Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

George Elphinstone Erskine (1841-1912) was a senior

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

officer who served in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

during the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

in 1857.

Biography

Born on 20 January 1841, George Elphinstone Erskine was educated at

Bedford School :''Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Girls' School, Bedford High School, Bedford Modern School, Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas or Bedford Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.'' Bedford School is a public school (English indep ...

. He entered the

in 1857 and served in

during the

, between 1857 and 1858. He served on the Oudh Commission between 1863 and 1889 and was appointed commissioner to investigate landlord-tenant relations in

Oudh State The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...

in 1883. He was appointed to the commission for the amalgamation of the governments of the

North-Western Provinces The North-Western Provinces was an administrative region in British India. The North-Western Provinces were established in 1836, through merging the administrative divisions of the Ceded and Conquered Provinces. In 1858, the nawab-ruled kingdom ...

and

in 1889. Erskine retired in 1895 and died in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

on 10 February 1905.

Family

Erskine married twice. His first wife was Blanche Cates, daughter of George Cates. His second wife was Eva Constance Sarah Edwards, daughter of Canon Ebenezer Wood Edwards. He had issue three sons who all joined the army. By his first wife: *Lieutenant-Colonel Keith Erskine (1863–1914), Indian Army *Captain Charles Ellis Hay Erskine (1866–1902),

Indian Staff Corps The Indian Staff Corps was a branch of the Indian Army during the British Raj. Separate Staff Corps were formed in 1861 for the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, which were later combined into the Indian Army. They were meant to provide officers f ...

, who died aged only 36. By his second wife he was the father of *General Sir George Watkin Eben James Erskine (1899–1965)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, George Elphinstone 1841 births 1912 deaths People educated at Bedford School British Indian Army generals

George Elphinstone George Elphinstone of Blythswood (died 1634) was a Scottish landowner, courtier, and Provost of Glasgow. Life George Elphinstone was the son of George Elphinstone of Blythswood (died 2 April 1585), a leading Glasgow merchant and shipowner, and ...