William Stuart (British Army officer)

(Redirected from William Stuart (1778–1837)) British Army officer For the first commanding officer of the Rifle Corps who also fought in the Peninsular war, see William Stewart (1774–1827).

The Honourable William Stuart CB
Lieutenant General The Honourable William Stuart (1778–1837), by Henry Raeburn
Born	(1775-08-20)20 August 1775 Erskine, Scotland
Died	15 February 1837(1837-02-15) (aged 61) Erskine, Scotland
Buried	Erskine Churchyard
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1794–1837
Rank	Lieutenant-general
Unit	1st Foot Guards
Battles / wars	French Revolutionary Wars Irish Rebellion of 1798 Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland Walcheren Campaign Napoleonic Wars Peninsular War Battle of the Pyrenees Battle of the Bidassoa Battle of Nivelle Battle of the Nive Passage of the Adour Battle of Bayonne Hundred Days Battle of Quatre Bras (WIA)
Memorials	Royal Military Chapel (destroyed 1944)
Alma mater	Winchester College
Relations	Robert Stuart, 11th Lord Blantyre (brother) Sir Patrick Stuart (brother)

Lieutenant-General William Stuart, CB (1778–1837) was a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

Early life

The Hon. William Stuart was born in 1778 into Scottish nobility. He was the third son of Alexander Stuart, 10th Lord Blantyre and Catharine, eldest daughter and heiress of Patrick Lindsay of Eaglescairnie, Haddingtonshire. His elder brothers were the twins Robert Stuart, 11th Lord Blantyre and Sir Patrick Stuart. All three brothers achieved prominence in the British Army in their own right.

Career

Stuart was appointed ensign in the 1st Guards in 1794, a lieutenant and captain in 1797. In 1798 he served in Ireland during the Rebellion with the 3rd battalion. In 1799 he accompanied the Battalion in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, and was present in the actions of the 27 August, on 10, 19 September and 2 October. In July 1806 he went to Sicily, and returned in January 1808. In 1807 be attained the rank of Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1809 he served in the expedition to Walcheren.

Stuart afterwards served in the Peninsular War and received a medal for the Battle of the Nive. In 1814 he attained the rank of colonel in the army and was appointed third Major of the Grenadier Guards. He was commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Guards during the Waterloo Campaign. He fought at the battle of Quatre Bras where he was wounded, and may have lost his arm as a result of that wound, "although an old label on the reverse of the present painting suggests that he received that injury at Waterloo". He was promoted to Major-General on 19 July 1821, and Lieutenant-General some time after that.

Personal life

Stuart died unmarried at Erskine House, Renfrewshire, aged 58 on 15 February 1837.

Notes

^ GM staff 1837, p. 545.
Haythornthwaite 2007, p. 48.
Summerville 2014, p. 442.
^ Christies' staff 2011.

References

Christies' staff (2011), Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A. (Edinburgh 1756-1823), Christies, retrieved 29 July 2014
Haythornthwaite, Philip (2007), The Waterloo Armies: Men, Organization and Tactics, Pen and Sword, p. 48, ISBN 9781473819757
Summerville, Christopher (2014), Who was Who at Waterloo: A Biography of the Battle, Routledge, p. 442, ISBN 9781317868194

Attribution

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: GM staff (1837), "Obituary:Lt.–Gen. The Hon. W. Stuart", The Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 161–162, F. Jefferies, p. 545

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