Major-General Sir Wyndham Charles Knight KCIE CB CSI DSO (30 November 1863 – 10 June 1942) was a British

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

who served in the British and Indian armies and saw active service in India, in the Second Boer War, and in the First World War.

Early life

Born in Pembrokeshire, Knight was a son of Captain William Brodnax Knight, late the

Queen's Bays The 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was first raised in 1685 by the Earl of Peterborough as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse by merging four existing troops of horse. Renamed several t ...

, and Louisa Octavia Charlotte Knight, a grandson of Wyndham William Knight,”Knight, Maj.-Gen. Sir Wyndham (Charles), (30 Nov. 1863–10 June 1942)” in '' Who Was Who 1941–1950'' (A. & C. Black, 1980 reprint) and a descendant of

Edward Austen Knight Edward Austen Knight (born Edward Austen; 7 October 1767 – 19 November 1852) was the third eldest brother of Jane Austen, and provided her with the use of a cottage in Chawton where she lived for the last years of her life (now Jane Austen's ...

, brother of the novelist

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

.Wyndham Charles Knight, Sir
janeaustensfamily.co.uk, accessed 5 June 2022 He was educated at Cheltenham College.

Career

After leaving school, Knight trained for a career as a regular soldier at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, graduating from there in 1883 and receiving his first commission into the

Worcestershire Regiment The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regimen ...

. On 25 August 1883 he was appointed a Probationer in the Indian Staff Corps. In 1897 and 1898 Knight saw active service on the North West Frontier, in Mohmund and Tirah, and fought in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902. He went on to command the

Bombay Brigade The 6th Poona Divisional Area was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in October 1914 to replace the original 6th (Poona) Division that had been mobilized ...

of the

6th Poona Divisional Area The 6th Poona Divisional Area was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in October 1914 to replace the original 6th (Poona) Division that had been mobilized ...

and from 1912 to 1917 was an aide-de-camp to King George V.

Personal life

Knight married three times: firstly, in 1896, Harriet Monica Johnston, at Sevenoaks, Kent; she died in October 1927;Wyndham Charles Knight (continued)
janeaustensfamily.co.uk, accessed 5 June 2022 secondly, in 1928, Alice Harriet Margaret Johnstone, at

St George Hanover Square St George Hanover Square was a civil parish created in 1724 in the Liberty of Westminster, Middlesex, which was later part of the metropolitan area of London, England. The creation of the parish accompanied the building of St George's, Hanove ...

; thirdly, in 1938, Georgina Helen Pipon. With his first wife, Knight had two sons, Austen Bertram (1897–1976) and Christopher Wyndham (1899–1951), both of whom became soldiers. He died at Pamber, Hampshire, on 10 June 1942, leaving an estate valued at £15,289. His Executors were Christopher Wyndham Knight and

Charles Lennard Chute Sir Charles Lennard Chute, 1st Baronet MC (6 May 1879 – 29 September 1956), was an English barrister, landowner, farmer, politician, and baronet. Life Chute was the son of Chaloner William Chute, a barrister.''Marriages solemnized in the p ...

.“KNIGHT sir Wyndham Charles KCIE CB CSI DSO” in ''Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1942'', p. 122

Honours

* Distinguished Service Order, 1902 * Companion of the Order of the Bath, 1916 * Commander of the Order of the Star of India, 1917 *Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, 1919

Notes

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External links

Sir Wyndham Charles Knight

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

1863 births 1942 deaths Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire British Army major generals Military personnel from Pembrokeshire British Army generals of World War I British Indian Army officers Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst People educated at Cheltenham College Worcestershire Regiment officers