John Plumptre Carr Glyn
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General John Plumptre Carr Glyn KCB (11 January 1837 – 28 March 1912) was a British general
who saw active service in the Crimean War
and the Anglo-Ashanti War.
http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/witchampton.html, east Dorset
.
. He saw active service during the second year of the campaign and was present at Sebastopol from 17 June until the fall of the fortress on 11 September 1855
He was promoted from Ensign
to lieutenant
without purchase
on 29 December 1854.
He next saw active service, in 1874, as a major
in the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, under Colonel Sir Garnet Wolseley
during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War. He was personally involved in the Battle of Amoaful on 31 January 1874 and five days later when the fighting ended with the Battle of Ordahsu. He was also present at the capture of the capital, Kumasi
, which had been abandoned by the Ashanti.
The Ashanti War gave him his brevet
of lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1874.
The only mention, found to date, of his involvement in the Anglo-Zulu Wars is the following: Lt-Col Bengough arrived in Natal with the 77th Foot in December 1878. He was placed in command of the 2nd Battalion Natal Native Contingent
, which formed part of Durnford
’s http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/isandhlwana/durnford.htm Column, and which was left to protect the frontier at Kranz Kop on the departure of that force to join Glyn’s Column.
He was promoted to the rank of colonel
in 1879.
On 16 December 1884, while on half pay, he was gazetted to be Lieutenant-Colonel, to command the 22nd Regimental District (the Cheshire Regiment).
In 1892 he succeeded Sir Evelyn Wood as the General Officer Commanding
the Eastern District of the Army at home and held the post until 1897.
He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1889 and to lieutenant-general in January 1898.
The 1901 Census of England indicates that he had retired and was living in the parish of Holt, Dorset
.
He was appointed Colonel Commandant
of the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) on 18 January 1903.
, was a group of 19th century British army
officers loyal to Garnet Wolseley
and considered by him to be clever, brave, experienced and hard-working. The 'ring' itself was rooted in Wolseley's appointments for the Ashanti Campaign of 1873-4, in which Wolseley led British troops to take control of the Gold Coast
.
After the Crimean War
Wolseley started to keep a note of the best officers he met, and began gathering a network of able military men loyal to him. There were other circles around other military leaders; later these would dwindle as more formal selection and promotion procedures became established.
Men from this group accompanied Wolseley on his various projects for about a decade. They are sometimes called the Ashanti Ring, or, in a pun
ning reference to Wolseley's first name, the Garnet
Ring.
Later they were the Africans against the Indians of the rival Roberts Ring of Lord Roberts
and Herbert Kitchener during the Boer War
.
, a theologian and bishop of Durham.
On 11 September 1866 John Glyn married Ellen (d. 20 April 1928), eldest daughter of James Robert Dalton Dewar of Kent. In the 1901 Census, Ellen is listed as a Belgium British subject.
Glyn died on 28 March 1912.
, Order of the Bath
(KCB).
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....
who saw active service in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and the Anglo-Ashanti War.
Early life
John Plumptre Carr Glyn was born WitchamptonWitchampton
Witchampton is a village in East Dorset, England, situated on the River Allen north of Wimborne Minster. The village has a population of 377 ....
http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/witchampton.html, east Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
Military career
He joined the Rifle Brigade in August 1854 just before the opening of hostilities in the CrimeaCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. He saw active service during the second year of the campaign and was present at Sebastopol from 17 June until the fall of the fortress on 11 September 1855
He was promoted from Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
to 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...
without purchase
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...
on 29 December 1854.
He next saw active service, in 1874, as 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. ...
in the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, under Colonel Sir Garnet Wolseley
Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...
during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War. He was personally involved in the Battle of Amoaful on 31 January 1874 and five days later when the fighting ended with the Battle of Ordahsu. He was also present at the capture of the capital, Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, which had been abandoned by the Ashanti.
The Ashanti War gave him his brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
of lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1874.
The only mention, found to date, of his involvement in the Anglo-Zulu Wars is the following: Lt-Col Bengough arrived in Natal with the 77th Foot in December 1878. He was placed in command of the 2nd Battalion Natal Native Contingent
Natal Native Contingent
The Natal Native Contingent was a large force of auxiliary soldiers in British South Africa, forming a large portion of the defence forces of the British colony of Natal, and saw action during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. The NNC was originally created in 1878 out of the local black population in order...
, which formed part of Durnford
Anthony Durnford
Colonel Anthony William Durnford was a career British Army officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War. Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his presence at the defeat of the British army by the Zulu at the Battle of Isandlwana.-Background:Durnford was born in to a military family at Manor...
’s http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/isandhlwana/durnford.htm Column, and which was left to protect the frontier at Kranz Kop on the departure of that force to join Glyn’s Column.
He was promoted to the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1879.
On 16 December 1884, while on half pay, he was gazetted to be Lieutenant-Colonel, to command the 22nd Regimental District (the Cheshire Regiment).
In 1892 he succeeded Sir Evelyn Wood as the General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
the Eastern District of the Army at home and held the post until 1897.
He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1889 and to lieutenant-general in January 1898.
The 1901 Census of England indicates that he had retired and was living in the parish of Holt, Dorset
Holt, Dorset
Holt is a village in east Dorset, England, two miles north of Wimborne Minster. The village has a population of 1,265 . The village has a football team called Holt United who play in the Dorset Premier League....
.
He was appointed Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) on 18 January 1903.
The Ashanti Ring
The Ashanti Ring, also known as the Wolseley ringWolseley ring
The Wolseley ring was a group of 19th century British army officers loyal to Garnet Wolseley and considered by him to be clever, brave, experienced and hard-working....
, was a group of 19th century 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...
officers loyal to Garnet Wolseley
Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...
and considered by him to be clever, brave, experienced and hard-working. The 'ring' itself was rooted in Wolseley's appointments for the Ashanti Campaign of 1873-4, in which Wolseley led British troops to take control of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
.
After the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
Wolseley started to keep a note of the best officers he met, and began gathering a network of able military men loyal to him. There were other circles around other military leaders; later these would dwindle as more formal selection and promotion procedures became established.
Men from this group accompanied Wolseley on his various projects for about a decade. They are sometimes called the Ashanti Ring, or, in a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
ning reference to Wolseley's first name, the Garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
Ring.
Later they were the Africans against the Indians of the rival Roberts Ring of Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
and Herbert Kitchener during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
Family life
Glyn's father was Rev. Carr John Glyn (1799-1897), who was a godfather and namesake to Handley Carr Glyn MouleHandley Moule
Handley Carr Glyn Moule was an evangelical Anglican theologian, writer, poet, and Bishop of Durham from 1901-1920....
, a theologian and bishop of Durham.
On 11 September 1866 John Glyn married Ellen (d. 20 April 1928), eldest daughter of James Robert Dalton Dewar of Kent. In the 1901 Census, Ellen is listed as a Belgium British subject.
- Their daughter Ada Carr-Glyn was baptised at the The Church of the Holy Rood http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/buckland-newton.html Buckland NewtonBuckland NewtonBuckland Newton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated under the scarp of the Dorset Downs, six miles south of Sherborne. The village has a population of 618 . People have worshipped at the Church of the Holy Rood in Buckland Newton since the 13th century.The village lies within the...
in DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
on 9 December 1870. She married Lt-Col Dudley Granville Richard Ryder, son of Dudley Henry Ryder and Georgiana Emily Calcraft, on 24 October 1889. She died in 1950.
- Daughter, Nellie Georgiana Carr married Sir George Henry Sutherland (d. 11 May 1937) on 11 June 1890. She died on 18 April 1891.
- Son John Carr Glyn was unmarried.
Glyn died on 28 March 1912.
Honours
Lt-Genl Sir John Plumptre Carr-Glyn was invested as a Knight CommanderKnight Commander
Knight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
, Order of the Bath
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...
(KCB).
Further reading
- Hew Strachan , The Politics of the British Army (1997)
- Byron FarwellByron FarwellByron Edgar Farwell was an American military historian and biographer.-Biography:Farwell graduated from Ohio State University and the University of Chicago...
, Queen Victoria's Little Wars (1973) - Leigh Maxwell, The Ashanti Ring: Sir Garnet Wolseley's Campaigns 1870-1882 (London 1985)
- Thomas Packenham, The Boer War (1979) (indexed under Roberts and Wolseley Rings).
- See photograph at High Ranking Officers