
Sir Robert Pigot, 2nd Baronet (20 September 1720 – 1 August 1796) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Army officer during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
.
Life
Robert Pigot was born in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1720. His two brothers were
George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot, Governor of
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and Admiral
Hugh Pigot, Commander-in-Chief of the
West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
fleet. He and his brothers shared
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
ancestry through their grandfather Peter Godde, who had come to England in the late seventeenth century.
In 1758 Pigot was
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
in the
10th Regiment of Foot. In 1764 he was
lieutenant colonel. From 1769 to 1775 he was the commander of the
38th Regiment of Foot.
He also served as a
member of parliament for
Wallingford from 1768 to 1772. He was appointed
Warden of the Mint from August, 1771 until his death.
On 17 June 1775 he commanded the left flank of the British assault in the
Battle of Bunker Hill. On 9 July he was
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...
in the
55th Regiment of Foot. He was promoted to the permanent grade of colonel for his bravery in the battle of Bunker Hill. He was made a
major general in 1777. Pigot was placed in command in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
and made a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...
in 1782. In the
Battle of Rhode Island he fought with 3,000 men against 5,000 men under General
John Sullivan. He inherited the
baronetcy of his older brother Lord George Pigot (it had been created with
special remainder) and the
Patshull Hall estate in 1777. He also inherited a one-third share of the
Pigot Diamond, which remained in the family until sold in a lottery in 1801. On 8 February he resigned and died 1 August 1796 in
Stafford, England.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pigot, Robert
1720 births
1796 deaths
Military personnel from London
Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain
British Army lieutenant generals
British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War
Huguenot participants in the American Revolution
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1768–1774
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment officers
55th Regiment of Foot officers