William Dowdeswell (governor)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General William Dowdeswell (27 February 1760 – 1 December 1828) was a British soldier and politician from Worcestershire
.
Captain in the 1st Foot Guards 1785. On the opening of the war with revolutionary France he served with his regiment in the Flanders Campaign
under the Duke of York
1793, seeing action at the Siege of Valenciennes
and the Siege of Dunkirk
. Made Colonel
of the 86th Foot 26th Jan 1797, Dowdeswell was appointed Governor of the Bahamas from 1797-1802. On 29th Sept 1803 he was promoted Major-General, then was posted to India under Lake
from 1805. He took part in the siege of Bhurtpore
. He was made Commander-in-Chief in India in 1807, and promoted Lieutenant-General on 25 July 1810.
He was a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Tewkesbury
from 1792 to 1797,
when he became Governor of the Bahamas.
His family owned the Pull Court estate near Bushley
in Worcestershire
, and many of his ancestors had been MPs, including his father William Dowdeswell, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 1785 to 1766.
Dowdeswell was known as a collector of prints by old English engravers and made a speciality of grangerizing
.
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
Career
The 3rd son of William Dowdeswell, he joined the army as a Lieutenant andCaptain in the 1st Foot Guards 1785. On the opening of the war with revolutionary France he served with his regiment in the Flanders Campaign
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
under the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
1793, seeing action at the Siege of Valenciennes
Siege of Valenciennes
The Siege of Valenciennes, also known as the Siege of Utrecht, took place from November 1676 to March 1677, during the Franco-Dutch War. A French army besieged the city of Valenciennes, which was then a part of the Spanish Netherlands and defended by a small army of the Holy Roman Empire. The city...
and the Siege of Dunkirk
Siege of Dunkirk (1793)
See also the Battle of HondschooteThe Siege of Dunkirk took place in 1793 when British, Hanoverian, Austrian, and Hesse-Kassel troops under the command of Prince Frederick, Duke of York besieged the fortified French border port of Dunkirk as part as the Flanders campaign of the French Revolutionary...
. Made 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 86th Foot 26th Jan 1797, Dowdeswell was appointed Governor of the Bahamas from 1797-1802. On 29th Sept 1803 he was promoted Major-General, then was posted to India under Lake
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake
General Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India.-Background:...
from 1805. He took part in the siege of Bhurtpore
Battle of Bharatpur
The Siege of Bharatpur took place between 2 January and 22 February 1805 in what is now Rajasthan, India, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Forces of the British East India Company, led by General Gerard Lake, were four times repulsed in attempts to storm the fortress...
. He was made Commander-in-Chief in India in 1807, and promoted Lieutenant-General on 25 July 1810.
He was a 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 Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Tewkesbury is a county 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....
from 1792 to 1797,
when he became Governor of the Bahamas.
His family owned the Pull Court estate near Bushley
Bushley
Bushley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in Worcestershire, England. The church is dedicated to Saint Peter. William Dowdeswell the Worcestershire MP from 1761 until his death was brought up at Pull Court in Bushley....
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, and many of his ancestors had been MPs, including his father William Dowdeswell, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1785 to 1766.
Dowdeswell was known as a collector of prints by old English engravers and made a speciality of grangerizing
James Granger
James Granger was an English clergyman, biographer, and print collector. He is now known as the author of the Biographical History of England from Egbert the Great to the Revolution .-Life:...
.