George Beckwith (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir George Beckwith KB
(1753 – 20 March 1823) was a British Army
officer.
in 1771. He distinguished himself as a regimental officer in the American Revolutionary War
, where he was assistant to Major Oliver Delancey responsible for British Intelligence. In July 1782 he replaced Delancey and after the war he worked for Sir Guy Carleton in Canada. His efforts were aimed at stirring up trouble in VT. Fl. Ky. and Tn. At the time Britain thought the weak American government might ask for British help.
He was then appointed Governor of Bermuda
in 1797, Governor of Saint Vincent in 1806 and Governor of Barbados in 1810.
He was made a K.B.
for his Capture of Martinique
in 1809 and also led a successful expedition against Guadeloupe
, the last French possession in the area, in 1810. He attained the full rank of General
in 1814. Sir George Beckwith was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
from 1816 to 1820. He died in London
on 20 March 1823.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir George Beckwith KB
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...
(1753 – 20 March 1823) was a 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.
Military career
Beckwith was commissioned into the 37th Regiment of Foot37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
The 37th Regiment of Foot was raised in Ireland in February 1702.During the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 - 46 the regiment fought at the Battle of Falkirk where it was commanded by Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet and later at the Battle of Culloden where it was commanded by Col. Dejean.Initially...
in 1771. He distinguished himself as a regimental officer 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...
, where he was assistant to Major Oliver Delancey responsible for British Intelligence. In July 1782 he replaced Delancey and after the war he worked for Sir Guy Carleton in Canada. His efforts were aimed at stirring up trouble in VT. Fl. Ky. and Tn. At the time Britain thought the weak American government might ask for British help.
He was then appointed 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...
in 1797, Governor of Saint Vincent in 1806 and Governor of Barbados in 1810.
He was made a K.B.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
for his Capture of Martinique
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
in 1809 and also led a successful expedition against Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, the last French possession in the area, in 1810. He attained the full rank of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in 1814. Sir George Beckwith was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland was title of the commander of British forces in Ireland before 1922.The role nominally is held by the President of Ireland today as the supreme commander of the Defence Forces.-Commanders-in-Chief, Ireland, 1700-1922:...
from 1816 to 1820. He died in London
London
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...
on 20 March 1823.