Richard Southey
Encyclopedia
Colonel Richard George Southey CB
CMG
(1844–1909) was a South Africa
n colonial military commander. His father, Sir Richard Southey, was a high-ranking Cape
civil servant.
Southey was commissioned into the British Army
's 10th Foot (later the Lincolnshire Regiment). He purchased a Lieutenant
cy in 1867 and was promoted Captain
in 1877. He served in the Far East before returning to South Africa
. After serving in the 9th Frontier War (1877–1878), he transferred to the new Defence Department
, and commanded the Cape Mounted Yeomanry
. He served in the Basuto Gun War in Basutoland
(1880–1881). He retired from the British Army with the honorary rank of Major
in 1883.
From 1882 to 1892, Lieutenant-Colonel Southey was the staff officer responsible for the volunteer units in Cape Town
, and from 1884 to 1890 he also commanded the city's senior regiment, the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles
. From 1892 to 1902, he was Commandant of Volunteers, in charge of the volunteer forces throughout the colony. He introduced many reforms to raise standards of efficiency and training.
Colonel Southey's final appointment was as Colonial Military Secretary (1903–1904).
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...
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1844–1909) was a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n colonial military commander. His father, Sir Richard Southey, was a high-ranking Cape
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
civil servant.
Southey was commissioned into the 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...
's 10th Foot (later the Lincolnshire Regiment). He purchased 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...
cy in 1867 and was promoted 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...
in 1877. He served in the Far East before returning to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. After serving in the 9th Frontier War (1877–1878), he transferred to the new Defence Department
Cape Colonial Forces
The Cape Colonial Forces were the official defence organisation of the Cape Colony in South Africa. Established in 1855, they were taken over by the Union of South Africa in 1910, and disbanded when the Union Defence Forces were formed in 1912....
, and commanded the Cape Mounted Yeomanry
Cape Mounted Yeomanry
The Cape Mounted Yeomanry was a military force created on a militia basis by Act 5 of 1878 in the Cape Colony, with a strength of 3,000 in three regiments, to act in conjunction with the Cape Mounted Riflemen on the eastern frontier...
. He served in the Basuto Gun War in Basutoland
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
(1880–1881). He retired from the British Army with the honorary rank of 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 1883.
From 1882 to 1892, Lieutenant-Colonel Southey was the staff officer responsible for the volunteer units in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and from 1884 to 1890 he also commanded the city's senior regiment, the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles
Cape Town Rifles
The Cape Town Rifles Regiment is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit....
. From 1892 to 1902, he was Commandant of Volunteers, in charge of the volunteer forces throughout the colony. He introduced many reforms to raise standards of efficiency and training.
Colonel Southey's final appointment was as Colonial Military Secretary (1903–1904).