William Keppel (governor)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William Keppel GCB
(d. December 11, 1834, Paris
) was a British soldier and colonial administrator.
He entered the army as an ensign
in the 25th Regiment of Foot on January 25, and became a lieutenant
in the 60th Regiment of Foot March 4, 1777. He subsequently served in the 23rd Regiment of Foot and the 15th Regiment of Foot the next year, the 82nd Regiment of Foot in 1782, and the 93rd Regiment of Foot
in 1783. He was breveted colonel in 1794. On May 20, 1795, he was promoted colonel of the 3rd West India Regiment, which he commanded until 1806.
He was governor of Martinique
1796–1802. In 1803, he was promoted to lieutenant general
. On April 24, 1806, he was appointed colonel of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
, which he commanded until 1811. On February 7, 1811, he was appointed colonel of the 67th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1828. On January 2, 1815, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. In 1827 he was sworn of the Privy Council
and appointed Governor of Guernsey. On August 25, 1828, he was appointed colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot
, which he commanded until his death.
He was a Groom of the Bedchamber and Equerry
to King George IV of the United Kingdom
.
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....
Sir William Keppel 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...
(d. December 11, 1834, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a British soldier and colonial administrator.
He entered the army as an 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....
in the 25th Regiment of Foot on January 25, and became 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...
in the 60th Regiment of Foot March 4, 1777. He subsequently served in the 23rd Regiment of Foot and the 15th Regiment of Foot the next year, the 82nd Regiment of Foot in 1782, and the 93rd Regiment of Foot
93rd Regiment of Foot
The 93rd Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the British Army . In 1881 during the Childers Reforms it was united with the 91st Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders .- The 93rd Regiment :The 93rd Regiment was raised three times before it became the...
in 1783. He was breveted colonel in 1794. On May 20, 1795, he was promoted colonel of the 3rd West India Regiment, which he commanded until 1806.
He was governor of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
1796–1802. In 1803, he was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. On April 24, 1806, he was appointed colonel of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
, which he commanded until 1811. On February 7, 1811, he was appointed colonel of the 67th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1828. On January 2, 1815, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. In 1827 he was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
and appointed Governor of Guernsey. On August 25, 1828, he was appointed colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot
2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot
The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...
, which he commanded until his death.
He was a Groom of the Bedchamber and Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to King George IV of the United Kingdom
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...
.