William John Codrington
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William John Codrington GCB
(1804 – 6 August 1884) was a British
general and politician who served in the Crimean War
.
, Codrington was commissioned into the 88th Regiment of Foot
in 1821.
In September 1854 he was appointed Commander
of the 1st Brigade of the Light Division
in the Crimea
where he led his brigade into the Battle of Alma
. He also led his brigade at the Battle of Inkerman
and, while General
George Brown was wounded, took command of the whole division. He was involved in the planning of the unsuccessful assault, in September 1855, on the Redan
at Sevastopol. However the French
were more successful at the Battle of Malakoff
and the siege came to an end. After the resignation of General James Simpson
in November 1855 he became Commander-in-Chief
of the British Army in the Crimea.
He became Colonel of the 54th Foot, then subsequently of the 23rd Foot and the Coldstream Guards
.
supporter of Viscount Palmerston
. He particularly liked his leader's foreign policy. He was in favour of "progressive reform" and "civil and religious liberty", but did not support the secret ballot
.
He was Member of Parliament
for Greenwich
between a by-election
in February 1857 and 1859. He contested Westminster
in 1874 and Lewes
in 1880.
Codrington was Governor of Gibraltar
from 1859 to 1865.
, also joined the Army, commanding a Home Service army during the First World War; his daughter Mary married William Earle
, an Army officer killed commanding the forces the Battle of Kirbekan
. The other two children died young.
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 William John Codrington GCB
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...
(1804 – 6 August 1884) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
general and politician who served 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...
.
Military career
Born the son of Admiral Sir Edward CodringtonEdward Codrington
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington GCB RN was a British admiral, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Navarino.-Early life and career:...
, Codrington was commissioned into the 88th Regiment of Foot
88th Regiment of Foot
Three regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 88th Regiment of Foot:* 88th Regiment of Foot , also known as "Campbell's Regiment"* 88th Regiment of Foot...
in 1821.
In September 1854 he was appointed Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the 1st Brigade of the Light Division
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
where he led his brigade into the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
. He also led his brigade at the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
and, while 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....
George Brown was wounded, took command of the whole division. He was involved in the planning of the unsuccessful assault, in September 1855, on the Redan
Redan
Redan is a term related to fortifications. It is a work in a V-shaped salient angle toward an expected attack...
at Sevastopol. However the French
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
were more successful at the Battle of Malakoff
Battle of Malakoff
The Battle of Malakoff, during the Crimean War, was fought between the French and Russian armies on 7 September 1855 as a part of the Siege of Sevastopol and resulted in a French victory under General MacMahon. In one of the war's defining moments, the French zouave Eugène Libaut installed the...
and the siege came to an end. After the resignation of General James Simpson
James Simpson (British Army officer)
Sir James Simpson was a general of the British Army.He served with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards during the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign, and then commanded the 29th Regiment of Foot in Mauritius and Bengal....
in November 1855 he became Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the British Army in the Crimea.
He became Colonel of the 54th Foot, then subsequently of the 23rd Foot and the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
.
Political career
In politics, Codrington was a LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
supporter of Viscount Palmerston
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC , known popularly as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century...
. He particularly liked his leader's foreign policy. He was in favour of "progressive reform" and "civil and religious liberty", but did not support the secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
.
He was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Greenwich
Greenwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Greenwich was a parliamentary constituency in South-East London, which returned Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1997 by the first past the post system.-History:...
between a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in February 1857 and 1859. He contested Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
in 1874 and Lewes
Lewes (UK Parliament constituency)
Lewes is a constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a safe Conservative seat until 1997, but the Liberal Democrats have gained a strong foothold.-Boundaries:The constituency is...
in 1880.
Codrington was Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
from 1859 to 1865.
Family
In 1836 he married Aymes and together they went on to have two sons and two daughters. His son, AlfredAlfred Codrington
Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Edward Codrington GCVO KCB was a British Army officer who served in colonial wars in Africa during the late nineteenth century, and later commanded a reserve army during the First World War....
, also joined the Army, commanding a Home Service army during the First World War; his daughter Mary married William Earle
William Earle (soldier)
William Earle fought in the British Army during the Crimean War and later rose to the rank of Major-General. He was born in Liverpool, the son of a merchant Sir Hardman Earle and his wife Mary , and married Mary Codrington on 21 July 1864...
, an Army officer killed commanding the forces the Battle of Kirbekan
Battle of Kirbekan
The Battle of Kirbekan was a battle in the Mahdist War. It was fought February 10, 1885, when the British Nile Column, about 1,000 strong, under General Earle, stormed the heights of Kirbekan, which were held by a strong Mahdist force, and totally routed them, with heavy loss. The British lost 60,...
. The other two children died young.