General Sir Robert Onesiphorus Bright (7 July 1823 – 15 November 1896) was a British Army officer. He was born the son of Robert Bright and the brother of colonial businessman Charles Edward Bright and the MP Richard Bright. He was educated at

Winchester School Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of t ...

and joined the 19th (The 1st Yorkshire North Riding) Regiment of Foot in 1843. He served in Bulgaria in 1854 and commanded the 2nd Brigade of the Light Division during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

. Promoted brigadier-general, he commanded the 1st Brigade Hazara Field Force during the Black Mountain Campaign of 1868 and commanded the Khyber Line Field Force during the

2nd Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

of 1878–80. He was awarded CB in 1881 and elevated to GCB in 1894. He was given the colonelcy of The Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) from 1886 to his death and promoted full general on 1 April 1887. Bright was a noted cricketer and all-round sportsman and ran a pack of foxhounds named "The Green Howards".

Death

He died in 1896 at his home in Guildford, Surrey, and was buried in St Mark's Church, Wyke, Surrey. He had married Catherine Miles, the daughter of

Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet (13 May 1797 – 17 June 1878), was an English politician, agriculturalist and landowner. He was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford, and was created a baronet on 19 April 1859, of Leigh Court, ...

, and had three sons and five daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bright, Robert Onesiphorus 1823 births 1896 deaths People educated at Winchester College British Army generals Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Green Howards officers British Army personnel of the Crimean War British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War