Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham (29 September 1781 – 7 March 1850) was a

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 ...

officer who served as '' aide-de-camp'' to

William IV of the United Kingdom William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

Early life

Hercules Robert Pakenham was born 29 September 1781, the third son of

Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford Edward Michael Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford (1 April 1743 – 3 June 1792) was an Irish sailor and landowner. Early life Pakenham was the son of Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford and Elizabeth Cuffe, 1st Countess of Longford. His parents had ...

and Hon. Catherine Rowley. He was a brother of

Catherine Pakenham Catherine Sarah Dorothea Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington (; 14 January 1773 – 24 April 1831), known before her marriage as Kitty Pakenham, was the wife of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Early life Catherine Pakenham was born on 14 ...

(which made him brother-in-law to

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford, (14 May 1774 – 28 May 1835), known as The Lord Longford between 1792 and 1794, was an Anglo-Irish peer. Background Pakenham was the eldest son of Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford, by Catherine Rowley ...

, and Gen.

Sir Edward Pakenham Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, (19 March 1778 – 8 January 1815), was a British Army officer and politician. He was the son of the Baron Longford and the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he served in the Penin ...

. Text is available under th
Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
additional terms may apply. His mother was the second daughter of the Right Hon.

Hercules Langford Rowley Hercules Langford Rowley PC ( – 25 March 1794) was an Irish politician and landowner. Early life Rowley was born . He was the only son of Frances (née Upton) Rowley and Hercules Rowley, a Member of Parliament for County Londonderry from 1703 ...

and

Elizabeth Rowley, 1st Viscountess Langford Viscount Langford, of Longford Lodge, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 19 February 1766 for Elizabeth Rowley. She was made Baroness of Summerhill at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland. She was the wife of Hercules ...

. His aunt, the Hon. Jane Rowley, was the wife of

Thomas Taylour, 1st Earl of Bective Thomas Taylour, 1st Earl of Bective, KP, PC (Ire) (20 October 1724 – 14 February 1795) was an Irish peer and politician. Early life He was the oldest son of the former Sarah Graham and Sir Thomas Taylor, 2nd Baronet, a Member of the Parliam ...

, and his uncle,

Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford (29 October 1737 – 24 March 1796), styled The Honourable Hercules Rowley between 1766 and 1791, was an Irish politician. Rowley was the son of Hercules Rowley and Elizabeth Upton, 1st Viscountess Langfor ...

, was a member of 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 fra ...

for

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

and Downpatrick.

Career

Pakenham was appointed ensign

40th Regiment of Foot The 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1717 in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) ...

on 23 July 1803, became

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

3 February 1804, was transferred to the 95th rifles (later the

Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

) in April the same year, and obtained his company there on 2 August 1805. He served in the

expedition to Copenhagen The Second Battle of Copenhagen (or the Bombardment of Copenhagen) (16 August – 7 September 1807) was a British bombardment of the Danish capital, Copenhagen, in order to capture or destroy the Dano-Norwegian fleet during the Napoleonic War ...

and in Portugal, where during the

Battle of Roliça In the Battle of Roliça (17 August 1808) an Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated an outnumbered Imperial French division under General of Division Henri François Delaborde, near the village of Roliça in Portugal. The ...

, he was slightly wounded at Obidos 16–17 Aug. 1808. "He is really one of the best officers of riflemen I have seen," wrote

Sir Arthur Wellesley Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

, recommending him for promotion. He was promoted to a majority in the 7th

West India Regiment The West India Regiments (WIR) were infantry units of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. In 1888 the two West India Regiments then in existence were reduced t ...

30 August 1810, remained with the Peninsular Army, and was assistant adjutant-general of Picton's division up to the fall of Badajos, where he was severely wounded and received the Gold Cross for Busaco, Fuentes d'Onoro, Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos. He was promoted to

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

on 27 April 1812, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel 26th Cameronians on 3 September 1812, and transferred as captain and lieutenant-colonel to the Coldstream Guards on 25 July 1814, from which he retired on half-pay in 1817. He was made brevet colonel and '' aide-de-camp'' to the

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

on 27 May 1825 and was promoted to

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 ...

on 10 January 1837. He succeeded Sir Thomas McMahon as Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and General Officer Commanding South-West District in 1839, was appointed colonel 43rd Light Infantry on 9 September 1844, and was promoted to

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

on 9 November 1846. He was appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

(C.B.) on 4 June 1815,

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(K.C.B.) on 19 July 1838, and received the Peninsular silver medal and Roleia and Vimeiro clasps.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Pakenham was a member of Parliament, representing

Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

from 27 February 1808 to 1826. He sat for his brother, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Longford and placed votes intermittently between 1821 and 1825. Initially he was against Catholic Relief, but later came to favour it, citing his need representation of the change in opinion among his Protestant constituents. Pakenham won the 1826 general election for Westmeath, but did not accept due to rumors that his favoring of Protestant interests resulted in his brother "discarding" him. The Catholic press reported that he was "the victim of the vote he gave ... in favour of emancipation."

Personal life

When he was a captain, Pakenham was mentioned in ''Lady Morgan's Memoirs: Autobiography, Diaries and Correspondence:'' On 25 December 1817, Pakenham married the Hon. Emily Stapleton (–1875), the fourth daughter of Sir Thomas Stapleton, 6th Baronet, 12th Baron le Despencer and the former Elizabeth Eliot. Together, they were the parents of six sons and three daughters, including: *

Edward William Pakenham Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

(1819–1854), an MP who was killed at the Battle of Inkerman in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

in 1854. * Rev. Arthur Hercules Pakenham (1824–1895), who died unmarried. * Lt.-Gen.

Thomas Henry Pakenham Lieutenant-General Thomas Henry Pakenham (26 June 1826 – 20 February 1913) was an Irish Conservative politician and British Army officer. Military career A member of the Pakenham family headed by the Earl of Longford, he was the son of the Ho ...

(1826–1913), who married Elizabeth Staples Clarke, daughter of William Clarke of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, in 1862. * Robert Maxwell Pakenham (1834–1857), who was killed at the

relief of Lucknow The siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defence of the British Residency within the city of Lucknow from rebel sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's Army) during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief att ...

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 ...

in 1857. * Edmund Powerscourt Pakenham (1837–1861), who was killed at

Gwalior Fort The Gwalior Fort commonly known as the ''Gwāliiyar Qila'', is a hill fort near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. The fort has existed at least since the 10th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus ind ...

in India. * Lt.-Col. Charles Wellesley Pakenham (1840–1873), a Lieutenant-Colonel in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

who died "from decline" at 33. * Emily Pakenham (d. 1883), who married Sir Edmund Hayes, 3rd Baronet, son of

Sir Samuel Hayes, 2nd Baronet Sir Samuel Hayes, 2nd Baronet (1773 - 1827) of Drumboe Castle, County Donegal was a Baronet in the Baronetage of IrelandThe Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal: being a complete table of all the descendants now living of Edward III, King of Englan ...

and Elizabeth Lighton (daughter of

Sir Thomas Lighton, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Lighton, 1st Baronet (died 27 April 1805) was an Ulster Scots banker and politician. Born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Lighton was the son of a tenant-farmer, John Lighton, and Elizabeth Walker. After working as a trader in Strabane, h ...

), in 1837. * Elizabeth Catherine Pakenham (d. 1885), who married Thomas Thistlethwayte, son of Thomas Thistlethwayte, in 1850. * Mary Frances Hester Pakenham, who married

Sir William Verner, 2nd Baronet Sir William Verner, 2nd Baronet (4 April 1822 – 10 January 1873), was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician. Sir William Verner was the son of Sir William Verner, 1st Baronet, and of Harriet Wingfield, daughter of Colonel Edward ...

, son of

Sir William Verner, 1st Baronet Sir William Verner, 1st Baronet, KCH (25 October 1782 – 20 January 1871), was a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic wars, was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo and resigned as a colonel. He served as a politician, including 36 years ...

and Harriet Wingfield (a granddaughter of

Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (24 December 1730 – 8 August 1788) was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer. Biography Powerscourt was a younger son of Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt and Dorothy Beresford Rowley. He wa ...

) in 1850. He died suddenly at his residence, Langford Lodge,

, on 7 March 1850.

Legacy

The "Sir Hercules Pakenham Scholarship" and "Emily Lady Pakenham Scholarship" were founded in 1876, by their eldest surviving son, the Rev. Arthur Hercules Pakenham in their memory for students of

Queen's College, Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

. One of the 42 stalls in the

Domus Dei Domus Dei (Hospital of Saint Nicholas and Saint John the Baptist) was an almshouse and hospice at Old Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom. It is now also known as the Royal Garrison Church and is an English Heritage property and a Grade II l ...

in Portsmouth was dedicated to him.

Notes

References

External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pakenham, Hercules Robert 1781 births 1850 deaths British Army lieutenant generals British Army personnel of the Peninsular War Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Place of birth missing Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Westmeath constituencies (1801–1922) UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818 UK MPs 1818–1820 UK MPs 1820–1826 Younger sons of barons Hercules Robert