maria Leszczyńska...
and Archduchess Amelia and hosted British ex-patriates and visitors to the city until his death.