Rufane Shaw Donkin
Encyclopedia
Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin GCH
KCB (1773 – 1 May 1841), was a British
army
officer of the Napoleonic era
and later Member of Parliament
.
and Gage
.
The younger Donkin received his first commission at the age of five as an honour post in his father's regiment.
in Denmark
in 1807 and two years later was given a brigade of three regiments in the army in Portugal
, which he led in victory at the Second Battle of Porto.
On the day prior of the Battle of Talavera, Donkins brigade was positioned ahead of the main British army and was surprised by an advance French force before they could post pickets
losing over 400 casualties. He fell back and rallied the men at the main line and led the brigade throughout the battle.
Donkin was then transferred, in the role of quartermaster-general, to the Mediterranean command in which he served from 1810 to 1813 taking part in the Catalonian expeditions. In July 1815, the now Major-General Donkin was posted to India
distinguishing himself as a divisional commander in Hasting
's operations against the Mahratta
s (1817–1818), receiving the KCB as his reward. The death of his young wife seriously affected him after which he went to the Cape of Good Hope
on extended sick leave. From 1820 to 1821 he administered the colony with success, and named the rising seaport of Algoa Bay Port Elizabeth in memory of his wife. In 1821 he became lieutenant-general and GCH
.
, and was a member of the Royal Society
and of many other learned bodies. His theories as to the course of the River Niger, published under the title Dissertation on the Course and Probable Termination of the Niger (London, 1829), involved him in a good deal of controversy. From 1832 to 1837 he sat in the House of Commons as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Berwick-upon-Tweed
, and in 1835 was made Surveyor-General of the Ordnance
. He was elected as MP for Sandwich
in 1839, and held that seat until he committed suicide at Southampton
on 1 May 1841. He was then a general, and colonel of the 11th Regiment of Foot.
Rufane Donkin was a cousin of Charles Collier Michell
, surveyor-general of the Cape Colony
.
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...
KCB (1773 – 1 May 1841), was a 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...
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 of the Napoleonic era
Napoleonic Era
The Napoleonic Era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory...
and later 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,...
.
Family
Rufane Donkin came of a military family and was the eldest child. His father, who reached the rank of a full general, served with many famous British commanders including WolfeJames Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
and Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
.
The younger Donkin received his first commission at the age of five as an honour post in his father's regiment.
Service
Becoming a captain in 1793, Donkin was on active service in the West Indies in the next year, gaining promotion to major in 1796. At the age of twenty-five he became a lieutenant-colonel and in 1798 led a light battalion with distinction in the Ostend expedition. He served with CathcartWilliam Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart
General William Schaw Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart KT, PC, PC , Scottish soldier and diplomatist, was born at Petersham, and educated at Eton.-Military career:...
in Denmark
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
in 1807 and two years later was given a brigade of three regiments in the army in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, which he led in victory at the Second Battle of Porto.
On the day prior of the Battle of Talavera, Donkins brigade was positioned ahead of the main British army and was surprised by an advance French force before they could post pickets
Picket (military)
In military terminology, a picket refers to soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance. It can also refer to any unit performing a similar function...
losing over 400 casualties. He fell back and rallied the men at the main line and led the brigade throughout the battle.
Donkin was then transferred, in the role of quartermaster-general, to the Mediterranean command in which he served from 1810 to 1813 taking part in the Catalonian expeditions. In July 1815, the now Major-General Donkin was posted to 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...
distinguishing himself as a divisional commander in Hasting
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
's operations against the Mahratta
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
s (1817–1818), receiving the KCB as his reward. The death of his young wife seriously affected him after which he went to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on extended sick leave. From 1820 to 1821 he administered the colony with success, and named the rising seaport of Algoa Bay Port Elizabeth in memory of his wife. In 1821 he became lieutenant-general and 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...
.
Post Army
The rest of his life was spent in literary and political work. He was one of the original fellows of the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, and was a member of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and of many other learned bodies. His theories as to the course of the River Niger, published under the title Dissertation on the Course and Probable Termination of the Niger (London, 1829), involved him in a good deal of controversy. From 1832 to 1837 he sat in the House of Commons 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 Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, and in 1835 was made Surveyor-General of the Ordnance
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance
The Surveyor-General of the Ordnance was a subordinate of the Master-General of the Ordnance and a member of the Board of Ordnance from its constitution in 1597. Appointments to the post were made by the crown under Letters Patent. His duties were to examine the ordnance received to see that it was...
. He was elected as MP for Sandwich
Sandwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Sandwich was a parliamentary constituency in Kent, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1885, when it was disfranchised for corruption.-History:...
in 1839, and held that seat until he committed suicide at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 1 May 1841. He was then a general, and colonel of the 11th Regiment of Foot.
Rufane Donkin was a cousin of Charles Collier Michell
Charles Collier Michell
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Collier Michell, , later known as Charles Cornwallis Michell, was a British soldier, first surveyor-general in the Cape, road engineer, architect, artist and naturalist.-Early life:...
, surveyor-general of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
.