General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sir Baldwin Leighton, 6th Baronet (15 January 1747 – 13 November 1828) was a senior English officer in the British Army. Loton Park country house - geograph

Leighton was the son of Baldwin Leighton, the 2nd son of Sir Edward Leighton, 2nd Baronet. He joined the army in 1760 by purchasing a lieutenancy (at the age of 13) in Captain Jenning's company, which in that same year became part of the 96th Regiment and was posted to India. There Leighton undertook garrison duties at

Fort St George Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress at the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English overseas possessions, English (later British Empire, British) fortress in India. The construction ...

before taking to the field. After the

Treaty of Paris (1763) The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Kingdom of France, France and Spanish Empire, Spain, with Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal in agree ...

the regiment returned to England and was disbanded. In 1768 he purchased a promotion in the 46th Regiment. In 1775, as a captain of grenadiers, he was posted to North America, where he saw action in the

New York and New Jersey campaign The New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776 and the winter months of 1777 was a series of American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of New York and the state of New Jersey, fought between Kingdom ...

at Brooklyn, Long Island, the taking of New York, at York Island, White Plains, the storming of Fort Washington and the actions at

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 Brandywine. He was severely wounded at the action near Monmouth Court House. In 1778, suffering from the effects of campaigning, he returned to England to take command of a recruitment company. In 1787 he purchased a majority in the regiment and left for Gibraltar in 1792, where he was promoted lieutenant colonel. The following year he sailed to the West Indies as the regiment's Lieutenant-Colonel, where in numerous actions against the French, the regiment lost 400 of its 520 men. In 1797 he was promoted to colonel by brevet. He returned again to England and was sent to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

as a brigadier-general. Returning home in 1802 he was placed on the Home Staff in

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

and

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

and served as Mayor of Shrewsbury for 1806–07. He was promoted to major general in 1803 and to lieutenant general in 1809. In 1809 he was sent to Jersey, where he acted as Lieutenant-Governor during the temporary absence of General Sir George Don. In 1809 he was transferred to the 3rd Garrison Battalion, which was reduced in 1817. He was made Governor of Carrickfergus on 30 January 1817, and held the office, a sinecure that paid £159 p.a., until he died at his seat, Loton Park, Shropshire in 1828.North Wales Chronicle 27 November 1828, p.2 In 1819 he succeeded his cousin Sir Robert Leighton, son of his uncle Sir Charlton Leighton, 4th Baronet, to the Leighton baronetcy of Wattlesborough and to the family seat at Loton Park in Shropshire. He was promoted full general in the Army in August of the same year. He had married twice; firstly Anne, the daughter of the Revd William Pigott and secondly in 1802 Louisa Margaret Anne, sister of

Sir John Thomas Stanley Sir John Thomas Stanley, 6th Baronet FRSE Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (26 March 1735 – 29 November 1807) was an 18/19th century British landowner and amateur scientist. Life He was born at Alderley Park on 26 March 1735, the elde ...

Alderley Park Alderley Park was a country estate at Nether Alderley, Cheshire, England, between Macclesfield and Knutsford. It was the residence of the Stanley family of Alderley from the 1500s. It became the headquarters of ICI Pharmaceuticals in the 1950s. ...

, Cheshire. With her he had a son and heir, Sir Baldwin Leighton, 7th Baronet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leighton, Baldwin 1747 births 1828 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England British Army generals Mayors of places in Shropshire