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William Villettes
Lieutenant-General William Anne Villettes, (20 August 175413 July 1808) was a senior officer of the British Army during the early nineteenth century. His career saw service in the Mediterranean, particularly during the Invasion of Corscia (1794), Invasion of Corsica in 1794 and at the Malta Protectorate after British occupation in 1800. He died in 1808 while serving as military commander in British Jamaica and is buried at Half Way Tree. Life Villettes was born in 1754 to a Huguenot family, the son of diplomat Arthur Villettes, British ambassador to the Old Swiss Confederacy at Bern. He was educated in Bath, Somerset and then at the University of St Andrews, but subsequently persuaded his father to purchase a commission in the 10th Light Dragoons in 1775. He remained with the regiment until 1787, when he became a major in the 12th Light Dragoons. For most of this period he served as aide to William Augustus Pitt, Sir William Pitt in Ireland, until in 1791 he became the lieutenant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website = www.bern.ch Bern () or Berne; in other Swiss languages, gsw, Bärn ; frp, Bèrna ; it, Berna ; rm, Berna is the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city" (in german: Bundesstadt, link=no, french: ville fédérale, link=no, it, città federale, link=no, and rm, citad federala, link=no). According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has governmental institutions such as the Federal Assembly and Federal Council. However, the Federal Supreme Court is in Lausanne, the Federal Criminal Court is in Bellinzona and the Federal Administrative Court and the Federal Patent Court are in St. Gallen, exemplifying the federal nature of the Confederation. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Augustus Pitt
General Sir William Augustus Pitt KB, PC (c. 1728 – 29 December 1809) was a long-serving if undistinguished senior officer of the British Army whose sixty years of service covered several major wars and numerous postings as garrison or regiment commander. He served as MP between 1754 and 1761. He came from a notable political family: his father was also an MP and his elder brother George Pitt became Baron Rivers. Military career Pitt was born in approximately 1728, the sixth but second surviving son of George Pitt, MP for Wareham and his wife Mary Louisa. His date of birth has not been ascertained, and little information is available about his early life. He may have attended Winchester College as a schoolboy as his elder brother George is known to have done, but nothing is known for sure of his activities until 1744 when he received a commission to join the 10th Dragoons as a cornet. In the Dragoons Pitt registered solid if unspectacular service and was not engaged on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1806 Birgu Polverista Explosion
On 18 July 1806, approximately of gunpowder stored in a magazine (''polverista'') in Birgu, Malta, accidentally detonated. The explosion killed approximately 200 people, including British and Maltese military personnel, and Maltese civilians from Birgu. Parts of the city's fortifications, some naval stores, and many houses were destroyed. The accident was found to be the result of negligence while transferring shells from the magazine. Background In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the main gunpowder store in Birgu was located in a casemate within the city walls, close to the ''Porta Marina''. This was an improvised measure; the casemate was not intended to be used as a gunpowder magazine, but such practice was common at the time. Gunpowder was also stored in casemates at other locations, such as Fort St. Angelo, Fort Ricasoli, and Mdina. The Birgu magazine was located close to civilian housing, and the residents had complained about the dangers before the explosion. Preparati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Regiment Of Malta
The Royal Regiment of Malta was an infantry regiment in the British Army which existed from 1804 to 1811. It was raised in Malta, then a British protectorate, with the intention of being sent in overseas expeditions. The unit was raised following the success of the Maltese Light Infantry at the Siege of Porto Ferrajo in 1801. The regiment was established on 7 December 1804, and it appeared on the Army List of 30 March 1805. The military unit was commanded by Major General William Villettes, who was also the overall commander of British troops in Malta and had the rank of Colonel of the regiment. It was led by British, Maltese and German officers, and it mainly consisted of men discharged from the Maltese Provincial Battalions along with around 100 Sicilians and some Spaniards. Due to the Royal Regiment having higher pay, many men resigned from the Provincials to join the new regiment, such that there was a shortage of men in the Provincials and the two-battalion military unit had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siege Of Malta (1798–1800)
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static, defensive position. Consequently, an opportunity for negotiation between combatants is common, as proximity and fluctuating advantage can encourage diplomacy. The art of conducting and resisting sieges is called siege warfare, siegecraft, or poliorcetics. A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a quick assault, and which refuses to surrender. Sieges involve surrounding the target to block the provision of supplies and the reinforcement or escape of troops (a tactic known as "investment"). This is typically coupled with attempts to reduce the fortifications by means of siege engines, artillery bombardment, mining (also known as sapping), or the us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albanian People
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia as well as in Croatia, Greece, Italy and Turkey. They also constitute a large diaspora with several communities established across Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Albanians have Paleo-Balkanic origins. Exclusively attributing these origins to the Illyrians, Thracians or other Paleo-Balkan people is still a matter of debate among historians and ethnologists. The first certain reference to Albanians as an ethnic group comes from 11th century chronicler Michael Attaleiates who describes them as living in the theme of Dyrrhachium. The Shkumbin River roughly demarcates the Albanian language between Gheg and Tosk dialects. Christianity in Albania was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome until the 8th century AD. Then, diocese ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
