Vincent Eyre
Encyclopedia
Vincent Eyre was an English General in the Indian Army
, who saw active service in India
and Afghanistan
.
, Portsmouth
in 1811, Eyre was the third son of Captain Henry Eyre and was educated at Norwich School
.
and the service of the East India Company
. He joined the Bengal Artillery
in 1828, and in 1829 arrived in Calcutta. In 1837 he was appointed to the horse artillery and promoted Lieutenant
. Two years later, he was appointed Commissary of Ordnance to the Cabul field force. In January 1842, During the First Anglo-Afghan War
, Eyre and his family were captured by Akbar Khan
. During nearly nine months in captivity, Eyre kept a diary describing his experiences, illustrated by the sketches of other officers and ladies. The manuscript was smuggled out to a friend in British India and was then published in England as Military Operations at Cabul (1843). The Eyre family were rescued by Sir George Pollock
in September 1843. In 1844 Eyre was appointed to command the artillery of the new Gwalior contingent
. He took part in the Relief of Lucknow, during the Indian Mutiny
of 1857. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel that year and brevet
colonel
the following year.
In 1857 he founded Esapore, a colony for destitute families of Portuguese descent. In 1861, Lord Canning
selected Eyre to serve on a commission set up to consider amalgamating the Presidency armies
of the East India Company
with the British Army
. In 1863 he was ordered home on sick leave and retired as a major-general.
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India
in 1867.
, Eyre set up an ambulance service under the auspices of the Red Cross. In his later years he spent the winters in Rome
and finally died in Aix-les-Bains
on 22 September 1881.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
, who saw active service in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Early life
Born in PortsdownPortsdown Hill
Portsdown Hill is a long chalk hill in Hampshire, England, offering good views over Portsmouth, The Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. The hill is on the mainland, just to the north of Ports Creek, which separates the mainland from Portsea Island, on which lies the...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in 1811, Eyre was the third son of Captain Henry Eyre and was educated at Norwich School
Norwich School (educational institution)
Norwich School is an independent school located in Norwich, United Kingdom. It is one of the oldest schools in the world, with a traceable history to 1096, and is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.It is a fee-paying, co-educational day school and has one of the best...
.
Military career
In 1827 he entered the Addiscombe Military AcademyAddiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
and the service 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...
. He joined the Bengal Artillery
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
in 1828, and in 1829 arrived in Calcutta. In 1837 he was appointed to the horse artillery and promoted 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...
. Two years later, he was appointed Commissary of Ordnance to the Cabul field force. In January 1842, During the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
, Eyre and his family were captured by Akbar Khan
Akbar Khan
Amir Akbar Khan Amir Akbar Khan Amir Akbar Khan (1816 – 1846;, born as Mohammad Akbar Khan and famously known as Wazir Akbar Khan, was an Afghan Prince, a general, a tribal leader and Emir. He was active in the First Anglo-Afghan War, which lasted from 1839 to 1842...
. During nearly nine months in captivity, Eyre kept a diary describing his experiences, illustrated by the sketches of other officers and ladies. The manuscript was smuggled out to a friend in British India and was then published in England as Military Operations at Cabul (1843). The Eyre family were rescued by Sir George Pollock
George Pollock
Field Marshal Sir George Pollock, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI was a British soldier.-Military career:Educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Pollock was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1803....
in September 1843. In 1844 Eyre was appointed to command the artillery of the new Gwalior contingent
Gwalior Fort
ċċċċċt̪--122.177.251.15 13:02, 20 November 2011 --122.177.251.15 13:02, 20 November 2011 --122.177.251.15 13:02, 20 November 2011 Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, stands on an isolated rock, overlooking the Gwalior town, and contains a number of historic...
. He took part in the Relief of Lucknow, during the Indian Mutiny
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
of 1857. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel that year and 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...
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...
the following year.
In 1857 he founded Esapore, a colony for destitute families of Portuguese descent. In 1861, Lord Canning
Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning
Charles John Canning, 1st Earl Canning KG, GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Canning from 1837 to 1859, was an English statesman and Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.-Background and education:...
selected Eyre to serve on a commission set up to consider amalgamating the Presidency armies
Presidency armies
The presidency armies were the armies of the three presidencies of the East India Company's rule in India, later the forces of the British Crown in India...
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...
with 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...
. In 1863 he was ordered home on sick leave and retired as a major-general.
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
in 1867.
Later activities
Finding himself in France during the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Eyre set up an ambulance service under the auspices of the Red Cross. In his later years he spent the winters in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and finally died in Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
on 22 September 1881.
Published writing
- 'The Sikh and European Soldiers of our Indian Forces', The JournalRUSI JournalThe RUSI Journal is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.It describes itself asRUSI Journal is published six times a year...
of the Royal United Services Institution, 1867