William Keppel (British Army officer, died 1834)

Sir William Keppel
Died11 December 1834
Buried
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
RankGeneral
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

General Sir William Keppel GCB (died 11 December 1834) was a British soldier and colonial administrator.

Military career

He entered the army as an ensign in the 25th Regiment of Foot on 25 January 1777, and became a lieutenant in the 60th Regiment of Foot 4 March 1777. He subsequently served in the 23rd Regiment of Foot and the 15th Regiment of Foot the next year, the 82nd Regiment of Foot in 1782, and the 93rd Regiment of Foot in 1783. He was breveted colonel in 1794. On 20 May 1795, he was promoted colonel of the 3rd West India Regiment, which he commanded until 1806.[1]

He was governor of Martinique 1796–1802. In 1803, he was promoted to lieutenant general. On 24 April 1806, he was appointed colonel of the King's Royal Rifle Corps until 7 February 1811, when he transferred as colonel to the 67th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1828. He was promoted full General on 4 June 1813.

He became Governor of Portsmouth in 1826[2] and he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Governor of Guernsey in 1827.[1] On 25 August 1828, he was appointed colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot.[3]

He was a Groom of the Bedchamber and Equerry to King George IV of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1830 (including the period 1812 to 1820 when the King acted as Prince Regent during his father's mental illness).[1] He was knighted in 1813 [4] and on 2 January 1815, made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

References

  1. ^ a b c "General The Rt Hon Sir William Keppel GCB 1828 – 1834". Queen's Royal Surreys. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  2. ^ "No. 18319". The London Gazette. 2 January 1827. p. 2.
  3. ^ Cannon (1838) p. 71
  4. ^ "No. 16699". The London Gazette. 1813. p. 228.

Sources

Military offices
New regiment Colonel of the 3rd West India Regiment
1795–1806
Succeeded by
Preceded by
William Gardiner
Colonel of the 1st Battalion, 60th Regiment of Foot
1806–1811
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Peter Craig
Colonel of the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
1811–1828
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Portsmouth
1826–1827
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Guernsey
1827–1834
Succeeded by
Abolished
Preceded by Colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot
1828–1834
Succeeded by