The Lord Seaton | |
|---|---|
%2c_1st_Baron_Seaton%2c_GCB%2c_GCH.jpg) Colborne in 1821, byJan Willem Pieneman | |
| Nickname | "Le vieux brûlot" ("the old fire-breather") |
| Born | 16 February 1778 |
| Died | 17 April 1863 (aged 85) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Service years | 1794–1860 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands | 2nd Bn66th Regiment of Foot 52nd Regiment of Foot Commander-in-Chief, Ireland |
| Conflicts | French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars Canadian Rebellions |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order |
Field MarshalJohn Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton,GCB, GCMG, GCH, PC (Ire) (16 February 1778 – 17 April 1863) was aBritish Army officer and colonial governor. After taking part as a junior officer in theAnglo-Russian invasion of Holland,Sir Ralph Abercromby'sexpedition to Egypt and then theWar of the Third Coalition, he served as military secretary toSir John Moore at theBattle of Corunna. He then commanded the 2nd Battalion of the66th Regiment of Foot and, later, the52nd Regiment of Foot at many of the battles of thePeninsular War. At theBattle of Waterloo, Colborne on his own initiative brought the 52nd Regiment of Foot forward, took up a flanking position in relation to theFrench Imperial Guard and then, after firing repeated volleys into their flank, charged at the Guard so driving them back in disorder.
He went on to become commander-in-chief of all the armed forces in British North America, personally leading the offensive at theBattle of Saint-Eustache inLower Canada and defeating therebel force in December 1837. After that he washigh commissioner of the Ionian Islands and thenCommander-in-Chief, Ireland.
Born inLymington,Hampshire the only son of Samuel Colborne also from Lymington and Cordelia Anne Colborne (née Garstin), Colborne was educated atChrist's Hospital inLondon and atWinchester College.[1] He was commissioned as anensign in the20th Regiment of Foot on 10 July 1794 securing all subsequent steps in his regimental promotion withoutpurchase.[2] Promoted tolieutenant on 4 September 1795 and tocaptain lieutenant on 11 August 1799, he saw action at theBattle of Alkmaar in October 1799, where he was wounded, during theAnglo-Russian invasion of Holland.[2] Promoted to brevetcaptain on 12 January 1800, he took part inSir Ralph Abercromby'sexpedition to Egypt in August 1801 and was wounded again.[3]
Colborne was deployed with his regiment toItaly where he distinguished himself at theBattle of Maida in July 1806 during theWar of the Third Coalition.[2] He became military secretary to GeneralHenry Fox in 1806 and then became military secretary toSir John Moore with the rank ofmajor on 21 January 1808.[2] In this capacity he accompanied Moore to Sweden in May 1808 and to Portugal in 1808 and served with him at theBattle of Benavente in December 1808 andBattle of Corunna in January 1809.[2] It was Moore's dying request that Colborne should be given alieutenant colonelcy and this was complied with on 2 February 1809.[2] He transferred to the66th Regiment of Foot on 2 November 1809, and after returning to Spain withSir Arthur Wellesley's Army, he witnessed the defeat of the Spaniards at theBattle of Ocaña later that month.[4] He commanded a brigade at theBattle of Bussaco in September 1810 and then commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 66th Regiment of Foot at theBattle of Albuera in May 1811 where his brigade was virtually annihilated by the Polish 1stVistulanLancers Regiment of theFrench Army.[5] After transferring to the command of the52nd Regiment of Foot he took part in theSiege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812 where he was badly injured and had to be invalided back to England.[4]
After recovering in England, Colborne returned to Spain and commanded the 52nd Regiment of Foot at theSiege of San Sebastián in August 1813 before taking temporary charge of the 2nd brigade of the Light Division in late 1813 and commanding it at theBattle of the Bidassoa in October 1813, at theBattle of Nivelle in November 1813 and at theBattle of the Nive in December 1813.[4] He returned to the 52nd Regiment of Foot and commanded it at theBattle of Orthez in February 1814 and at theBattle of Toulouse in April 1814 and at theBattle of Bayonne also in April 1814.[4] He was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 4 January 1815.[6]
Colborne becameaide-de-camp to thePrince Regent with the rank ofcolonel on 4 June 1814,[7] and, followingNapoleon's escape fromElba, he managed to dissuade the Prince from attacking the French Army until the Duke of Wellington arrived.[4]
At theBattle of Waterloo in June 1815 during theHundred Days, Colborne led the 52nd Regiment of Foot. At the critical moment of the battle, when theFrench Imperial Guard attacked Wellington's weakened centre, Colborne made a decisive intervention. On his own initiative, Colborne brought the 52nd Regiment of Foot forward, took up a flanking position in relation to the Imperial Guard and then, after firing repeated volleys into their flank, charged at the Guard so driving them back in disorder.[1] As soon as GeneralSir Frederick Adam saw what Colborne was doing, he sent in extra troops to support him.[8] Colborne drove forward towardsLa Haye Sainte, while Wellington rode back to the main line to order the general advance.[9]
He was appointed a Knight of the AustrianMilitary Order of Maria Theresa on 2 August 1815.[10] After the war he remained with his regiment as part of the Army of Occupation.[5]
Colborne becameLieutenant Governor of Guernsey in July 1821[11] and was promoted tomajor-general on 27 May 1825.[12]
In August 1828 Colborne was appointedLieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.[13] As Lieutenant Governor, Colborne increased the population of the province by 70% by initiating an organised system of immigration to bring in settlers fromBritain.[5] He also aided settlement by expanding the communication and transportation infrastructure through a campaign to build roads and bridges.[1] He brought changes to the structure of the legislative council, increased fiscal autonomy and encouraged greater independence in the judiciary.[1] In 1829 he foundedUpper Canada College as a school based on theElizabeth College, Guernsey model to educate boys in preparation for becoming leaders of the colonies.[1]
During Colborne's period of office as commander-in-chief, theFamily Compact promoted resistance to the political principle ofresponsible government.[15] At the end of its lifespan, the Compact would be condemned byLord Durham as "a petty corrupt insolent Tory clique".[15] In both Upper Canada, which was under Colborne's administration, and Lower Canada, which was under the direct administration of Colborne's superior, Governor GeneralLord Gosford, this resistance to responsible government, together with conflicts between the assembly and the executive over fiscal matters, as well as a difficult economic situation, led to theRebellions of 1837.[1]
In January 1836 Colborne became commander-in-chief of all the armed forces inBritish North America.[1] He was promoted to the local rank oflieutenant general on 8 July 1836.[16] Colborne personally led the offensive at theBattle of Saint-Eustache in December 1837 defeating therebel force which had become holed up in a church. His forces burnt the church and set fire to surrounding buildings. Afterwards, he led the sack of the nearby village of Saint-Benoît, burning much of the village. The French-Canadians gave him the nickname "Le vieux brûlot" ("the old fire-breather").[1][17]
Colborne was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 29 January 1838.[18] Following Lord Gosford's resignation in February 1838, he became actingGovernor General of British North America.[1] In Lower Canada but not Upper Canada, the 1791 constitution was suspended at this time, causing the colony's bicameral parliament to be dissolved. To replace these bodies and assist in governing Lower Canada, Colborne established a 24-memberSpecial Council.[1]
Colborne stepped aside as acting Governor General until the arrival of Gosford's formal successor, Lord Durham, on 27 May 1838. Colborne was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-general on 28 June 1838.[19] Durham remained in Canada only for a few months, resigning on 9 October and leaving for London on thefifth-rate HMS Inconstant on 1 November,[20] after he learned that his policy of leniency towards the leaders of the prior year's rebellion had been repudiated by the British Government. Durham's departure caused Colborne to again become acting Governor General. Colborne put down a second revolt in November and was confirmed asGovernor General of British North America on 14 December.[21] He left Canada in October 1839 after the arrival of his successor,Charles Poulett Thomson (who shortly thereafter would be elevated to the peerage as Lord Sydenham). After arriving back in England, Colborne was himself elevated to thepeerage asBaron Seaton, ofSeaton in theCounty of Devon, on 5 December 1839.[22]
| Lord Seaton's Annuity Act 1840 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to settle an Annuity on Lord Seaton and the Two next surviving Heirs Male of the Body of the said Lord Seaton to whom the Title of Lord Seaton shall descend in consideration of his important Services. |
| Citation | 3 & 4 Vict. c. 11 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 19 May 1840 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
In recognition of the "important services" rendered by Colborne, and following a message fromQueen Victoria,[23]Parliament settled an annuity of £2,000 on him and the next two heirs male who would succeed to the title.[24]
Colborne becameHigh Commissioner of the Ionian Islands in February 1843,[25] and having been promoted to fullgeneral on 20 June 1854,[26] he becameCommander-in-Chief, Ireland, in 1855.[4] After standing down from active service in Spring 1860, he was promoted tofield marshal on 1 April 1860[27] and retired to his home at Beechwood House inSparkwell.[28]
Colborne also served as honorary colonel of the94th Regiment of Foot,[29] as honorary colonel of the26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot[30] and then as honorary colonel of the2nd Regiment of Life Guards.[31] He was also colonel-in-chief of theRifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).[32] He died at Valletta House inTorquay on 17 April 1863 and was buried in the churchyard ofHoly Cross Church atNewton Ferrers.[5]
In November 1866 a bronze statue of Colborne, sculpted byGeorge Adams and financed by public donations, was erected at Mount Wise atDevonport: it was moved to Seaton Barracks inCrownhill in the early 1960s and then toPeninsula Barracks inWinchester in the 1990s.[33] A second statue of Colborne also sculpted by George Adams was erected atUpper Canada College inToronto, Ontario, Canada.[34]
Colborne Street in London, Ontario is named after Colborne,[35] as is the city ofPort Colborne.[36]
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In 1813 Colborne married Elizabeth Yonge; they had three daughters and five sons.[4]
Colborne Street, named for Sir John Colborne, Governor of Canada West during the troublesome times that preceded the Rebellion.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, North America 1836–1839 | Vacant Title next held by Hon. Charles Cathcart |
| Preceded by | Colonel of the94th Regiment of Foot 1834–1838 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colonel of the26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot 1838–1854 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colonel of the2nd Regiment of Life Guards 1854–1863 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Ireland 1855–1860 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colonel-in-Chief of theRifle Brigade 1861–1863 | |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey 1821–1828 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada 1828–1836 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ActingGovernor General of British North America 1837–1838 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baron Seaton 1839–1863 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor ofKing's College 1828–1835 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
