William Staveley
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General William Staveley (29 July 1784 – 4 April 1854) was Commander and Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong
.
, the son of William Staveley and Henrietta Henderson. He entered the British Army
in 1798 as an ensign. Staveley fought in several conflicts in the Peninsular War
(Battle of Talavera, Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
, Battle of Vittoria, Battle of the Pyrenees
, Battle of Toulouse
, Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
and Battle of Badajoz
and many other minor actions). He went to Mauritius
in 1821 and served in various roles (deputy quartermaster-general and commandant of Port Louis
) before becoming Commander and Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong
in 1847.
After leaving Hong Kong in 1851, he was given command of the Bombay Army
. In 1853, he was made as Colonel of the 94th Regiment of Foot
and appointed commander-in-chief of the Madras Army
(with local rank of lieutenant-general). He died in the Nilgiri Hills, and was buried at Ootacamund
.
Staveley Street
in Central
in Hong Kong is named after him.
and Harriet Frances Staveley.
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
.
Military career
Staveley was born in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, the son of William Staveley and Henrietta Henderson. He entered the 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...
in 1798 as an ensign. Staveley fought in several conflicts in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
(Battle of Talavera, Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro , the British-Portuguese Army under Viscount Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida.-Background:...
, Battle of Vittoria, Battle of the Pyrenees
Battle of the Pyrenees
The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon’s order, in the hope of relieving French garrisons under siege at Pamplona and San Sebastián...
, Battle of Toulouse
Battle of Toulouse (1814)
The Battle of Toulouse was one of the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars, four days after Napoleon's surrender of the French Empire to the nations of the Sixth Coalition...
, Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1810)
In the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, the French Marshal Michel Ney took the fortified city from Field Marshal Don Andrés Perez de Herrasti on 9 July 1810 after a siege that began on 26 April...
and Battle of Badajoz
Battle of Badajoz (1812)
In the Battle of Badajoz , the Anglo-Portuguese Army, under the Earl of Wellington, besieged Badajoz, Spain and forced the surrender of the French garrison....
and many other minor actions). He went to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 1821 and served in various roles (deputy quartermaster-general and commandant of Port Louis
Port Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...
) before becoming Commander and Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
in 1847.
After leaving Hong Kong in 1851, he was given command of the Bombay Army
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...
. In 1853, he was made as Colonel of the 94th Regiment of Foot
94th Regiment of Foot
The 94th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. Originally formed as the 'Scots Brigade' in 1568, for service in the Netherlands. The regiment was brought onto the English establishment, in October 1794, as the 'Scotch Brigade', renumbered as the 94th Regiment of Foot in...
and appointed commander-in-chief of the Madras Army
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
(with local rank of lieutenant-general). He died in the Nilgiri Hills, and was buried at Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
.
Staveley Street
Staveley Street
Staveley Street is a street in Central on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The hilly street is for pedestrian only and parallel to Peel Street. Starting from Queen's Road Central, the first section up to Wellington Street composes of few steps with dai pai dong and few hawker stalls...
in Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
in Hong Kong is named after him.
Family
He married Sarah Mather in 1817. Their children include Major-General Sir Charles William Dunbar StaveleyCharles William Dunbar Staveley
General Sir Charles William Dunbar Staveley GCB was a British Army officer.-Early life:He was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, the son of Lt-General William Staveley and Sarah Mather, and educated at the Scottish military and naval academy, Edinburgh.-Career:He was commissioned as second...
and Harriet Frances Staveley.