William Lumley
Encyclopedia
General Sir William Lumley, GCB
was a senior British Army
officer and courtier during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The son of the Earl of Scarborough, Lumley enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks aided by a reputation for bravery and professionalism established on campaign in Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, South America, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Following his retirement from the army due to ill health in 1811, Lumley served as Governor of Bermuda
and later gained a position as a courtier to the Royal Household. Lumley is especially noted for his actions at the Battle of Antrim
where he saved the lives of several magistrates and was seriously wounded fighting hand-to-hand with United Irish rebels in the Irish Rebellion of 1798
.
and at 18 in 1787 joined the 10th Light Dragoons as a cornet
. Due to the system then in place of officers being able to purchase promotions, Lumley rose steadily through the ranks, becoming major
in 1793 at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
. By 1795 Lumley had transferred to the 22nd Dragoons
as lieutenant colonel
and in 1798 was sent to Ireland to help defeat the United Irishmen forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
.
During this conflict, Lumley used his regiment for patrolling the countryside and on 7 June 1798 was at Antrim
when the town was attacked by at least 4,000 rebels led by Henry Joy McCracken
. The town was defended by a mixture of regular soldiers, militia and loyalist volunteers who made their stand at Antrim Castle
, Lumley commanding the cavalry. The initial rebel attack was beaten back and Lumley's cavalry troops attempted to rout them with a charge whilst the remainder of the garrison retreated into the castle. The cavalry were counter-attacked by pikemen and Lumley severely wounded before reinforcements from Belfast
dispersed the United Irishmen. Lumley's charge had given time for the rest of the garrison to escape, the only person of note to lose their life being the magistrate Lord O'Neill.
invasion of Egypt in 1801 and helped force the French army there to surrender, although it is not clear which actions he participated in. In 1802 the 22nd Dragoons was disbanded and Lumley moved to the 2nd Regiment of Reserve which he commanded until its disbandment in 1804, when he persuaded over 400 of his men to reenlist. Lumley married Mary Sutherland of Ulverstone in the same year but she died less than three years later. In 1805, Lumley was made a major-general and commanded a brigade stationed in London for a year until volunteering for service in the expedition to South Africa in 1806. Lumley fought at the Battle of Blaauwberg
which finalised the British capture of the colony and the following year joined General Whitelocke's
force which unilaterally invaded the River Plate
.
Lumley was engaged during the Battle of Montevideo
when the city was captured but was forced to withdraw with the rest of the army when the assault on Buenos Aires
failed
. Lumley was not deemed responsible for the operation's failure and in 1808 was attached as commander of the light cavalry brigade in a small British army which landed in Sicily and then invaded Italy under Sir John Stuart
. The force captured Ischia
but could not hold its gains and withdrew late in 1809.
in the Peninsula War. He joined the army in 1810 and participated in the campaign culminating in the Second Siege of Badajoz, leading the unsuccessful assault on the San Cristobal bastion of the city. During the opening stages of the Battle of Albuera
on 16 May 1811, Lumley replaced Robert Ballard Long
in command the Allied cavalry by order of Sir William Beresford
because of Long's alleged incompetence, though other reasons were given at the time. During the battle, Lumley's cavalry supported the Allied right after Daniel Hoghton
's brigade was destroyed and then supported the flanks of Beresford's main assault in the final stages of the action. A few days later, Lumley was again engaged in a cavalry action at the Battle of Usagre
, where two French cavalry regiments were neatly trapped and almost destroyed, but his health was failing and in August 1811 he was invalided home, never to see action again.
and was knighted in the Order of the Bath
the following year after war's end and in 1817 married Mrs Louisa Margaret Cotton, widow of Colonel Lynch Cotton. In 1819, Lumley was made Governor of Bermuda
and retained the position until 1825 but departed under a cloud after being convicted in court of illegally interfering in the ecclesiastical matters of the island and fined £1,000. During his years of retirement, Lumley was honorary colonel of a string of regiments; 3rd battalion of reserve, Royal West India Rangershttp://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/moriancumerb/Everitt_of_the_RWIR.jpg&date=2009-10-26+22:46:59, 6th Inniskillings Dragoons
and the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
. He became a Knight Grand Cross in 1831 and was promoted again in 1837 to full general before retiring from all courtier and military duties in 1842. Lumley died in December 1850 without issue in his London townhouse on Grosvenor Square
.
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...
was a senior 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 and courtier during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The son of the Earl of Scarborough, Lumley enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks aided by a reputation for bravery and professionalism established on campaign in Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, South America, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Following his retirement from the army due to ill health in 1811, Lumley served as Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
and later gained a position as a courtier to the Royal Household. Lumley is especially noted for his actions at the Battle of Antrim
Battle of Antrim
The Battle of Antrim was fought on 7 June 1798, in the county Antrim in Ulster, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between British troops and Irish insurgents led by Henry Joy McCracken...
where he saved the lives of several magistrates and was seriously wounded fighting hand-to-hand with United Irish rebels in the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
.
Early career
Lumley was born the seventh son of Richard Lumley, 4th Earl of Scarborough and his wife Barbara neé Savile. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at 18 in 1787 joined the 10th Light Dragoons as a cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
. Due to the system then in place of officers being able to purchase promotions, Lumley rose steadily through the ranks, becoming major
Major (UK)
In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
in 1793 at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. By 1795 Lumley had transferred to the 22nd Dragoons
22nd Dragoons
The 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
as 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...
and in 1798 was sent to Ireland to help defeat the United Irishmen forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
.
During this conflict, Lumley used his regiment for patrolling the countryside and on 7 June 1798 was at Antrim
Battle of Antrim
The Battle of Antrim was fought on 7 June 1798, in the county Antrim in Ulster, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between British troops and Irish insurgents led by Henry Joy McCracken...
when the town was attacked by at least 4,000 rebels led by Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
. The town was defended by a mixture of regular soldiers, militia and loyalist volunteers who made their stand at Antrim Castle
Antrim Castle
Antrim Castle or Massereene Castle was a castle in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was erected in stages between 1610 and 1666. It was destroyed in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s.- History:...
, Lumley commanding the cavalry. The initial rebel attack was beaten back and Lumley's cavalry troops attempted to rout them with a charge whilst the remainder of the garrison retreated into the castle. The cavalry were counter-attacked by pikemen and Lumley severely wounded before reinforcements from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
dispersed the United Irishmen. Lumley's charge had given time for the rest of the garrison to escape, the only person of note to lose their life being the magistrate Lord O'Neill.
Napoleonic Wars
Two years after the rebellion Lumley had recovered from his wounds and led his regiment in General Abercromby'sRalph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
invasion of Egypt in 1801 and helped force the French army there to surrender, although it is not clear which actions he participated in. In 1802 the 22nd Dragoons was disbanded and Lumley moved to the 2nd Regiment of Reserve which he commanded until its disbandment in 1804, when he persuaded over 400 of his men to reenlist. Lumley married Mary Sutherland of Ulverstone in the same year but she died less than three years later. In 1805, Lumley was made a major-general and commanded a brigade stationed in London for a year until volunteering for service in the expedition to South Africa in 1806. Lumley fought at the Battle of Blaauwberg
Battle of Blaauwberg
The Battle of Blaauwberg, also known as the Battle of Cape Town, fought near Cape Town on 8 January 1806, was a small but significant military engagement. It established British rule in South Africa, which was to have many ramifications during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries...
which finalised the British capture of the colony and the following year joined General Whitelocke's
John Whitelocke
-Military career:Whitelocke entered the army in 1778 and served in Jamaica and in San Domingo. In 1805 he was made a lieutenant-general and inspector-general of recruiting, and in 1807 he was appointed to command an expedition to seize Buenos Aires from the Spanish Empire, which was in disarray due...
force which unilaterally invaded the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
.
Lumley was engaged during the Battle of Montevideo
Battle of Montevideo (1807)
The Battle of Montevideo was a battle between the British and Spanish Empires during the Napoleonic Wars, in which British forces captured the city of Montevideo. It formed part of the British invasions of the River Plate.-The Prelude:...
when the city was captured but was forced to withdraw with the rest of the army when the assault on Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
failed
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
. Lumley was not deemed responsible for the operation's failure and in 1808 was attached as commander of the light cavalry brigade in a small British army which landed in Sicily and then invaded Italy under Sir John Stuart
John Stuart, Count of Maida
Sir John Stuart, Count of Maida GCB , was a British Lieutenant-General during the Napoleonic Wars.Stuart was born in Georgia, the son of Colonel John Stuart, superintendent of Indian affairs in the southern district, and a prominent loyalist in the War of Independence...
. The force captured Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
but could not hold its gains and withdrew late in 1809.
Peninsula War
Despite the collapse of another expedition, Lumley immediately volunteered for service under Sir Arthur WellesleyArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in the Peninsula War. He joined the army in 1810 and participated in the campaign culminating in the Second Siege of Badajoz, leading the unsuccessful assault on the San Cristobal bastion of the city. During the opening stages of the Battle of Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
on 16 May 1811, Lumley replaced Robert Ballard Long
Robert Ballard Long
Lieutenant-General Robert Ballard Long was an officer of the British and Hanoverian Armies who despite extensive service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars never managed to achieve high command due to his abrasive manner with his superiors and his alleged tactical ineptitude...
in command the Allied cavalry by order of Sir William Beresford
William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
General William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, 1st Marquis of Campo Maior, GCB, GCH, GCTE, PC , was a British soldier and politician...
because of Long's alleged incompetence, though other reasons were given at the time. During the battle, Lumley's cavalry supported the Allied right after Daniel Hoghton
Daniel Hoghton
Major-General Daniel Hoghton was a talented and experienced British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars with distinction until his death during combat with the French at the Battle of Albuera in the Peninsula War...
's brigade was destroyed and then supported the flanks of Beresford's main assault in the final stages of the action. A few days later, Lumley was again engaged in a cavalry action at the Battle of Usagre
Battle of Usagre
In the Battle of Usagre on 25 May 1811, Anglo-Allied cavalry commanded by Major-General William Lumley routed a French cavalry force led by Major-General Marie Victor Latour-Maubourg at the village of Usagre in the Peninsular War.-Background:...
, where two French cavalry regiments were neatly trapped and almost destroyed, but his health was failing and in August 1811 he was invalided home, never to see action again.
Later life
Lumley spent several years recovering from the ill-health he had suffered from in the Peninsula and became a courtier to the Royal family as a Groom of the Bedchamber. In 1814 he became a lieutenant generalLieutenant 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....
and was knighted in the Order of the Bath
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...
the following year after war's end and in 1817 married Mrs Louisa Margaret Cotton, widow of Colonel Lynch Cotton. In 1819, Lumley was made Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
and retained the position until 1825 but departed under a cloud after being convicted in court of illegally interfering in the ecclesiastical matters of the island and fined £1,000. During his years of retirement, Lumley was honorary colonel of a string of regiments; 3rd battalion of reserve, Royal West India Rangershttp://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/moriancumerb/Everitt_of_the_RWIR.jpg&date=2009-10-26+22:46:59, 6th Inniskillings Dragoons
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons
The 6th Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 5th/6th Dragoons in 1922.The 'Skins' are one of the four ancestor regiments of the Royal Dragoon...
and the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
1st King's Dragoon Guards
The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I...
. He became a Knight Grand Cross in 1831 and was promoted again in 1837 to full general before retiring from all courtier and military duties in 1842. Lumley died in December 1850 without issue in his London townhouse on Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London, England. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from their surname, "Grosvenor".-History:...
.