Lt. Col. Gideon Gorrequer KH (c. 1780 – 18 July 1841) was an Anglo-French soldier who is best known for serving as the aide-de-camp and acting military secretary to

Sir Hudson Lowe Sir Hudson Lowe (28 July 176910 January 1844) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and colonial administrator who is best known for his time as Governor of St Helena, where he was the "gaoler" of the Emperor Napoléon. Early life The son of John Lowe, a ...

during the exile of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

upon

St. Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

, and for the diary that he kept whilst in this position.

Early life

The Philippes de Gorrequer family came to

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

in the mid-18th century. They were originally a family with

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

stock from

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

. The Philippes family had lived near

Plouvien Plouvien (; br, Plouvien) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist and writer Jean Bothorel was born in Plouvien on 12 May 1940. Population Inhabitants of Plouvien are called in French ''Plou ...

for a number of years.

Career

Gorrequer joined the army at 16 as an Ensign in the 18th Foot in 1797, and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in 1798, Captain in 1804, Brevet-Major in 1814, and Lt.-Colonel in 1826. Gorrequer first came into contact with Sir Hudson Lowe whilst serving in Sicily and the Ionian Islands. When Lowe was appointed as the Governor of St. Helena, he offered Gorrequer the position of Aide-de-Campe and Acting Military Secretary. Gorrequer accepted this position and arrived on St. Helena in the ''Phaeton'' on 14 April 1816. He was made a Knight of the Royal Hanoverian and Guelphic Order for his services.

Diary

For many years Gorrequer's papers, including his diary, were kept locked in the Court of Chancery, until they were finally made available in 1958.

Death

Gorrequer died suddenly whilst walking in Jermyn Street on 18 July 1841. He is buried at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...

References

1780s births 1841 deaths 19th-century English diarists Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Royal Irish Regiment (1684–1922) officers Knights of the Order of the Crescent People from Saint Brélade British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars King's Own Royal Regiment officers Jersey military personnel English people of Breton descent {{UK-army-bio-stub