Augustus Abbott
Encyclopedia
Major-General Augustus Abbott (7 January 1804 – 25 February 1867) was an army officer in the British East India Company
. He was the eldest of several prominent brothers. He served in various military campaigns including the First Anglo-Afghan War
. He died at Cheltenham, to which he had retired, having been discharged from the army due to poor health.
and baptized on 10 March 1804 at St Pancras Old Church
, the eldest son of Henry Alexius Abbott, a retired Calcutta merchant of Blackheath, Kent, and his wife Margaret Welsh, the daughter of William Welsh of Edinburgh. He had the following exceptional siblings:
Augustus was soundly educated at both Winchester College
and at the East India Company's military college at Addiscombe
where he trained as an officer cadet.
, as second lieutenant
, and by 1835 had been made captain. He then served with distinction in the First Anglo-Afghan War
from 1838 to 1842, where he played an important part in the siege of Jalalabad
.
In 1843 Abbott married Sophia Frances Garstin, daughter of Captain John Garstin. The couple had four daughters and three sons. He was promoted to major in 1845 and major-general in 1859, but earlier that year he had already been forced to return home due to poor health. He died in Cheltenham
in 1867.
In addition to Frederick and James, Augustus had two other younger brothers: Saunders Alexius Abbott
(1811–1894), also an army officer in the East India Company, who played an important part in the Battle of Mudki
during the First Anglo-Sikh War
, and made the rank of major-general, and Keith Edward Abbott
(d. 1873), consul-general at Tabriz
and later Odessa
.
Augustus' son, Col. Henry Alexis Abbott (b. 22 Jan. 1849) served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
(1878–1881).
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. He was the eldest of several prominent brothers. He served in various military campaigns including the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
. He died at Cheltenham, to which he had retired, having been discharged from the army due to poor health.
Early life
Augustus Abbott was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and baptized on 10 March 1804 at St Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church in central London. It is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England, and is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, although the building itself is largely Victorian...
, the eldest son of Henry Alexius Abbott, a retired Calcutta merchant of Blackheath, Kent, and his wife Margaret Welsh, the daughter of William Welsh of Edinburgh. He had the following exceptional siblings:
- Margaret (1801–1877)
- Major General Sir Frederick Abbott, CB (1805–1892) - also an officer in the East India CompanyEast India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
- General Sir James Abbott, KCB (1807–1896)
- Emma Abbott (1809–1875)
- Major General Saunders Alexius Abbott (1811–1894), Major General in the Bengal Army; agent at Lahore for the Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway, from 1863 and subsequently a home director.
- Keith Edward AbbottKeith Edward AbbottKeith Edward Abbott was a British diplomat and consul general at Tabriz and later Odessa.-Family background:Keith was born in London, the 5th son of Henry Alexius Abbott, a retired Calcutta merchant of Blackheath, Kent, and his wife Margaret Welsh, the daughter of William Welsh of Edinburgh...
, Consul General (1814–1873) - Edmund Abbott (1816–1816)
Augustus was soundly educated at both Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and at the East India Company's military college at Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
where he trained as an officer cadet.
Military career
In 1819, aged 15, he sailed for IndiaIndia
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...
, as second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
, and by 1835 had been made captain. He then served with distinction in the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
from 1838 to 1842, where he played an important part in the siege of Jalalabad
Battle of Jellalabad
The Battle of Jellalabad in 1842 was an Afghan siege of the isolated British outpost at Jellalabad about 80 miles east of Kabul...
.
In 1843 Abbott married Sophia Frances Garstin, daughter of Captain John Garstin. The couple had four daughters and three sons. He was promoted to major in 1845 and major-general in 1859, but earlier that year he had already been forced to return home due to poor health. He died in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in 1867.
In addition to Frederick and James, Augustus had two other younger brothers: Saunders Alexius Abbott
Saunders Alexius Abbott
Major-General Saunders Alexius Abbott was an army officer in the British East India Company.-Family Background:...
(1811–1894), also an army officer in the East India Company, who played an important part in the Battle of Mudki
Battle of Mudki
The Battle of Mudki was fought on 18 December 1845, between the forces of the British East India Company and part of the Khalsa, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. The British army won an untidy encounter battle, suffering heavy casualties....
during the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
, and made the rank of major-general, and Keith Edward Abbott
Keith Edward Abbott
Keith Edward Abbott was a British diplomat and consul general at Tabriz and later Odessa.-Family background:Keith was born in London, the 5th son of Henry Alexius Abbott, a retired Calcutta merchant of Blackheath, Kent, and his wife Margaret Welsh, the daughter of William Welsh of Edinburgh...
(d. 1873), consul-general at Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
and later Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
.
Augustus' son, Col. Henry Alexis Abbott (b. 22 Jan. 1849) served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
(1878–1881).
Sources
- Vetch, R. H., rev. Roger T. Stearn, "Abbot, Augustus", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford, 2004)
- Abbot, Augustus., The Afghan War, 1838-1842: from the journal and correspondence of the late Major - General Augustus Abbott. London: R. Bentley and son