William Amherst (British Army officer)
William Amherst | |
---|---|
Born | Sevenoaks, Kent, England | 5 March 1732
Died | 13 May 1781 England | (aged 49)
Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
Service/ | British Army |
Rank | Lieutenant-general |
Battles/wars | Seven Years' War |
Lieutenant General William Amherst (5 February 1732 – 13 May 1781) was a British military commander. In 1762 during the Seven Years' War he led British forces that defeated a French expedition which had occurred earlier that year in St. John's, Newfoundland at the Battle of Signal Hill.
Early life[]
William Amherst was born, in Sevenoaks, Kent, into a family of lawyers.[1] He was the son of Jeffery Amherst and Elizabeth Kerril[2] and the brother of Field Marshal Jeffery 1st Lord Amherst and Admiral John Amherst.[3] He later married Elizabeth Amherst (Patterson). Their children included:
- William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst of Arracan, GCH, PC, a future Governor-General of India[4]
- Elizabeth Frances Amherst[5]
Seven Years' War[]
Amherst was commissioned as an ensign in the First Regiment of Foot Guards in 1755.[4] He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant general in 1779.[4] As a lieutenant colonel, Amherst was instrumental in the re-capture of St. John's from the French in 1762 at the Battle of Signal Hill.[4] An area near Signal Hill at the entrance of St. John's harbour is named "Fort Amherst" in commemoration of his victory in 1762.
In 1766 he became Member of Parliament for Hythe,[6] and in 1768 he became MP for Launceston until 1774.[7]
In 1769 he built a house in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight. He named the house and estate St John's, after his victory in Newfoundland. The neighborhood of Ryde that surrounds the house is still known by that name.[8]
He was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1778:[9] he died while serving in that role in 1781.[10]
Notes[]
- ^ Chartrand p.24.
- ^ Lundy, Darryl. "A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe". Retrieved 7 May 2008.[unreliable source]
- ^ "Jeffrey Amherst". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 1 December 2010.[unreliable source]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d The Recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland in 1762
- ^ "Lieutenant General William Amherst". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ "Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages". Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2009.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- ^ "Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages". Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2009.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- ^ Parks and gardens UK, St John's House, (also known as Bishop Lovett Middle School), St John's Ryde, England
- ^ "No. 11937". The London Gazette. 22 December 1778. p. 1.
- ^ Light Infantry[permanent dead link]
References[]
- Chartrand, René (2000), Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege, Oxford: Osprey
External links[]
- 1732 births
- 1781 deaths
- British military personnel of the French and Indian War
- British MPs 1761–1768
- British MPs 1768–1774
- Grenadier Guards officers
- People from Sevenoaks
- Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
- Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Launceston
- British Army generals
- 32nd Regiment of Foot officers