General Sir Charles William Pasley (8 September 1780 – 19 April 1861) was a British soldier and
military engineer
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics ...
who wrote the defining text on the role of the post-
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
: ''An Essay on the Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire'', published in 1810. This text changed how Britons thought their empire should relate to the rest of the world. He warned that
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
could not keep its Empire by its "splendid isolation". Britain would need to fight to gain its empire, and by using the colonies as a resource for soldiers and sailors it grew by an average of per year between the
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armies of the Sevent ...
and the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. Serving in the
Royal Engineers in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, he was
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
's leading
demolitions
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking ...
expert and
siege warfare
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 characterize ...
specialist.
Life
Pasley was born at Eskdale Muir,
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county.
I ...
, on 8 September 1780. He was highly intelligent, capable of translating the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
from
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
at the age of eight. In 1796, he entered the
Royal Military Academy at
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...
; a year later he gained his commission in the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, and he was transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1798.
He was present in the defence of
Gata
Davionte Ganter, known professionally as GaTa, is an American rapper and actor known for his role in the FXX TV series ''Dave'', as well as for being the hype man for rapper Lil Dicky throughout his career as well as on the show.
Early life an ...
, the
Battle of Maida
The Battle of Maida, fought on 4 July 1806 was a battle between the British expeditionary force and a French force outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,236 Anglo-Sicilian troops to victory ...
, and the
siege of Copenhagen
The Battle of Copenhagen also known as the Assault on Copenhagen on 11 February 1659 was a major battle during the Second Northern War, taking place during the siege of Copenhagen by the Swedish army.
Background
During the Northern Wars, th ...
. In 1807, then a captain, he went to the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
, where his knowledge of the
Spanish language
Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in th ...
led to his employment on the staff of
Sir David Baird and
Sir John Moore. He took part in the retreat to
Corunna and the
Walcheren Expedition
The Walcheren Campaign ( ) was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Sir John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chath ...
, and received a severe wound while gallantly leading a storming party at
Flushing
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushin ...
. During his tedious recovery, he employed himself in learning
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
.
After discontinuing service, he devoted the rest of his life to the foundation of a complete military engineering science and to the thorough organization and training of the corps of Royal Engineers. Though only a captain, his great success led him to act as the commanding royal engineer at
Plymouth for two years and was given a special grant. Because the events of the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
emphasized the need for a fully trained engineer corps, the
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
adopted Pasley's views. He was placed at the head of the new
School of Military Engineering at Woolwich in 1812.
In 1816 he was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...
.
Palsey developed a new form of
pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry.
...
which was adopted in 1817 by the British Army. Each pontoon was split into two-halves and you could connect two pointed ends together in cases where you had tidal flow. Each half was enclosed, so reducing the risk of swamping and there were multiple lashing points.
The "Pasley Pontoon" lasted until it was replaced in 1836.
Concurrently, Pasley was gazetted
brevet major. He became brevet lieutenant-colonel in 1813 and substantive lieutenant-colonel in 1814. The first volume of his ''Military Instruction'' appeared in 1814 and contained a course of practical geometry which he had framed for his company at Plymouth. Two other volumes completing the work appeared by 1817 and dealt with the science and practice of fortification, the latter comprising rules for construction. He published a work on ''Practical Architecture'' and prepared an important treatise on ''The Practical Operations of a Siege'' (1829–1832), which was translated into
French (1847).
He became brevet colonel in 1830 and substantive colonel in 1831. From 1831 to 1834, he focused his attention on the standardization of coins, weights and measures, publishing a book on the topic in 1834. In 1838, he was presented with the freedom of the city of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
for his services in removing sunken vessels from the bed of the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
near
Gravesend. From 1839 to 1844, he was occupied with clearing away the wrecks of from
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...
and from
St. Helens. All this work was subsidiary to his great work of creating a comprehensive art of military engineering.
Railway Inspectorate
On 23 November 1841, on promotion to the rank of major-general, he was made an inspector-general of railways,
replacing Lieutenant-Colonel
Sir Frederic Smith. During this period of intense activity on the new railway network, he inspected many new lines, criticising the haste in which some were opened to poor engineering standards. However, he came under criticism for his approval of the
North British Railway's line from Edinburgh to Berwick in June 1846; the bridges and earthworks failed to withstand heavy rain in September 1846 and nineteen miles of track were rendered unusable.
Temporary works were undertaken to restore a service, Pasley approved them (orally), but some of the new work then proved faulty.
In November 1846, the inspectorate was reorganised, with no post for Pasley in the new structure: on vacating this appointment,
he was made a
K.C.B., and thenceforward was chiefly concerned with the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
's
military seminary at Addiscombe. He was promoted lieutenant-general in 1851, made colonel commandant of the Royal Engineers in 1853, and general in 1860. He died in London on 19 April 1861. His eldest son, Major-General
Charles Pasley
General Sir Charles William Pasley (8 September 1780 – 19 April 1861) was a British soldier and military engineer who wrote the defining text on the role of the post-American Revolution British Empire: ''An Essay on the Military Policy and Ins ...
(1824–1890), was a distinguished Royal Engineer officer. His daughter Margaret married railway inspector and MP
Henry Whatley Tyler
Sir Henry Whatley Tyler (7 March 1827 – 30 January 1908) was a pioneering British engineer and politician, who contributed to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and whose collections helped found the Science Museum in South Kensington. His interests ...
. Another son, George Malcolm Pasley (d.1861), served as an officer in the Royal Artillery (South Africa 1849-51 and Indian Mutiny) and as ADC to General Michel in the Turkish Contingent in the Crimean War.
[Army Lists]
In 1826, as lecturer in architecture and engineering at the
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) Group provides a wide range of training for the British Army and Defence. This includes; Combat Engineers, Carpenters, Chartered Engineers, Musicians, Band Masters, Sniffer Dogs, Veterinary Techni ...
at
Chatham, he began research and experiments on artificial hydraulic
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, attempting to match or make an improvement over natural or
"Roman" cement, invented by
James Parker in 1796. In 1830, he succeeded and with chalk and Medway clay, produced a hydraulic lime equal to the natural "Roman" cement and similar to that produced by
Joseph Aspdin
Joseph Aspdin (25 December 1778 – 20 March 1855) was an English cement manufacturer who obtained the patent for Portland cement on 21 October 1824.
Life
Aspdin (or Aspden) was the eldest of the six children of Thomas Aspdin, a bricklaye ...
in Wakefield.
Works
Among Pasley's works, besides the aforementioned, were separate editions of his ''Practical Geometry Method'' (1822) and of his ''Course of Elementary Fortification'' (1822), both of which formed part of his ''Military Instruction''; ''Rules for Escalading Fortifications not having Palisaded Covered Ways'' (1822; new eds. 1845 and 1854); descriptions of a semaphore invented by himself in 1804 (1822 and 1823); ''A Simple Practical Treatise on Field Fortification'' (1823); and ''Exercise of the Newdecked Pontoons invented by Lieutenant-Colonel Pasley'' (1823).
Links to works
* ''Essay on the Military Policy and institutions of the British Empire'' by Charles Pasley (2nd ed., 1811)
Part I
See also
*
Dee bridge disaster
*
Penmanshiel Tunnel
*
Railway Inspectorate
Established in 1840, His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is the organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain's railways and tramways. It was previously a separate non-departmental public body, but from 1990 to April 2006 it ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*PR Lewis and C Gagg, ''Interdisciplinary Science Reviews'', 45, 29, (2004).
*PR Lewis, ''Disaster on the Dee: Robert Stephenson's Nemesis of 1847'', Tempus Publishing (2007)
*
*
External links
*
Royal Engineers Museum - Sapper Biographies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pasley, Charles
1780 births
1861 deaths
British Empire
British military writers
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Royal Engineers officers
British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
People from Dumfries and Galloway
Fellows of the Royal Society
Scottish military personnel
British Army generals