Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an
Anglo-Irish politician and military officer who served as
Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823. He had also served with British forces for years during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
and in 1794 during the
War of the First Coalition. He took the additional surname "Hastings" in 1790 in compliance with the will of his maternal uncle,
Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon PC (13 March 1729 – 2 October 1789) was a British peer and politician.
Life
He was the eldest of seven children of the 9th Earl of Huntingdon and his wife, Lady Selina, a leader of the Methodis ...
.
[Beevor, p. 58.]
Background, education and early military career
Hastings was born at
Moira, County Down
Moira () is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is in the northwest of the county, near the borders with counties Antrim and Armagh. The M1 motorway and Belfast–Dublin railway line are nearby. The population was 4, ...
, the son of
John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira
John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira (17 March 1720 – 20 June 1793), known as Sir John Rawdon, Bt, between 1724 and 1750 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1750 and 1762, was an Irish peer.
Background
Rawdon was the only son of Sir John Rawdon, 3rd Baro ...
and
Elizabeth Hastings, 13th Baroness Hastings, who was a daughter of the
9th Earl of Huntingdon. He was baptised at
St. Audoen's Church, Dublin, on 2 January 1755. He grew up in Moira and in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. He joined the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
on 7 August 1771 as an
ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
in the
15th Foot
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious nu ...
(the going rate for
purchasing a commission for this rank was £200). From that time on his life was spent entirely in the service of his country. He was at
Harrow School and matriculated at
University College, Oxford,
but dropped out. He became friends there with
Banastre Tarleton
Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB (21 August 175415 January 1833) was a British general and politician. He is best known as the lieutenant colonel leading the British Legion at the end of the American Revolution. He later served in Portu ...
. With his uncle
Lord Huntingdon, he went on the
Grand Tour. On 20 October 1773, he was promoted to lieutenant in the
5th Foot. He returned to England to join his regiment, and sailed for America on 7 May 1774.
American War of Independence
Battle of Bunker Hill
Rawdon was posted at
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
as a lieutenant in the
5th Regiment of Foot's Grenadier company, which was then under the command of Captain Francis Marsden. He first saw action at the
Battles of Lexington and Concord and the
Battle of Bunker Hill. Serving with the
grenadiers, he participated in the second assault against
Breed's Hill (which failed), and the third assault against the redoubt. His superior,
Captain Harris, was wounded beside him. At the age of 21, Lord Rawdon took command of the company for the third and final assault. When the troops of the third assault began to falter, Rawdon stood atop of the American redoubt, waving the British ensign.
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several bat ...
noted in dispatches: "Lord Rawdon has this day stamped his fame for life." He also was wounded during the assault.
He was promoted captain, and given a company in the
63rd Foot.
After having recognized him upon entering the redoubt, it is stated by The 1st Earl of Russell in his ''Essays, and Sketches of Life and Character'' that it was Lieutenant Rawdon that executed the already mortally wounded American general
Joseph Warren by shooting him through the head. Lord Rawdon is depicted in
John Trumbull's famous painting, ''
The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill''. Rawdon is in the far background holding the
British ensign
In British maritime law and custom, an ensign is the identifying flag flown to designate a British ship, either military or civilian. Such flags display the United Kingdom Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner next to the staff), with eith ...
.
Campaigns in the Carolinas and New York, 1775–76
He was appointed
Aide-de-camp to General Sir
Henry Clinton, and sailed with him on the expedition to
Brunswick Town, North Carolina
Brunswick Town was a prominent town in colonial North Carolina. It was the first successful European settlement in the Cape Fear region, a major British port in the 18th century, and home to two provincial governors. Brunswick Town lasted ...
, on the
Cape Fear River, and then to the repulse at
Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
,
Charleston, South Carolina. He returned with him to
New York. On 4 August, he dined with General Clinton,
Admiral Lord Howe,
Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
,
General Vaughan, and others. During the
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yor ...
, he was at headquarters with Clinton.
On 15 September, Rawdon led his men at
Kip's Bay, an amphibious landing on
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
island. The next day, he led his troops in support of the Light Infantry that attacked
Harlem Heights until the Americans withdrew. He participated at the landings at
Pell's Point. The British pressed the Americans to
White Plains, where on 1 November the Americans withdrew from their entrenchments.
Rhode Island, England, and New York
On 8 December Rawdon landed with Clinton at
Rhode Island, securing the ports for the
British Navy. On 13 January 1777, with Clinton, he departed for London, arriving 1 March. During a ball at
Lord George Germain's, he met
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...
, who was visiting London.
Returning to America in July, while Howe went to his
Philadelphia campaign, Rawdon went with Clinton to the New York headquarters. He participated in the battles of the New York Highlands, where on 7 October, Fort Constitution (opposite
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
) was captured. However, this was too late to link up with General
Burgoyne at
Albany.
Rawdon was sent to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
with dispatches and returned to New York for the winter, where he raised a regiment, called the
Volunteers of Ireland, recruited from deserters and Irish Loyalists. Promoted colonel in command of this regiment, Rawdon went with Clinton to Philadelphia. starting out on 18 June 1778, he went with Clinton during the withdrawal from Philadelphia to New York, and saw action at the
Battle of Monmouth. He was appointed adjutant general. Rawdon was sent to learn news of the
Battle of Rhode Island.
At New York, on 3 September 1779, he quarreled with Clinton, and resigned his position as adjutant general. He served with the
Volunteers of Ireland during the raid on
Staten Island by
Lord Stirling on 15 January 1780.
Southern Campaign
He went south to the
Siege of Charleston
The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The Britis ...
with reinforcements. After the city fell to the British,
Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
posted him at
Camden (16 August 1780)
as the British sought to occupy
South Carolina. Rawdon commanded the British left wing at the
Battle of Camden. When Cornwallis went into
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, he left Rawdon in effective command in the South.
Perhaps his most noted achievement was the victory in 1781 at the
Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, in which, in command of only a small force, he defeated by superior military skill and determination, a much larger body of Americans. Thinking (in error) that General
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...
had moved his artillery away, Rawdon attacked Greene's left wing. Rawdon quickly concentrated his entire force on the American left flank, using the military advantage of
local superiority, which forced the American line to collapse and abandon the field in disorder.
However, Rawdon was forced to begin a gradual retreat to
Charleston. He relieved the
Siege of Ninety-Six, evacuating its small garrison and conducting a limited pursuit of American troops. He withdrew his forces to Charleston. In July 1781, in poor health, he gave up his command. On his return to Great Britain, he was captured at sea by
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly SMOM (13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788) was a career French officer who achieved the rank of admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of th ...
, but was exchanged. After Rawdon's departure, the British evacuated Charleston as the war drew to a close. They took thousands of Loyalists and freed slaves with them, having promised freedom to slaves of rebels who joined their lines, resettling these groups in Nova Scotia and the Caribbean.
Peace years
On his arrival in England, Rawdon was honoured by
King George III, who created him an English peer (Baron Rawdon) in March 1783. In 1789 his mother succeeded to the barony of Hastings, and Rawdon added the surname of Hastings to his own.
Rawdon became active in associations in London. He was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society in 1787 and
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
in 1793.
[Beevor, p. 59.] For 1806–08 he was Grand Master of the Free Masons.
In May 1789 he acted as the
Duke of York's second in his duel with Lieut.-Colonel Lennox on
Wimbledon Common.
French Revolutionary Wars
Following the declaration of war in 1793 of France upon Great Britain, Rawdon was appointed major general, on 12 October 1793. Sent by the
Pitt ministry, Rawdon launched an expedition into
Ostend, France, in 1794. He marched to join with the army of the
Duke of York, at
Alost
Aalst (; french: Alost, ; Brabantian: ''Oilsjt'') is a city and municipality on the Dender River, northwest from Brussels in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, ...
. The French general
Pichegru, with superior numbers, forced the British back toward their base at
Antwerp. Rawdon left the expedition, feeling Pitt had broken promises.
Donington Hall
Inheriting
Donington Hall in Leicestershire from his uncle, Rawdon rebuilt it in 1790–93 in the
Gothic style; the architect was William Wilkins the Elder. It is now a
Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...
.
He placed the estate at the disposal of the
Bourbon Princes upon their exile in England following the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
. He is said to have left a signed cheque-book in each bedroom for the occupant to use at pleasure.
[Beevor, p. 60.]
Irish parliamentarian and patron
Rawdon sat for
Randalstown
Randalstown is a townland and small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, between Antrim and Toome. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate. The town is bypassed by the ...
in the
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...
from 1781 until 1783. That year he was created Baron Rawdon, of
Rawdon, in the
County of York. In 1787, he became friends with the Prince of Wales, and loaned him many thousands of pounds. In 1788 he became embroiled in the
Regency Crisis.
In 1789, he took the surname Hastings in accordance with his uncle's will. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Moira on 20 June 1793, and thereafter served first in the
Irish House of Lords
The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland.
It was modelled on the House of Lords of England, with membe ...
and then, from 1801, in the
United Kingdom House of Lords.
In the
Irish Parliament, Rawdon associated on most questions with the Patriot party of
Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan (3 July 1746 – 4 June 1820) was an Irish politician and lawyer who campaigned for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century from Britain. He was a Member of the Irish Parliament (MP) from 1775 to 18 ...
and
Lord Charlemont. In an eve-of-the
-Rebellion speech to the Lords on 19 February 1798 he appealed for parliamentary reform (through their "pocket boroughs" the Lords effectively nominated two-thirds of the Irish Commons), the
emancipation of Catholics (extended the limited right to vote in 1793 but excluded from parliament) and denunced the government's policy of coercion.
He presented evidence collated and supplied by the eminent physician
Whitley Stokes
Whitley Stokes, CSI, CIE, FBA (28 February 1830 – 13 April 1909) was an Irish lawyer and Celtic scholar.
Background
He was a son of William Stokes (1804–1878), and a grandson of Whitley Stokes the physician and anti-Malthusian (1763� ...
of the atrocities and tortures visited upon country people by Crown forces as they sought to break-up and disarm the
Society of United Irishmen who, despairing of reform, had begun organising for insurrection.
Rawdon strenuously opposed the government as it moved, in the wake of the United Irish risings in the summer of 1798, to abolish the Irish Parliament and effect a
legislative union with
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
.
While Governor General of India, in 1814 Rawdon was to offer further evidence an Irish attachment. He headed the list of subscribers in Bengal to the
Irish Harp Society formed in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
"to revive the Ancient Music of Ireland" by veterans of the patriotic and reform politics of the 1780s and '90s, among them several former United Irishmen. Prior to leaving for India, Rawdon had also used his offices to secure a position-- registrar of the
Admiralty Prize Court in
Bermuda--for the Irish patriotic bard (and squib writer for the Whigs)
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
.
British Peer
Plot to become Prime Minister
In 1797 it was rumoured briefly that Rawdon (Moira) would replace Pitt as
Prime Minister. There was some discontent with Pitt over his policies regarding the
war with France. Additionally, Pitt's long tenure in office had given him ample opportunity to annoy various political grandees, including but not limited to The Duke of Leeds and Lords Thurlow and Lansdowne.
In mid-May a combination of these various figures, coupled with a handful of Members of Parliament, proposed to make Rawdon (Moira) the Prime Minister. Having fought in the American War and having led an expedition to
Quiberon, he commanded widespread respect. His relationship to the Prince of Wales also established him as a potential rival to Pitt, who was supported strongly by George III.
[ p. 407.]
The prime motivation for the plan of having Rawdon (Moira) become Prime Minister was to secure peace with France, the plotters having come to believe (somewhat unfairly) that Pitt was an obstacle to this objective. But their plan collapsed barely a month later in mid-June because of a lack of support from the political establishment. Additionally, when Rawdon (Moira) wrote to the King to propose the change of chief ministers, the monarch ignored him. Thus the proposal came to nothing.
He became
Commander-in-Chief, Scotland with the rank of full
general in September 1803.
In this capacity he rented the huge
Duddingston House, south of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.
Later politics
Rawdon was a long-standing advocate of Irish issues, in particular
Catholic Emancipation. At one point he was described by the Irish revolutionary
Wolfe Tone as "The Irish
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...
".
Becoming a
Whig in politics, he entered government in 1806 as part of the
Ministry of All the Talents as
Master-General of the Ordnance, which enabled him to carry a philanthropic measure, which he had promoted since his first entry into the House of Lords, the Debtor and Creditor Bill for relief of poor debtors. However, he resigned his post on the fall of the ministry the next year.
He was also
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner—the king or a nobleman—was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a ...
(of London) from 1806 to his death. Being a close associate of the
Prince-Regent, Moira was asked by him to form a Whig government after the
assassination of Spencer Perceval in 1812 ended that ministry. Both of Moira's attempts to create a governing coalition failed, but as a mark of the prince's respect he was appointed to the
Order of the Garter in that year. The Tories returned to power under the
Earl of Liverpool. On 6 December 1816, after the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepalese War (see below), Moira was raised to the rank of Marquess of Hastings together with the subsidiary titles Viscount Loudoun and Earl of Rawdon.
Governor-General of India
Through the influence of the Prince-Regent, Moira was appointed
Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William, effectively the Governor-General of India, on 11 November 1812. His tenure as Governor-General was a memorable one, overseeing the victory in the
Gurkha War
The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day Ind ...
(1814–1816); the
final conquest of the
Marathas in 1818; and the purchase of the island of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in 1819.
After delays clearing his affairs, he reached
Madras on 11 September 1813. In October, he settled in at
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
and assumed office. British India then consisted of Madras,
Bengal, and
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
. He commanded an army of 15,000 British regulars, a Bengal army of 27 regiments of native infantry, and eight regiments of cavalry; a Madras army, led by General
John Abercrombie of 24 regiments of native infantry, and eight regiments of native cavalry.
Anglo-Nepalese War
In May 1813, the British declared war against the
Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...
s of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
. Hastings sent four divisions in separate attacks led by General Bennet Marley with 8,000 men against
Kathmandu, General John Sullivan Wood with 4,000 men against
Butwal
Butwal ( ne, बुटवल), officially Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City ( ne, बुटवल उपमहानगरपालिका), is a sub-metropolitan city and economic hub in Lumbini Province in West Nepal. Butwal has a city population ...
, General Sir
David Ochterlony
Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet GCB (12 February 1758 – 14 July 1825) was a Massachusetts born military officer of the East India Company in British India. He held the powerful post of British Resident to the Mughal court at D ...
with 10,000 men against
Amar Singh Thapa
Amar Singh Thapa Chhetri distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa( ne, बडाकाजी अमर सिंह थापा क्षेत्री), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific nam ...
, and General Robert
Rollo Gillespie, with 3,500 men against
Nahan
Nahan is a town in Himachal Pradesh in India and is the headquarters of the Sirmaur District It was the capital of the former Sirmur princely state.Nahan is also known as the Town of ponds.
Geography
Nahan is located at . It has a ...
,
Srinagar, and
Garhwal. Only Ochterlony had some success; Gillespie was killed. After inconclusive negotiations, Hastings reinforced Ochterlony to 20,000 men, who then won the battle of Makwanpur on 28 February. The Gurkhas then sued for peace, under the
Sugauli Treaty.
Third Anglo-Maratha War
After raids by
Pindari
The Pindaris were irregular military plunderers and foragers in 17th- through early 19th-century Indian subcontinent who accompanied initially the Mughal army, later the Maratha army, and finally on their own before being eliminated in the 1817� ...
s in January 1817, Hastings led a force at
Hindustan in the North; in the South, the Army of the
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
, under the command of General
Sir Thomas Hislop. The Peshwa was defeated by William Fullarton Elphinstone on the
Poona. Appa Sahib was defeated at the battle of
Nagpur. Hislop defeated
Holkar at the
Battle of Mahidpur
The Battle of Mahidpur was fought during the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the Holkar faction of the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company at Mahidpur, a town in the Malwa region, on 21 December 1817.
On 21 December 1817, ...
. These events effectively established the supremacy of British power in India.
Diplomacy
Rawdon was active diplomatically, protecting weaker Indian states. His domestic policy in India was also largely successful, seeing the repair of the
Mughul
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
canal system in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
in 1820, as well as educational and administrative reforms, and encouraging press freedom. He confirmed the purchase of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
from the Sultan of Jahore, by Sir
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
, in January 1819.
His last years of office were embittered by then-notorious matter, the affairs of the W. Palmer and Company
banking house. The whole affair was mixed up with insinuations against Lord Hastings, especially charging him with having shown favouritism towards one of the partners in the firm. He was later exonerated but the experience embittered him.
He also became increasingly estranged from the
East India Company's Board of Control (see
Company rule in India). He resigned in 1821 but did not leave India until early 1823. He was appointed
Governor of Malta
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
in 1824 but died at sea off Naples two years later aboard
HMS ''Revenge'', while attempting to return home with his wife. She returned his body to Malta, and following his earlier directions, cut off his right hand and preserved it, to be buried with her when she died. His body was then laid to rest in a large marble sarcophagus in
Hastings Gardens, Valletta. His hand was eventually interred, clasped with hers, in the family vault at
Loudoun Kirk.
Legacy
* He was awarded the
freedom of the city of
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
in recognition of his service in America.
* Loyalists whom he rescued from the
Siege of Ninety Six during the American Revolution were resettled by the Crown and granted land in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. They named their township
Rawdon in his honour.
*
Hastings County, Ontario, and three of its early townships were named after him, by Loyalists who were resettled in
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of th ...
after the American Revolution.
*
HMS ''Moira'' was named in his honour in 1805, as was the
Moira River
The Moira River is a river in Hastings County in eastern Ontario, Canada. It travels from its source in the centre of the county to the Bay of Quinte at the county seat Belleville .
Name
Originally named the Sagonaska River by the indigenous peo ...
in
Ontario, Canada.
*
Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier (1796–c.1848), an Irish
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
officer and polar explorer, was named for him; Lord Moira (as he was at the time) was a friend of Crozier's family.
* The
Hastings River in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
is named after him, as is Rawdon Island, within the River. The township of Huntingdon in the Hastings Valley is also associated with him.
Family
On 12 July 1804, at the age of 50, he married
Flora Campbell, 6th Countess of Loudoun, daughter of Major-General
James Mure-Campbell, 5th Earl of Loudoun and Lady Flora Macleod. They had six children:
*
Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings (11 February 1806 – 5 July 1839), lady in waiting to Queen Victoria's mother, the
Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...
, died unmarried.
*Hon. Francis George Augustus (1807–1807), died in infancy.
*
George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings (4 February 1808 – 13 January 1844)
*
Sophia Frederica Christina Rawdon-Hastings (1 February 1809 – 28 December 1859), married
John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, mother of
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute.
*Selina Constance Rawdon-Hastings (1810 – 8 November 1867), married Charles Henry and had children.
*Adelaide Augusta Lavinia Rawdon-Hastings (25 February 1812 – 6 December 1860), married
Sir William Murray, 7th Baronet of Octertyre.
Through his brother, the Hon. John Theophilus Rawdon, he was uncle to
Elizabeth, Lady William Russell
Elizabeth Anne, Lady William Russell (2 October 1793 – 10 August 1874) was the wife of Lord George Russell and a well-known socialite.
Early life
Elizabeth Anne Theophila Rawdon was born on 2 October 1793, child of Frances (''née'' Hall-S ...
.
In popular culture
*The character of Rawdon Crawley in
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...
's 1847–1848 novel ''
Vanity Fair'' is named after him.
* He appears as Francis Rawdon Hastings, the Second Earl of Moira, in
Stephanie Barron's 2006 novel ''Jane and the Barque of Frailty'' .
Portraits
File:Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings by Hugh Douglas Hamilton.jpg, Marquess of Hastings by Hugh Douglas Hamilton (c. 1801)
File:Lord Moira.jpg, Marquess of Hastings, Governor-General of India by Joshua Reynolds (c. 1812)
File:Francis Edward Rawdon, Marquess of Hastings.jpg, Francis Rawdon, Marquess of Hastings. Engraving. Fisher, Son & Co, London. 1829
File:Francis Rawdon-Hastings (1754–1826), 2nd Earl of Moira (later 1st Marquess of Hastings), Governor-General of Bengal and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India.jpg, Francis Rawdon, Marquess of Hastings by Henry Raeburn
Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland.
Biography
Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a f ...
. 1813
File:Francis, Lord Rawdon-Hastings.jpg, portrait by Gilbert Stuart, c. 1796
References
Sources
*
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External links
*
*
Ninety Six National Historic SiteFrancis, Lord Rawdon – ColonelRediscovering Hobkirk's Hill
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hastings, Francis
1754 births
1826 deaths
People educated at Harrow School
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Rawdon-hastings, Francis
1
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