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 John Doyle, 1st Baronet GCB, KCH (17568 August 1834) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer and politician who served in the

American War of Independence 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 ...

and the

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (sometimes called the Great French War or the Wars of the Revolution and the Empire) were a series of conflicts between the French and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompas ...

. He was elected Member of Parliament for

Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census. The Counties of M ...

in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

in 1783, and went on to serve as Secretary of War in

Dublin Castle administration Dublin Castle was the centre of the government of Ireland under English and later British rule. "Dublin Castle" is used metonymically to describe British rule in Ireland. The Castle held only the executive branch of government and the Privy Cou ...

. Doyle raised his own regiment, the 87th Regiment of Foot, for the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

in 1793 and served in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. His efforts were greatly appreciated by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

, who took the trouble to write to the Earl Marshall, "... so that his oyle'szeal and exertions in our service may be known to posterity". The latter part of his career included his appointment as Private Secretary to

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. He was also appointed

Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey The lieutenant governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the lieutenant governor is to act as the ''de facto'' head of state in Guern ...

in 1803 where he served until 1813. He was also active in Guernsey as Deputy Grand Master of the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

.London Freemasonry – The Doyle cup
/ref> He was appointed

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in 1813 and General in 1819.BBC Guernsey – Profile of General Sir John Doyle
/ref> On 29 October 1825 he was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, but the baronetcy became extinct upon his death.

Personal life

John Doyle was born in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

in 1756, the fourth son of Charles and Elizabeth Doyle of Bramblestown, County Kilkenny. He entered

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

in July 1768 to study law, but when his father died in March 1771 he joined the army in March 1771. Doyle was the uncle of women's political rights campaigner Anna Wheeler, previously Doyle, who, in 1812, took her daughters to stay with him and his family in

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

, having walked out on her husband in

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

.Biography of Anna Wheeler
Women-philosophers.com. Accessed 8 January 2023.

Military career

Doyle started his military career in March 1771 when he purchased an ensigncy and joined the

48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot The 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881. History Earl ...

. He purchased a promotion and rose to the rank of Lieutenant in 1773.

American War of Independence

Doyle transferred to the

40th (2nd Somersetshire) 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 its being ordered overseas, where he served with distinction in the

(1775–1783). Serving as lieutenant of light cavalry at Boston he became Adjutant to the battalion. He was involved in the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at and near the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn ...

in August 1776, where he recovered the body of his commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel James Grant, under enemy fire. He then fought at the

Battle of Harlem Heights The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The action took place on September 16, 1776, in what is now the Morningside Heights area and east into the future Harlem neigh ...

, In 1777 he fought at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

and

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American ...

(where he was wounded). His wound changed the course of his American campaign because he was appointed to assist Lord Rawdon (

Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira bet ...

) to raise the Volunteers of Ireland regiment (also known as 2nd American Regiment and which would shortly become a regular unit, the 105th Regiment of Foot), and wherein he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. This unit then fought at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse in 1778, and now appointed and acting Major of Brigade moved with the Regiment to South Carolina participating in the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The British ...

in 1780, before being mentioned in dispatches after fighting at the

Battle of Camden The Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the Kingdom of Great Britain, British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces ...

. He also fought at the Battle of Springfield. Following the peace in America in 1782 Captain Doyle returned to Ireland, entering politics.

French Revolutionary Wars

Following France declaring war on Great Britain, in September 1793, Doyle raised his own regiment, the 87th (The Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment; they were also known as ''The Prince of Wales Irish Heroes''. Raised in rank to brevet

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 ...

, he led the unit under the Duke of York in the Flanders Campaign 1793–1795. He served at the siege of Valenciennes 13 June-28 July 1793 and distinguished himself at Alost during Moira's retreat 1794 where he was wounded in a cavalry action, needing to return to Britain to recover. His Regiment, sent in his absence, to

Bergen op Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the Brabantian dialect, local dialect) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southwestern Netherlands. It is located in the Province ...

where the Catholic town promptly surrendered to the French, making the whole Regiment prisoners of war. Returning to Ireland he was appointed head of the war department and from 1796 until 1799 as Secretary of War. The release of his Regiment as prisoners saw Doyle appointed Colonel of the 87th Foot on 3 May 1796. Appointed a brevet Brigadier-General he was appointed in charge of the land forces in the proposed assault on the

Texel Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...

in October 1796 with the hope of destroying the Dutch fleet, however storms resulted in the ships abandoning the attempt. Brigadier General Doyle was then ordered to Gibraltar, however on his way to the port of embarkation was attacked by highwaymen and badly wounded twice. Having recovered, he proceeded to join the staff in Gibraltar. Confirmed in the rank of Brigadier General and appointed to command the 4th brigade, he served under Abercromby and Hutchinson in Egypt in 1801, and saw action at Manresa, Marabout, and Ramanieh 9 May. On 17 May 1801, in the Egyptian desert he led the 250 troopers of the 12th Light Dragoons to capture the 600 man, 460 camel French Dromedary Regiment () by persuading them to surrender without a fight. The surrender of Cairo, concluding with the

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

in September. He distinguished himself during these operations leading to promotion to Major-General on 29 April 1802.

Napoleonic Wars

He was appointed

in 1803. After declaring a "state of emergency" in 1804, he undertook to improve the dilapidated defences and to improve upon them by building over 60 additional gun batteries at likely landing points. Costing considerable sums of money, he managed to persuade, through eloquence, the Island to pay for these costs, as the Islands were in imminent danger of invasion from France. Doyle actively organised the defence in the

Bailiwick of Guernsey The Bailiwick of Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Bailliage dé Guernési'') is a self-governing British Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France, comprising several of the Channel Islands. It has a total land area of ...

, he oversaw the draining of land at Braye du Valle to connect the tidal north of the island to the main island, using the proceeds of the sale of the land to pay for the construction of military quality roads. He organised three

Martello tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

s to be built, including Fort Grey, to supplement the existing

Guernsey loophole towers The British built 15 Guernsey loophole towers at various points along the coast of Guernsey between August 1778 and March 1779, to deter possible French attacks after France had declared itself an ally of the Americans in the American Revolutionar ...

, progressing and completing Fort George. Working closely with the Royal Guernsey Militia and bringing to the island ordnance and regular infantry. In addition he improved, in a like manner, the defences of

Alderney Alderney ( ; ; ) is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependencies, Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The island's area is , making it the third-largest isla ...

Public administration and diplomacy

After 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 ...

Doyle returned to Ireland on half pay, so that he could be recalled to the army. He was a founding member of the Irish Whig Club and was an early advocate for the emancipation of Catholics. In 1783 he was elected MP for

in the

Giving speeches to the

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland () was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until the end of 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chambers: the Irish Hou ...

Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Meeting places of parliament Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * P ...

in favour of providing relief for starving unemployed Irish workers and their families, for which he was awarded the freedom of

city, of improving the situation for disabled soldiers in Ireland, pleading the cause of foundlings and Catholic emancipation. Brought to the notice of the

, Doyle was appointed his Private Secretary. He progressed to serve as

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

in Irish politics from 1796 until 1799. Doyle was appointed as

from 1803 to 1813. He was elected MP for Newport, IoW in the UK Parliament in 1806, sitting until 1807. Doyle was lauded by the government and people of Guernsey, and Alderney. He was made a Baronet in 1805, promoted to

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 normall ...

on 24 April 1808, made a

Knight of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

in 1812 and promoted to a full General in 1819. Governor of Charlemont Castle from 1818 until his death.

Death and commemoration

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

wrote to the Earl Marshall,

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (15 March 1746 – 16 December 1815), styled Earl of Surrey from 1777 to 1786, was a British nobleman, peer, and politician. He was the son of Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk, and Catherine Brock ...

: ''... so that his (Doyle's) zeal and exertions in our service may be known to posterity''. Doyle was Deputy Grand Master of the Orange Lodge No.116 of the

. In 1806 he was presented with the 'Doyle Cup' which has been in the collection of Museum of Freemasonry, London, since 1938. The cup shows Doyle's freemasonry and military career in the French Revolutionary Wars. The lid bears the arms of the Masonic Ancients Grand Lodge and a Royal Crown. The spout bears the

Prince of Wales's feathers The Prince of Wales's feathers are the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne. The badge consists of three white ostrich feathers encircled by a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the German motto (, ...

– signifying that Doyle was

of the Prince of Wales Royal Irish Regiment, that he had been initiated in Prince of Wales Lodge and the Prince of Wales was Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of which he was also a member. A second Masonic cup follows the general design of the first, but shows scenes from the American War of Independence. It was presented by the Mariners Lodge and remains in Guernsey. Guernsey has commemorated Doyle in several ways: the

Doyle Monument The Doyle Monument is located in Jerbourg Point in the southeastern point of the Bailiwick of Guernsey within St Martin Parish. It was built to honor Sir John Doyle (1756-1834), Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey The lieutenant governor of ...

Jerbourg Point Jerbourg Point or the Jerbourg Peninsula is the southeastern point of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy, lying within Saint Martin, Guernsey, St Martin Parish. It marks the end of the east coast cliffs and ...

; Doyle Road; Fort Doyle; Doyle Street; Doyle Lane; Doyle Close; and The Doyle – (previously the site of Doyle Barracks).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, John 1756 births 1834 deaths 19th-century Anglo-Irish people 18th-century Anglo-Irish people British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Secretaries of State Irish Anglicans Irish officers in the British Army British Army generals Military personnel from Dublin (city) British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War 48th Regiment of Foot officers 40th Regiment of Foot officers 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot officers Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Irish MPs 1783–1790 UK MPs 1806–1807 Knights Bachelor Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Members of Parliament for Newport (Isle of Wight) Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Westmeath constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies