Colonel John Macleod of Colbecks (1761–1822) was a British soldier, during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. He was a son of Donald Macleod tacksman of Balallan in the Isle of Lewis and Jane, daughter of Malcolm Macleod 10th of Raasay.

Biography

The Princess Charlotte of Wales or MacLeod Loyal Fencible Highlanders, as they were called, were raised by MacLeod, who was appointed Colonel, in 1799. This was the last fencible regiment raised in the Highlands. It was inspected and embodied at Elgin, by Major-General Leith Hay, in June 1799, and was sent at once to Ireland for active service there. After three years in that country the regiment embarked for England and was reduced at Tynemouth Barracks in June 1802.This does not mean that the regiment was disbanded; it may have existed for some years longer, in which case the final disbandment would have taken place on 7 January 1809. During the 1810s the Macleod family lived at

Charlton Kings Charlton Kings is a contiguous village adjoining Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. The area constitutes a civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial d ...

near

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

in England, and were active in the social scene in the city. The composer

Charles Edward Horn Charles Edward Horn (21 June 1786 – 21 October 1849) was an English composer and singer. Life and career Horn was born in St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, to Charles Frederick Horn and his wife, Diana Dupont. He was the eldest of their seven ...

(1786–1849) knew them and dedicated ''Daughter of Love'' to "Mrs Macleod naunt fthe Countess of Loundoum, nda very delightful musician and singer". Macleod died in 1823, as the following notice from Blackwoodfs Magazine of that year shows: "In Bury Street, St. James’, London, Colonel John MacLeod of Colbeck. With him expired the last of a branch of an ancient and distinguished clan".

Family

In 1782 MacLeod married Jane (or Jean), daughter of John MacLeod of Raasay. cites They had children, one son, Barlow, and five daughters. Barlow and the four elder daughters died unmarried, the fifth, Susan, married Mr. Andrews and had two sons, Hastings (buried at Canterbury) and Greville.

Legacy

The

piobaireachd Pibroch, or is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations. Strictly meaning "piping" in Scottish Gaelic, has for some f ...

(bagpipe music) ''Lament for MacLeod of Colbecks'' was probably written for Colonel John Macleod of Colbecks on his death in 1823. In 1906 there was, in the possession of Mr. M. C. MacLeod, Edinburgh, a presentation sword, bearing the following inscription:

Notes

References

*. Endnote: ** * ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, John 1823 deaths British Fencibles officers Year of birth unknown 1761 births