John Prideaux (1718–1759) was a brigadier-general in the

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 ...

. He was born 1718 in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England the second son of Sir John Prideaux, 6th Baronet, of Netherton Hall, near

Honiton Honiton ( or ) is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 11,822 (based on mid-year estimates for the two Honiton Ward ...

(see Prideaux Baronets). On 17 July 1739 he was appointed ensign of the 3rd Foot-Guards; he was adjutant of his battalion at the

Battle of Dettingen The Battle of Dettingen (german: Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on 27 June 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession at Dettingen in the Electorate of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire (now Karlstein am Main in Bavaria). It was fought between a ...

(27 July 1743) and become lieutenant colonel of his regiment on 24 February 1748.

Seven Years War

On 20 October 1758 he was appointed colonel of the 55th Regiment of Foot. During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

he was given command of the British force at the

Battle of Fort Niagara The Battle of Fort Niagara was a siege late in the French and Indian War, the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. The British siege of Fort Niagara in July 1759 was part of a campaign to remove French control of the Great Lakes and Oh ...

, promoted as Brigadier General. However, on 19 July 1759 he was killed by being struck in the head with a shell fragment. On the morning of that day, being still dusk, the recently appointed General was inspecting his artillery, when he suddenly stepped in front of a British mortar and was struck on the head by a fragment of shell, which burst prematurely at the mouth of one of their cohorns, and killed him on the spot decapitating him. He is described by some writers as an unpopular officer. The command of the siege of Fort Niagara then fell on

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

References

* British Army generals 1718 births 1759 deaths People from Honiton British Army personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession British Army personnel of the French and Indian War British military personnel killed in the Seven Years' War Scots Guards officers 55th Regiment of Foot officers Younger sons of baronets {{UK-army-bio-stub