Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Richard Henry Jelf (2 February 1844 – 26 April 1913) was a British army officer and commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

Early life

Jelf was born in Oxford, the third and youngest son of the Reverend Doctor Richard William Jelf (1798-1871), Principal of

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...

, and canon of Christ Church, Oxford. His older brothers were

George Edward Jelf George Edward Jelf (1834–1908) was an English churchman and Master of Charterhouse. Life The eldest son of seven children of Richard William Jelf and Emmy, Countess of Schlippenbach, lady-in-waiting to Frederica, Duchess of Cumberland, he was ...

, later canon of Rochester, and lawyer Sir Arthur Richard Jelf. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and King's College, London, before entering the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.

Military career

Jelf entered the Royal Engineers in 1865. He was promoted to captain in 1878, to Major and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1885, and Colonel in 1889. He saw service on the

Bechuanaland Expedition The Bechuanaland Expedition or Warren Expedition, of late 1884/1885, was a British military expedition to the Tswana country, to assert British sovereignty in the face of encroachments from Germany and the Transvaal, and to suppress the Boer sta ...

(1884-1885), as Director of Military Telegraphs (and was honourably mentioned, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel). He was later chairman of Sanitary Commissioners,

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

(1893-1897; for which he was invested as a

Companion of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

). He commanded the Royal Engineers, Eastern District, from 1897 to 1901. He retired in 1901 but was recalled to employment as temporary Major-General in the same year, becoming Governor and Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, a post he retained until 1912. While Commandant, he commissioned the academy's chapel in 1902, an act for which he is commemorated by a brass plaque in the chapel. He was also a spokesman for the Church of England Soldiers' Institutes Association, and wrote a 1910 biography of his friend Joseph James Curling, a soldier and priest who had also joined the Royal Engineers in 1865. In 1882, Jelf commissioned a bell for St Mary's church in Newfoundland's

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for it ...

, where Curling was priest.

Family

Jelf lived at Ashbourne, Derbyshire, where, in May 1911, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant. With his wife Margaret (''nee'' Blunt, 1839–1921), whom he married on 10 August 1869, he had at least three sons. Wilfrid Jelf and

Henry Jelf Henry Francis Donhoff Jelf (27 August 1877 – 18 April 1944) was a Royal Navy officer and a cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1910 and 1911. Jelf was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, the son of Richard Henry Jelf, an army officer, and his ...

were both first-class cricketers and military officers. A third son, Richard John Jelf, joined the Royal Engineers and after being invalided home from South Africa shot himself and was buried at sea in June 1900 - a plaque commemorating him and his parents is displayed in Ashbourne's St Oswald's Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jelf, Richard Henry Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich 1844 births 1913 deaths Military personnel from Oxfordshire Royal Engineers officers Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Commandants of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich People from Oxford People educated at Eton College Alumni of King's College London People from Ashbourne, Derbyshire Sanitary commissioners