Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier
Encyclopedia
Francis Scott Napier, 8th Lord Napier (23 February 1758 – 1 August 1823) was a British peer
and army
officer.
Napier was born in Ipswich
in 1758, the son of Hon. William Napier
(later 7th Lord Napier
) and his wife, the Hon. Mary, a daughter of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart.
Inheriting his father's title on 2 January 1775, Napier was earlier commissioned into the 31st Foot in 1774 and was promoted to a lieutenant
in 1776. After serving with General Burgoyne
in Canada
, he fought in the American Revolutionary War
with the Convention Army
under Burgoyne at the time of their defeat and surrender at the Battle of Saratoga
in 1777. After release from captivity at Cambridge, Massachusetts
, he purchased
a Captain
's commission in the 35th Foot in 1779 and transferred to the 4th Foot in 1784, becoming a Major
soon afterwards.
On 13 April 1784, Napier married Maria Margaret Clavering (c.1756–1821), the daughter of Lt.-Gen. Sir John Clavering
, at St George's, Hanover Square. They had five daughters and four sons, including Hon. William John (1786–1834), later 9th Lord Napier.
From 1788 to 1790, Napier was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and laid the foundation stone of the new buildings of Edinburgh University in 1789, for which he was awarded a LLD.
In 1796, 1802 and 1807, he was chosen as a Representative peer
and was Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire
from 1797 until his death in 1823. From 1802 until his death, Napier was, with Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
's help, annually nominated as Lord High Commissioner
.
Napier died at his home, Dacre Lodge in Enfield
in 1823 and his title passed to his eldest son, William.
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and 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.
Napier was born in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
in 1758, the son of Hon. William Napier
William Napier, 7th Lord Napier
-Family:William Napier was the son of Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier and Henrietta Hope ....
(later 7th Lord Napier
Lord Napier
Lord Napier, of Merchistoun, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1627 for Sir Archibald Napier, 1st Baronet. Earlier that year, he already held the Napier Baronetcy, of Merchistoun in the County of Midlothian, created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. The titles remained united...
) and his wife, the Hon. Mary, a daughter of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart.
Inheriting his father's title on 2 January 1775, Napier was earlier commissioned into the 31st Foot in 1774 and was promoted to a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1776. After serving with General Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he fought in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
with the Convention Army
Convention Army
The Convention Army was an army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War.-Convention of Saratoga:...
under Burgoyne at the time of their defeat and surrender at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
in 1777. After release from captivity at Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, he purchased
Sale of commissions
The sale of commissions was a common practice in most European armies where wealthy and noble officers purchased their rank. Only the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army never used such a system. While initially shunned in the French Revolutionary Army, it was eventually revived in the...
a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
's commission in the 35th Foot in 1779 and transferred to the 4th Foot in 1784, becoming a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
soon afterwards.
On 13 April 1784, Napier married Maria Margaret Clavering (c.1756–1821), the daughter of Lt.-Gen. Sir John Clavering
John Clavering (British Army officer)
Lieutenant General Sir John Clavering KB was an army officer and diplomat.-Military career:Baptised in Lanchester, County Durham, England in 1722, Clavering was the younger son of Sir James Clavering Bt and Catherine Yorke, and younger brother of Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet...
, at St George's, Hanover Square. They had five daughters and four sons, including Hon. William John (1786–1834), later 9th Lord Napier.
From 1788 to 1790, Napier was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and laid the foundation stone of the new buildings of Edinburgh University in 1789, for which he was awarded a LLD.
In 1796, 1802 and 1807, he was chosen as a Representative peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
and was Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire
Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire
This is a list of people, who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire. The office was replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale in 1975.* Charles Montagu-Scott, Earl of Dalkeith 17 March 1794 – 1797...
from 1797 until his death in 1823. From 1802 until his death, Napier was, with Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
's help, annually nominated as Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners, i.e. direct representatives of the monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the United Kingdom, two of which are no longer extant...
.
Napier died at his home, Dacre Lodge in Enfield
Enfield Town
Enfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the county of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is north north-east of Charing Cross...
in 1823 and his title passed to his eldest son, William.