Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake
Encyclopedia
General
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British
general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
and later served as Commander-in-Chief
of the military in British India.
, afterwards George IV
.
In 1790, he became a major-general, and in 1793 was appointed to command the Guards Brigade in the Duke of York
's army in Flanders
during the French Revolutionary Wars
. He was in command at the successful Battle of Lincelles
on 18 August 1793, and served on the continent (except for a short time when seriously ill) until April 1794. He later sold his lieutenant-colonelcy in the guards, and became colonel of the 53rd Regiment of Foot and governor of Limerick
in Ireland
. In 1797 he was promoted lieutenant-general.
broke out. Lake, who was then serving in Ireland, succeeded Sir Ralph Abercromby
in command of the troops in April 1798. He issued a proclamation ordering the surrender of all arms by the civil population of Ulster
which effectively disarmed and crippled United Irish organisation and became known as the "dragooning of Ulster".
In May Lake commanded troops in County Kildare
, and, after the failed rebel attack on Naas
on 24th May, he assisted General Ralph Dundas in ensuring the rebel surrender on humane terms after the Battle of Kilcullen
. Another rebel force on the nearby Curragh
were also persuaded to surrender, but while this was being arranged by Lake the rebels were mistakenly attacked by separate British forces coming from the opposite direction, resulting in the Gibbet Rath massacre
on 29th May. As a result central Kildare remained quiet for the rest of 1798.
Lake then took overall command of a force of some 20,000 troops to crush the Wexford rebels
and defeated the main rebel army at Vinegar Hill
(near Enniscorthy
, County Wexford
) on 21 June. His policy of brutality towards rebels found in arms brought him into conflict with Lord Cornwallis who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
in June 1798 and instituted an amnesty act to encourage rebels to lay down their arms.
In August, Cornwallis sent Lake to oppose a French expedition of 1,000 troops which had landed at Killala Bay
, County Mayo
on 23 August. On 29 August, Lake arrived at Castlebar
with a force of 6,000 troops, and witnessed the rout of his troops under General Hely-Hutchinson
(afterwards 2nd Earl of Donoughmore) at the Battle of Castlebar
. He eventually retrieved this disaster by defeating the French at the Battle of Ballinamuck
on 8 September.
. He took up his duties at Calcutta in July 1801, and applied himself to the improvement of the East India Company
army, especially in the direction of making all arms, infantry, cavalry and artillery, more mobile and more manageable. In 1802 he was made a full general.
On the outbreak the Second Anglo-Maratha War
in 1803 General Lake took the field against Daulat Scindia, and within two months defeated the Marathas at Kol (now called Aligarh), after storming Aligarh Fort
during the Battle of Ally Ghur
(1 September 1803). He then took Delhi
and Agra
, and won a victory at the Battle of Laswari
(1 November 1803), where the power of Scindia was completely broken with the loss of 31 disciplined battalions, trained and officered by Frenchmen, and 426 pieces of ordnance. This defeat, followed a few days later by Major-General Arthur Wellesley
's victory at the Battle of Argaon
, compelled Scindia to come to terms, and a treaty was signed in December 1803.
Operations continued against Yashwantrao Holkar
, who, on 17 November 1804, was defeated by Lake at the Battle of Farrukhabad
. However, Lake was frustrated by Jats and Yashwantrao Holker at Bharatpur
which held out against five assaults early in 1805. Cornwallis succeeded Lord Wellesley
as Governor-General of India
in July of that year – superseding Lake at the same time as commander-in-chief – and determined to put an end to the war. Cornwallis, however, died in October of the same year and Lake pursued Holkar into the Punjab
but by seeing the stronger position of Yashwanrao Holker and his effort to gather all indian princes under one flag against british, British East India Company signed treaty with Yashwantrao Holker of peace making and given back Holker all his territory with full power of soveregnity with no interferance British East India Company.
Lord Wellesley in a despatch attributed much of the success of the war to Lake's matchless energy, ability and valour. For his services, Lake received the thanks of Parliament
, and, in September 1804, was rewarded by being created Baron Lake of Delhi
and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County
of Buckingham
. At the conclusion of the war he returned to England, and in 1807 he was created Viscount Lake
of Delhi and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County of Buckingham.
in the British House of Commons
from 1790 to 1802, and he also was brought into the Irish House of Commons
by the government as member for Armagh Borough
in 1799 to vote for the Act of Union
. He died in London on 20 February 1808.
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....
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
general. He commanded British 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...
and later served as Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
of the military in British India.
Background
Lake entered the foot guards in 1758, becoming lieutenant (captain in the army) in 1762, captain (lieutenant-colonel) in 1776, major in 1784, and lieutenant colonel in 1792, by which time he was a general officer in the army. He served with his regiment in Germany between 1760 and 1762, and with a composite battalion in the Battle of Yorktown of 1781. After this he was equerry to the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, afterwards George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
In 1790, he became a major-general, and in 1793 was appointed to command the Guards Brigade in the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
's army in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
during 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...
. He was in command at the successful Battle of Lincelles
Battle of Lincelles
The Battle of Lincelles was an action that took place as part of a larger manoeuvre on 17th August 1793 in the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition...
on 18 August 1793, and served on the continent (except for a short time when seriously ill) until April 1794. He later sold his lieutenant-colonelcy in the guards, and became colonel of the 53rd Regiment of Foot and governor of Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In 1797 he was promoted lieutenant-general.
1798 rebellion in Ireland
In 1798, the Irish RebellionIrish 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...
broke out. Lake, who was then serving in Ireland, succeeded Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph 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...
in command of the troops in April 1798. He issued a proclamation ordering the surrender of all arms by the civil population of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
which effectively disarmed and crippled United Irish organisation and became known as the "dragooning of Ulster".
In May Lake commanded troops in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and, after the failed rebel attack on Naas
Battle of Naas
The Battle of Naas took place in Ireland on 24 May 1798.-Background:One of the first engagements of the 1798 rebellion, a force of over 1,000 rebels, led by Michael Reynolds attacked Naas, the strongest Crown garrison in County Kildare, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen,...
on 24th May, he assisted General Ralph Dundas in ensuring the rebel surrender on humane terms after the Battle of Kilcullen
Battle of Kilcullen
The Battle of Kilcullen took place on 24 May 1798 near the two settlements of that name in County Kildare, and was one of the first engagements in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 consisting of two separate clashes between a force of United Irish rebels and British military.-Old Kilcullen 7 a.m:The...
. Another rebel force on the nearby Curragh
Curragh
The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...
were also persuaded to surrender, but while this was being arranged by Lake the rebels were mistakenly attacked by separate British forces coming from the opposite direction, resulting in the Gibbet Rath massacre
Gibbet Rath massacre
The Gibbet Rath massacre was the massacre of some 300–500 rebels by British forces which took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on the Curragh of Kildare on 29 May 1798.-Background:...
on 29th May. As a result central Kildare remained quiet for the rest of 1798.
Lake then took overall command of a force of some 20,000 troops to crush the Wexford rebels
Wexford Rebellion
The Wexford Rebellion refers to the outbreak in County Wexford, Ireland in May 1798 of a United Irishmen rebellion against the English domination of Ireland. It was the most successful and most destructive of all the uprisings that occurred throughout Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798,...
and defeated the main rebel army at Vinegar Hill
Battle of Vinegar Hill
The Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...
(near Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
) on 21 June. His policy of brutality towards rebels found in arms brought him into conflict with Lord Cornwallis who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
in June 1798 and instituted an amnesty act to encourage rebels to lay down their arms.
In August, Cornwallis sent Lake to oppose a French expedition of 1,000 troops which had landed at Killala Bay
Killala Bay
Killala Bay is a bay on the west coast of Ireland between County Mayo and County Sligo. It is situated between Lenadoon Point and Downpatrick Head and is the estuary for the River Moy....
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
on 23 August. On 29 August, Lake arrived at Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
with a force of 6,000 troops, and witnessed the rout of his troops under General Hely-Hutchinson
John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore
General John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore GCB was an Anglo-Irish politician, hereditary peer and soldier.-Background:He was the son of John Hely-Hutchinson and the Baroness Donoughmore...
(afterwards 2nd Earl of Donoughmore) at the Battle of Castlebar
Battle of Castlebar
The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27 August near the town of Castlebar, County Mayo, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. A combined force of 2,000 French and Irish routed a force of 6,000 British militia in what would later became known as the "Castlebar Races", or Races of...
. He eventually retrieved this disaster by defeating the French at the Battle of Ballinamuck
Battle of Ballinamuck
The Battle of Ballinamuck marked the defeat of the main force of the French incursion during the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland.- Background :The victory of General Humbert at Castlebar, despite gaining him c. 5,000 Irish recruits had not led to a renewed outbreak of the rebellion as hoped...
on 8 September.
Indian campaigns
In 1799, Lake returned to England, and soon afterwards travelled to British India where he was appointed Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
. He took up his duties at Calcutta in July 1801, and applied himself to the improvement of the East India Company
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...
army, especially in the direction of making all arms, infantry, cavalry and artillery, more mobile and more manageable. In 1802 he was made a full general.
On the outbreak the Second Anglo-Maratha War
Second Anglo-Maratha War
The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.-Background:...
in 1803 General Lake took the field against Daulat Scindia, and within two months defeated the Marathas at Kol (now called Aligarh), after storming Aligarh Fort
Aligarh fort
Aligarh Fort one of the strongest forts in India, is located in the city of Aligarh , Uttar Pradesh. It is also called "Aligarh Qila"...
during the Battle of Ally Ghur
Battle of Ally Ghur
The Battle of Aligarh pronounced by British Colonialists as Battle of Ally Ghur was fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company during the Second Anglo-Maratha War at Aligarh, India....
(1 September 1803). He then took Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, and won a victory at the Battle of Laswari
Laswari
The Battle of Laswari took place on November 1, 1803 and was part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War.The British, commanded by General Lake were about 10,000 men strong, opposing the Sindhia's Maratha army of 9,000 veteran infantry and 5,000 cavalry...
(1 November 1803), where the power of Scindia was completely broken with the loss of 31 disciplined battalions, trained and officered by Frenchmen, and 426 pieces of ordnance. This defeat, followed a few days later by Major-General Arthur Wellesley
Arthur 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...
's victory at the Battle of Argaon
Adgaon
Adgaon, known as Argaon during the period of the British Raj, is a village located in the Telhara tehsil near Akot in the Akola district of Maharashtra, India...
, compelled Scindia to come to terms, and a treaty was signed in December 1803.
Operations continued against Yashwantrao Holkar
Yashwantrao Holkar
H. H. Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Shrimant Yashwant Rao Holkar Bahadur, Nusrat Jang, Maharaja of Maratha Empire, was born on 3 December 1776...
, who, on 17 November 1804, was defeated by Lake at the Battle of Farrukhabad
Battle of Farrukhabad
The Battle of Farrukhabad was an engagement during the Second Anglo-Maratha War between forces of the British East India Company and those of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar of the Maratha Empire. The battle took place at Farrukhabad in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India...
. However, Lake was frustrated by Jats and Yashwantrao Holker at Bharatpur
Battle of Bharatpur
The Siege of Bharatpur took place between 2 January and 22 February 1805 in what is now Rajasthan, India, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Forces of the British East India Company, led by General Gerard Lake, were four times repulsed in attempts to storm the fortress...
which held out against five assaults early in 1805. Cornwallis succeeded Lord Wellesley
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
as Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
in July of that year – superseding Lake at the same time as commander-in-chief – and determined to put an end to the war. Cornwallis, however, died in October of the same year and Lake pursued Holkar into the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
but by seeing the stronger position of Yashwanrao Holker and his effort to gather all indian princes under one flag against british, British East India Company signed treaty with Yashwantrao Holker of peace making and given back Holker all his territory with full power of soveregnity with no interferance British East India Company.
Lord Wellesley in a despatch attributed much of the success of the war to Lake's matchless energy, ability and valour. For his services, Lake received the thanks of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, and, in September 1804, was rewarded by being created Baron Lake of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
. At the conclusion of the war he returned to England, and in 1807 he was created Viscount Lake
Viscount Lake
Viscount Lake, of Delhi and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County of Buckingham, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1807 for the prominent soldier Gerard Lake, 1st Baron Lake. He was Commander-in-Chief of India from 1801 to 1805 and from 1805 to 1807...
of Delhi and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County of Buckingham.
Parliamentary career
Like many contemporaries, Lake pursued both a parliamentary and military career. He represented AylesburyAylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Aylesbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party has held the seat since 1924, and held it at the 2010 general election with a 52.2% share of the vote.-Boundaries:...
in the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
from 1790 to 1802, and he also was brought into the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
by the government as member for Armagh Borough
Armagh Borough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Armagh Borough was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons from 1613 to 1800.-History:This constituency was the borough of Armagh in County Armagh....
in 1799 to vote for the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
. He died in London on 20 February 1808.