William Amherst (British Army officer)
| William Amherst | |
|---|---|
 Lieutenant General William Amherst |
|
| Born | 5 March 1732 Sevenoaks, Kent |
| Died | 13 May 1781 |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Battles/wars | Seven Years War |
Lieutenant General William Amherst (5 February 1732, in Sevenoaks, Kent – 13 May 1781) was a British military commander. In 1762 during the Seven Years' War he led British forces that defeated a French expedition to Newfoundland at the Battle of Signal Hill.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Amherst was born into a family of lawyers[1] He was the son of Jeffery Amherst and Elizabeth Kerril[2] and his brothers included Field Marshal Lord Amherst and Admiral John Amherst.[3]
[edit] 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]
In 1766 he became Member of Parliament for Hythe,[5] and in 1768 he became MP for Launceston until 1774.[6]
He was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1778:[7] he died while serving in that role in 1781.[8]
[edit] Family
He married Elizabeth Patterson: their children included Earl Amherst of Arracam, a future Governor-General of India.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Chartrand p.24
- ^ "A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe". http://www.thepeerage.com/p629.htm#i6283. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- ^ "Jeffrey Amherst". thepeerage.com. http://thepeerage.com/p629.htm#i6283. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d The Recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland in 1762
- ^ "Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages". http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Hcommons4.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages". http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Lcommons1.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 11937. p. 1. 22 December 1778. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- ^ Light Infantry
- Chartrand, René (2000), Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege, Oxford: Osprey.
[edit] External links
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lord George Sackville William Glanville |
Member of Parliament for Hythe 1766 – 1768 With: Lord George Sackville |
Succeeded by John Sawbridge William Evelyn |
| Preceded by Peter Burrell Humphry Morice |
Member of Parliament for Launceston 1768 – 1774 With: Humphry Morice |
Succeeded by John Buller Humphry Morice |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Edward Harvey |
Adjutant General 1778–1781 |
Succeeded by Sir William Fawcett |
| Preceded by Robert Robinson |
Colonel of the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot 1775–1781 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Ross |
- 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 constituencies in Cornwall
- British Army generals
