James Lindsay (British Army officer)

Summary

Lieutenant General Sir James Alexander Lindsay, KCMG (25 August 1815 – 13 August 1874) was a British Army officer, Conservative Party politician, and member of Clan Lindsay.

Sir James Lindsay
Lieutenant General Sir James Alexander Lindsay
Born(1815-08-25)25 August 1815
Muncaster Castle, Cumbria
Died13 August 1874(1874-08-13) (aged 58)
Mitcham, London
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1832–74
RankLieutenant General
Commands heldBritish Troops in Canada
Brigade of Guards
Battles/warsRed River Rebellion
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Career edit

Born at Muncaster Castle in 1815, James was the second son of James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford. Educated at Eton, Lindsay was commissioned an ensign in the Grenadier Guards on 16 March 1832.[1]

He was returned as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wigan at a by-election in October 1845, and held the seat until he was defeated at the 1857 general election.[2] He regained the seat at the 1859 election.[2] Promoted lieutenant colonel in 1860, he was commanding the Brigade of Guards in London in 1861.[3] He then served as a major general on the staff in Canada from 1863 to 1867.[1] During this period, in March 1866, he resigned from Parliament by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead.[4][5]

Lindsay served as Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards from 1867 to 1868, and inspector general of reserve forces from 1868 to 1870.[1] He was seconded from this command to serve as Commander of the British Troops in Canada during the Red River Rebellion, and organised the force of the Wolseley Expedition. On 15 September 1870, he was appointed to the colonelcy of The Buffs.[6] He was promoted to lieutenant general on 10 October 1870.[7] For his services in Canada, Lindsay was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George on 22 December 1870.[8] Lindsay died at Cranmer House, Mitcham in 1874.[9]

Family edit

Lindsay married Lady Sarah Elizabeth Savile, the daughter of John Savile, 3rd Earl of Mexborough, on 6 November 1845. They had children:[10]

  • James Greville Lindsay, died young
  • Reginald Dalrymple Lindsay, died young
  • Maud Isabella Lindsay
  • Mabel Lindsay (d. 1928), married Lieutenant Colonel William John Frescheville Ramsden
  • Mary Egidia Lindsay (d. 1911), married John Coutts Antrobus, son of Gibbs Antrobus

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Boase, Frederic (1897). Modern English Biography v. 2. Netherton & Worth. p. 865.
  2. ^ a b Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 331–332. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  3. ^ Journal of the Household Brigade 1860
  4. ^ Department of Information Services (9 June 2009). "Appointments to the Chiltern Hundreds and Manor of Northstead Stewardships since 1850" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2011.
  5. ^ "No. 23097". The London Gazette. 6 April 1866. p. 2253.
  6. ^ "No. 23667". The London Gazette. 11 October 1870. p. 4415.
  7. ^ "No. 23675". The London Gazette. 23 December 1870. p. 4735.
  8. ^ "No. 23690". The London Gazette. 23 December 1870. p. 5873.
  9. ^ "James Lindsay". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
  10. ^ Balfour Paul, Sir James (1906). The Scots Peerage. D. Douglas.

External links edit

  • Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James Lindsay
Military offices
Preceded by Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards
1867–1868
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the British Troops in Canada
March 1870 – September 1870
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 3rd (the East Kent) Regiment of Foot
1870–1874
Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wigan
1845–1857
With: Charles Strickland Standish 1845–1847
Ralph Anthony Thicknesse 1847–1854
Joseph Acton 1854–1857
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wigan
1859–1866
With: Henry Woods
Succeeded by