William Hampton Parlby
William Hampton Parlby | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Hampton Parlby |
| Born | 1801 Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 26 October 1881 Hubberston, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1816–1881 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 4th (Queen's Own) Light Dragoons |
| Commands | 10th Hussars Cavalry formations in the Crimea Curragh Cavalry Brigade |
| Battles / wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | British Crimea Medal Sardinian Crimea Medal Turkish Crimea Medal 4th Class Order of the Medjidie |
General William Hampton Parlby was a senior British Army officer, who served in British cavalry regiments in India and the Crimean War.
Family background
[edit]William Parlby was born in India in what was known as the Bengal Presidency in 1801;[1] his parents were Colonel James Templer Parlby, an engineer in the East India Company (but originally from Plymouth) and Lousia Munt (she was originally from London).[2] He was one of five siblings, four of which survived childhood. His grandfather was Thomas Parlby a master mason and architect from Plymouth.[3]
William's mother Louisa was a collector of locally commissioned pictures of scenes of colonial and local life around their residence in India, i.e. the cantonment at Maidapur (near the administrative centre of Berhampore, West Bengal).[4]
William Parlby died a bachelor in Hubberston, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on 26 October 1881, none of his relatives were named in the will and probate record.[5]
Military career
[edit]William Parlby was commissioned as a cornet in the 4th (Queen's Own) Light Dragoons on 3 October 1816; he was promoted to lieutenant on 17 May 1824 and then to captain on 28 September 1826.[6] He is recorded as being a brevet major in 1841[7] and in 1845.[8] In 1843 he commanded a detachment of his regiment in Wales during the Rebecca Riots. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the 4th Light Dragoons on 30 January 1846 (by purchase),[9] although he only commanded the regiment for seven months.[10]
In terms of his overseas and campaign service, William Parlby served with his regiment in India and then as a colonel he commanded other regiments in India e.g. the 10th (The Prince of Wale's Own) Royal Regiment of Light Dragoons (Hussars) based in Kirkee, India.[11] In 1854 after the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade he was ordered to bring his regiment (then the 10th Hussars) from India to the Crimea (via Egypt),[12] the 680 strong regiment arrived on 15 April 1855 to join Allied troops laying siege to the city of Sebastopol.[13] During the latter stages of the Crimea War he commanded the British Cavalry Division[14] from 17 April to 30 June 1855 and then the Cavalry Division's Hussar Brigade from 1 July to 2 September 1855.[15][16][17] He was also present with Turkish forces at the Battle of the Chernaya. He was thoroughly involved in cavalry operations around Sevastopol and Lord Raglan complimented him in despatches.[18] He was awarded the Crimea Medal with Clasp for Sebastopol, the Sardinian and Turkish Crimea Medals and 4th Class Order of the Medjidie.[19]
On home service as a major general he commanded the Cavalry Brigade of the Dublin Division in Ireland, based at Curragh Camp (1860–1861).[20][21]
He was promoted to major general in 1860,[22] then lieutenant general on 21 March 1869 and then promoted to general on 22 May 1876.[23]
General Parlby would become the Regimental Colonel of the 21st Regiment of Hussars on 24 October 1865;[24] until on 1 July 1880 he was appointed as Colonel of his old regiment (the 4th (Queens Own) Hussars)[25] a post he was still holding in 1881 when he died (albeit an honorary post).
References
[edit]- ^ 1871 Wales Census, Hubberston, Pembrokeshire
- ^ India, Select Marriages, 1792-1848. India Office Ecclesiastical Returns-Bengal Presidency, Misc, India
- ^ Gentlemen's Magazine Obituaries. 1802/692
- ^ "The Louisa Parlby Album Watercolours from Murshidabad 1795–1803" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1881 Pembrokshire, Wales
- ^ War Office, Great Britain (1839). "A List of the Officers of the Army and of the Corps of Royal Marines". War Office. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Hart's New army list April 1842". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ Hyder, William Augustine (1845). "Proceedings of the General Court Martial, Held by Order of Field Marshall The Duke of Wellington, the Commander-in-chief, for the Trial of Lieut. William Augustine Hyder, 10th Royal Hussars, on the Prosecution of Lieu. Colonel Vandeleur, 10th Royal Hussars". Charles & Edwin Layton. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ Britain, Great (1846). "The London Gazette". T. Neuman. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "4th Light Dragoons". www.genes.plus.com. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Hart's New army list July 1854". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ The 10th Royal Hussars. Brander, Michael. Published by Leo Cooper, 1969
- ^ Calthorpe, Lt-Colonel John Gough (26 July 2016). Letters From Head-Quarters: Or, The Realities Of The War In The Crimea [Illustrated Edition]. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 9781786259608. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ Russell, Sir William Howard (17 September 2015). The British Expedition to the Crimea. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465604316. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Crimean War - Order of Battle 1855". www.xenophon-mil.org. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Charles Usherwood's Service Journal, 1852-56 — Sebastapol Falls to the Allies". www.victorianweb.org. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ Anglesey, Lord (14 September 1993). A History of the British Cavalry 1816-1919: Volume 2: 1851-1871. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9780850521740. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (22 January 2014). British Battles of the Crimean Wars 1854-1856: Despatches from the Front. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473831858. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Hart's New annual army list, militia list, yeomanry cavalry list, and Indian civil service list 1881". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Lot 45, 28 March 2002, Dix Noonan Webb". www.dnw.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Commander, Curragh Cavalry Brigade and Inspector-General of Cavalry for Ireland (Curragh District and Brigade)" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Companion to the Almanac, Or Yearbook of General Information for ..." Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "The London Gazette, 23 June 1876, 3618" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "The United Service Magazine: With which are Incorporated the Army and Navy Magazine and Naval and Military Journal". H. Colburn. 1842. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Hart's New annual army list, militia list, yeomanry cavalry list, and Indian civil service list 1881". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.