Sir William Henry Clinton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 23 December 1769 |
| Died | 15 February 1846 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Battles / wars | French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars First Miguelist War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
GeneralSir William Henry ClintonGCB KCH (23 December 1769 – 15 February 1846) was aBritish Army officer and politician who served in theFrench Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and theLiberal Wars. He was also the grandson of AdmiralGeorge Clinton and elder brother of Lieutenant-GeneralSir Henry Clinton.[1]
Born to General SirHenry Clinton in 1769, Clinton entered theBritish Army in 1784 as acornet in the 7th Light Dragoons. Under theDuke of York, Clinton took part in the Flanders and Low Countries campaigns as a captain in the 1st Guards in 1793, winning promotion to Lieutenant Colonel the following year. Serving as aMember of Parliament (MP) forEast Retford from 1794 to 1796, he left Parliament to becomeaide-de-camp to the Duke.
In 1799, Clinton travelled to Italy on a diplomatic mission to Russian forces, before returning to take part in the Dutch expedition later that year. In 1801, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and participated in the capture of Madeira. He was then appointed governor ofMadeira from July 1801 until March 1802, before becomingMilitary Secretary in 1803 andQuartermaster-General inIreland in 1804. He returned to Parliament in 1806 as MP forBoroughbridge, a seat he held until 1818. After another diplomatic mission toSweden in 1807, Clinton became a major-general the following year.
During 1812, Clinton served in the Mediterranean leading a division atMessina on the Italian island ofSicily, where he commanded a force of 12,000 British and Spanish troops.[2] He commanded the1st Division of the independent Army on the Tarragona, during thePeninsular War between 1812 and 1813, Clinton won distinction during theBattle of Castalla on 13 April 1813. In June 1813, Clinton became commander-in-chief of the British Forces in eastern Spain serving until April 1814, however he would see little action for the remainder of the war. After promotion to Lieutenant General, Clinton was knightedOrder of the Bath in 1815. In 1814 he was given the Colonelcy of the55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, a position he held until his death.[3]
Returning to his post as a member of Parliament, he would command a division consisting of around 5,000 soldiers during theFirst Miguelist War where he attempted to support Portuguese forces from December 1826 until April 1828. Promoted a fullgeneral, Clinton resigned from Parliament serving as governor ofChelsea Hospital from 1842 until his death on 15 February 1846 on Cockenhatch, nearRoyston, Herts. There is a memorial plaque to Clinton in St. Mary Magdalene Church,Barkway, Herts.[4][5]
Clinton was married toLady Dorothea Louisa Holroyd[6] and had two sons who both served in theBritish Army.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "Clinton, William Henry".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forEast Retford 1794–1796 With:Sir John Ingilby | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBoroughbridge 1806–1818 With:Henry Dawkins to 1808 Henry Clinton from 1808 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNewark 1818–1829 With:Henry Willoughby | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Military Secretary 1803–1804 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colonel of the55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot 1814–1846 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance 1825–1829 | Succeeded by |