Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
General Sir John William Floyd, 1st Baronet (22 February 1748 – 10 January 1818), was a British
cavalry
officer.
Born on 22 February 1748, he was the oldest child of Captain John Floyd and Mary Floyd (née Bate).
He was commissioned on 5 April 1760 as a Cornet in the Eliott's Light Horse brigade, which became the 15th The King's Hussars
. He was commissioned Lieutenant 20 April 1763 and Captain-Lieutenant on 20 May 1770.
He was commissioned Captain 25 May 1772 into the 15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
and Major of the 21st Light Dragoon
s 5 May 1779.
On 24 September 1779 he was commissioned and gazetted as Lieutenant-Colonel of the newly formed cavalry regiment for duty in India
called the 23rd Light Dragoons, and later renamed the 19th Light Dragoons
. He was commissioned Colonel on 18 November 1790.
He was appointed to command all cavalry and military units on the coast of India by Lord Cornwallis
in 1790. In the Third Anglo-Mysore War
(1790–1792), he led cavalry forces against Tipu Sultan
, including a notable defeat in which he lost 300 horses just before the 1791 siege of Bangalore
.
He was commissioned Major-General 5 October 1794. He was commissioned and reappointed Colonel of the 23rd Light Dragoons on 14 September 1800.
On 1 January 1801 he was commissioned Lieutenant-General. He was appointed to the 8th Light Dragoons 13 September 1804 and commissioned General 1 January 1812.
In 1800 he returned to England and Ireland. Floyd was made a baronet
in 1816. His arms featured a lion with the standard of Tipu in its paws.
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...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer.
Born on 22 February 1748, he was the oldest child of Captain John Floyd and Mary Floyd (née Bate).
He was commissioned on 5 April 1760 as a Cornet in the Eliott's Light Horse brigade, which became the 15th The King's Hussars
15th The King's Hussars
The 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-Formation:...
. He was commissioned Lieutenant 20 April 1763 and Captain-Lieutenant on 20 May 1770.
He was commissioned Captain 25 May 1772 into the 15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
15th The King's Hussars
The 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-Formation:...
and Major of the 21st Light Dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s 5 May 1779.
On 24 September 1779 he was commissioned and gazetted as Lieutenant-Colonel of the newly formed cavalry regiment for duty 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...
called the 23rd Light Dragoons, and later renamed the 19th Light Dragoons
19th Light Dragoons
The 19th Light Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army created in 1781 for service in British India. The regiment served in India until 1806, and in North America during the War of 1812, and was disbanded in Britain in 1821.-Formation:...
. He was commissioned Colonel on 18 November 1790.
He was appointed to command all cavalry and military units on the coast of India by Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
in 1790. In the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
(1790–1792), he led cavalry forces against Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, including a notable defeat in which he lost 300 horses just before the 1791 siege of Bangalore
Siege of Bangalore
The Siege of Bangalore was a siege of the town and fortifications of Bangalore during the Third Anglo-Mysore War by forces of the British East India Company, led by Charles, Earl Cornwallis against a Mysorean garrison, while Tipu Sultan, Mysore's ruler, harried the camps and positions of the...
.
He was commissioned Major-General 5 October 1794. He was commissioned and reappointed Colonel of the 23rd Light Dragoons on 14 September 1800.
On 1 January 1801 he was commissioned Lieutenant-General. He was appointed to the 8th Light Dragoons 13 September 1804 and commissioned General 1 January 1812.
In 1800 he returned to England and Ireland. Floyd was made a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1816. His arms featured a lion with the standard of Tipu in its paws.