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William Keppel (British Army officer, born 1727)

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(Redirected from William Keppel (British army officer)) British Army officer and politician

William Keppel
General William Keppel, Storming the Morro Castle, by Joshua Reynolds
Born5 November 1727
Died1 March 1782(1782-03-01) (aged 54)
AllegianceGreat Britain
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1744–1782
RankLieutenant-general
Commands56th Regiment of Foot
Governor of Cuba
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Battles / wars
RelationsGeorge Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle (brother)
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel (brother)

Lieutenant-General William Keppel (5 November 1727 – 1 March 1782) was a British Army officer and politician.

Life

William Keppel was born the third son of Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and educated at Westminster school.

He joined the British Army as an Ensign in the 2nd Foot Guards in 1744, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1745. He transferred as captain-lieutenant to the 1st Foot Guards in 1751, and was promoted captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1752 and a colonel of the Army in 1760. On 17 December 1761 he was appointed colonel of the 56th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1765. He was made major-general in 1762.

In 1762, he took part (with his brothers the Earl of Albemarle and Augustus Keppel) in the British expedition against Cuba, and directed the storming of Morro Castle. In 1763, he succeeded Albemarle as British Governor of Cuba. The island was returned to Spain in July 1763.

On 31 May 1765, he was appointed colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1775, during which time he was elevated to lieutenant-general (1772).

From 1767 until his death, he was a Member of Parliament for Chichester.

He was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland in 1773. On 18 October 1775 he was appointed colonel of the 12th Royal Lancers, which he commanded until his death. He was Gentleman of the Horse to King George III of Great Britain and died unmarried in 1782.

References

  1. ^ "KEPPEL, Hon. William (1727–82)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  2. The Capture of Havana, 1762: The Morro Castle and the Boom Defence Before the Attack National Maritime Museum
  3. ^ Richard Cannon, Historical Record of the Fifty-Sixth, or the West Essex Regiment of Foot
  4. thePeerage.com
Court offices
Preceded byHon. Charles Roper Page of Honour
1741–1746 		Succeeded byHarvey Smith
Preceded byJames Brudenell Gentleman of the Horse
1747–1760 		Succeeded byRichard Berenger
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded byJohn Page
Lord George Henry Lennox 		Member of Parliament for Chichester
1767–1782
With: John Page 1767–68
Thomas Conolly 1768–80
Thomas Steele 1780–82 		Succeeded byThomas Steele
Percy Charles Wyndham
Military offices
Preceded byLord Charles Manners Colonel of the 56th Regiment of Foot
1761–1765 		Succeeded byJames Durand
Preceded byCharles Jeffereys Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot
1765–1775 		Succeeded byRobert Cuninghame
Preceded byUnknown Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
1773–1774 		Succeeded byThe Lord Heathfield
Preceded bySir William Augustus Pitt Colonel of the
12th (The Prince of Wales's)
Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
1775–1782 		Succeeded byGeorge Lane Parker
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