General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet, (13 August 1772 – 13 January 1847) was a British officer from the
Anson family
)
, type =
, country =
*
, estates = Shugborough HallBirch Hall
, titles = * Earl of Lichfield
* Viscount Anson
* Baronet Anson
, founded =
, founder = George Anson
, current head ...
. He became a 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 ...
and noted for his service in
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
.
Early life
William Anson was born on 13 August 1772, the third son of
George Anson and Mary Vernon; until 1773 his family went by the surname of Adams. His maternal grandfather was
Lord Vernon, and his brothers included the future
Lord Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, (23 April 1697 – 6 June 1762) was a Royal Navy officer. Anson served as a junior officer during the War of the Spanish Succession and then saw active service against Spain at the Batt ...
and General
Sir George Anson. He spent his childhood at the family home of
Shugborough Hall
Shugborough Hall is a stately home near Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England.
The hall is situated on the edge of Cannock Chase, about east of Stafford and from Rugeley. The estate was owned by the Bishops of Lichfield until the dissolutio ...
in
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
.
Military career
Early career
On 13 June 1789 Anson joined 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 ...
, being commissioned as an
ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
in the
1st Foot Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
which was the regiment members of his family traditionally joined. He travelled with the 1st Battalion of his regiment to serve in the
Flanders campaign
The Flanders Campaign (or Campaign in the Low Countries) was conducted from 20 April 1792 to 7 June 1795 during the first years of the War of the First Coalition. A coalition of states representing the Ancien Régime in Western Europe – Aus ...
on 25 February 1793, fighting at the
Battle of Famars
The Battle of Famars was fought on 23 May 1793 during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition. An Allied Austrian, Hanoverian, and British army under Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld defeated the French Army of the North le ...
on 23 May and then at the beginning of the
siege of Valenciennes in the same month. He left the campaign after only two months, returning home upon his promotion to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
and
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, which had occurred on 25 April. Anson returned to the campaign on 1 April 1794, staying there through the retreat of the army in the winter until the end of the campaign in May of the following year. On 28 September 1797 he was promoted to captain and
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
, becoming a
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
commander in the 1st Foot Guards. He was promoted again on 30 October 1805, becoming a
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 of ...
, but continued to command a company within the 1st Battalion. On 25 July 1806 the battalion was sent to serve in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, with Anson there as commander of the
Grenadier Company. The battalion, and Anson, returned to England on 4 January 1808.
By September 1808 Anson had been given command of his battalion. Sent to join Lieutenant-General
Sir John Moore's army in Portugal, they arrived at
Corunna on 28 October. On 19 November Anson replaced Major-General
Henry Warde as commander of the Guards Brigade in the army, when the latter was moved to command a temporary
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
. The army was reorganised again on 20 December and Anson resumed command of his battalion. Soon after this the
retreat to Corunna began, with Moore chased by a large French army. As part of the strenuous action, Anson's battalion often fought in the army's
rearguard
A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
before reaching Corunna in early January 1809; soldier
Robert Arbuthnot described the arrival of Anson's battalion after the forced march as "a fine sight, and one he would never forget".
Moore fought the
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna (or ''A Coruña'', ''La Corunna'', ''La Coruña'' or ''La Corogne''), in Spain known as Battle of Elviña, took place on 16 January 1809, when a French corps under Marshal of the Empire Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a Briti ...
on 16 January, but while Anson took part in it the battalion was only lightly engaged. They afterwards returned to England, where on 16 July the battalion joined the
Walcheren Expedition
The Walcheren Campaign ( ) was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Sir John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham ...
. The expedition was wrought with disease and Anson's unit stayed there for only two months before being sent home again, arriving on 14 September. Hit hard by the fevers, by February 1810 the 1,524 man strong battalion had lost 103 men, while a further ten percent of the battalion were so incapacitated from illness that they were unable to serve again. Anson stayed with the battalion until his promotion to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
on 4 June 1811. He was then sent to serve on the military staff in Ireland.
General
Anson was sent to serve in the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
, on the staff of General
Lord Wellington
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 ...
, on 3 November 1811. He arrived in Portugal in April 1812. Anson spent only a very brief period on Wellington's staff, because on 9 April he was appointed to replace Major-General
James Kemmis as commander of the 1st
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the
4th Division. His command was backdated to 25 November 1811, and he entered it just after the brigade had finished fighting in the successful
siege of Badajoz. The division's commander, Major-General
Galbraith Lowry Cole
Hon. Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, (1 May 1772 – 4 October 1842) was an Anglo-Irish British Army general and politician.
Early life
Cole was the second son of an Irish peer, William Willoughby Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen (1 March 1736&ndash ...
, was on sick leave at the time and so Anson also took command of the division when he joined his brigade. Anson led the 4th Division into Spain on 13 June, and returned to his division three weeks later when Cole returned from his convalescence.
On 18 July Anson led his brigade at the
Battle of Castrillo, a running combat that took place over several hours around
Castrejon. The 4th Division held a position above the
Guareña
Guareña is a Spanish List of municipalities in Badajoz, municipality in the Provinces of Spain, province of Badajoz (province), Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 7,326 (2007) and an area of 283.3 km².
People from Guareña
* Lu ...
River, and was attacked there by the advancing division of
Antoine François Brenier de Montmorand
Antoine-François Brenier de Montmorand (12 November 1767 at Saint-Marcellin, Isère – 8 October 1832) served as a French general of division during the period of the First French Empire and became an officer of the Légion d'honneur.
Earl ...
. Anson's brigade was in reserve, and Wellington ordered them forward in line to face Brenier's columns; with his line longer than the front of the French columns, Anson was able to wrap around the attacking French force before it could deploy, firing into it and forcing it back towards the Guareña. The brigade then fought at the
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, so ...
on 22 July, where they were positioned on the left flank of the 4th Division.
Tasked with holding the Lesser Arapile hill that stood out at an angle to the rest of the battlefield, the 3rd Battalion of the
27th Regiment of Foot
The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1689. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot to form the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 18 ...
was set out on the summit, with the 1st Battalion of the
40th Regiment of Foot
The 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1717 in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) ...
on the slope behind them. From its position the brigade was able to help cover Colonel
Denis Pack
Major-General Sir Denis Pack (7 October 1775–24 July 1823) was an Anglo-Irish military officer during the Napoleonic Wars.
Background
A descendant of Sir Christopher Packe, Pack was the son of the Very Reverend Thomas Pack, Dean of Ossor ...
's brigade as it retreated beneath the hill, and then provided great assistance in the destruction of the main French assault as it attacked the centre of the British line in the mid afternoon, attempting to force the gap in the line next to the Lesser Arapile. During the battle Cole and the other two brigade commanders in the 4th Division were badly wounded, leaving Anson in command of the division for the remainder. He continued in temporary command as the army advanced towards Madrid, before relinquishing the division back to Cole upon his return in October.
Anson subsequently fought with his brigade at the
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to ...
on 21 June 1813, and then at the
Battle of Sorauren
The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the Battle of the Pyrenees in which a combined British and Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley held off Marshal Soult's French forces attempting t ...
between 28 July and 1 August. In mid-October they crossed over the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
and fought at the
Battle of Nivelle
The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,0 ...
on 10 November before going into winter quarters. In December a change in senior officers in the army was occurring, and it was expected that as part of this Anson would be given command of the Guards Brigade again, but this position instead went to Colonel
Peregrine Maitland
General Sir Peregrine Maitland, GCB (6 July 1777 – 30 May 1854) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. He also was a first-class cricketer from 1798 to 1808 and an early advocate for the establishment of what would become the Canadi ...
. Anson's brigade was in action at the
Battle of Orthes
The Battle of Orthez (27 February 1814) saw the Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington attack an Imperial French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France. The outnumbered Fr ...
on 27 February 1814 and then at the
Battle of Toulouse on 10 April. With 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 ...
then over Wellington began to break up his army, as such of its size was no longer needed. As the break up was occurring Anson was given command of the
2nd Division, where he stayed until it was disbanded in June of the same year.
Later service
Not given a command during the
Waterloo Campaign
The Waterloo campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied army and a Prussian army. Initially the French army was commanded by ...
, Anson never again saw active service in the army. He was made a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...
on 2 January 1815, and in 1816 joined the
Consolidated Board of General Officers. For his service in the Peninsular War he also received the
Army Gold Medal
The Army Gold Medal (1808–1814), also known as the Peninsular Gold Medal, with an accompanying Gold Cross, was a British campaign medal awarded in recognition of field officer, field and general officers' successful commands in campaigns, predom ...
with three
clasps, having been
mentioned in dispatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
four times. He was promoted to
lieutenant-general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
on 12 August 1819. He became colonel of the
66th Regiment of Foot
The 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1756. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 49th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Princess Char ...
on 7 December 1829, and stayed in that position until 25 March 1835 when he changed to the colonelcy of the
47th Regiment of Foot
The 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in Scotland in 1741. It served in North America during the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War and also fought during the Napoleonic Wars and ...
, which he held until his death. The
Anson baronetcy 'of Birch Hall' was created for him on 30 September 1831, and he was promoted to
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
on 10 January 1837.
Anson died on 13 January 1847 at
Brockhall, Northamptonshire
Brockhall is a civil parish and village in West Northamptonshire in England. Brockhall, like many estate villages, is a small settlement that has developed around its eponymous hall. The village - Brocole in Old English, which means Badgers Hil ...
at the age of 74, and was buried in the family catacombs at
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...
, London.
Personality and influence
Military historians Ron McGuigan and Robert Burnham describe Anson as a "tough but fair disciplinarian", giving as proof the wide variety of verdicts he gave in
courts martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
presided over by him. Anson was also well-liked by his subordinates, who he often attempted to advance within the army, with only limited success. This was because Anson had relatively little influence inside or outside the army (unlike his brother George), and evinced little personal ambition. Known as a competent brigade commander who did as ordered and expected nothing else, McGuigan and Burnham pose that if the Peninsular War had lasted longer Anson would have been given a permanent divisional command.
Family
On 26 January 1815 Anson married Louisa Frances Mary Dickenson (died 25 July 1837), daughter of John Dickenson. They had four sons and three daughters:
* Sir John William Hamilton Anson, 2nd Baronet (born 20 December 1816)
* Mary Louisa (born 5 January 1818), who married the Reverend Matthew Thomas Farrer (1816–1899)
* William Vernon-Dickenson (10 February 1819), a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
who died serving off the coast of Africa
*
George Henry Grenville (born 19 July 1820), later became
Archdeacon of Manchester
The Archdeacon of Manchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England in Greater Manchester.
The archdeaconry of Manchester, unusually, was established (on 29 September 1843) a few years before the Diocese of Manchester (on 1 S ...
* Anne Georgiana Frances (born 14 July 1822), who married the Reverend William Thornton
*
Archibald Edward Harbord (born 16 April 1826), a
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
officer
* Louisa Frances Maria (born 16 April 1826)
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anson, William
1772 births
1847 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
British Army generals
British expatriates in Spain
British Army commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Grenadier Guards officers
British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...