John Lucie Blackman (4 October 179318 June 1815) was a British soldier who fought in the Peninsular War and was killed at the Battle of Waterloo on 18June 1815 aged 21.

Early life

Blackman was born on 4October 1793 at Bridewell Hospital Chapel, London. He was the son of George Blackman, who would later change his name to

Harnage Harnage is a small village in the English county of Shropshire. It is located just SE of the village of Cound, in whose civil parish it lies, and the nearest notable settlement is Cressage. Harnage is considered a hamlet, not a village, as it ...

on his elevation to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

and Mary Harnage, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Harnage. His parents were cousins and Blackman was christened on 30October 1793 at Bridewell Hospital Chapel, London. He was educated at Westminster school until 1808, whereafter he joined the British Army.

Military career

Having joined the Coldstream Guards as an ensign by purchase on 10April 1810, he arrived in Spain in early 1812 as part of

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 ...

's army. He fought at the Battle of Salamanca in 1812 and was present at the

Siege of Burgos At the siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of ...

from 19September to 21October the same year. He marched into France in 1813, where he took part in the Battle of Vitoria on 21June 1813 and the subsequent Siege of San Sebastián from July until September. Blackman was promoted to lieutenant on 22January 1814 and during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

took part in conflicts including the

Battle of Quatre Bras The Battle of Quatre Bras was fought on 16 June 1815, as a preliminary engagement to the decisive Battle of Waterloo that occurred two days later. The battle took place near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras and was contested between ele ...

on 16 June 1815.

Death and legacy

Blackman spent the day of the Battle of Waterloo defending the Chateau of Hougoumont against the French. As the last of the enemy fled the field, a musket bull struck him in the temple, killing him instantly. Although the grounds of Chateau Hougoumont contain a stone marking Blackman's grave, his remains were moved to the Waterloo monument in

Brussels Cemetery Brussels Cemetery (french: Cimetière de Bruxelles, nl, Begraafplaats van Brussel) is a cemetery belonging to the City of Brussels in Brussels, Belgium. Located in the neighbouring municipality of Evere, rather than in the City of Brussels pr ...

in 1889. Blackman's name is inscribed on one of the panels in the

Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks The Royal Military Chapel, commonly known as the Guards' Chapel, is a British Army place of worship that serves as the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in Westminster, Greater London. Completed in 1838 in the sty ...

, London.

References

;Bibliography * 1793 births 1815 deaths Coldstream Guards officers British military personnel killed in action in the Napoleonic Wars People of the Battle of Waterloo Younger sons of baronets {{British-Army-bio-stub