General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

William Loftus (1752 – 15 July 1831) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

officer and Member of Parliament.

Early life and career

Loftus was born at Raynham in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

early in 1752 and was later christened at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin where his ancestor Archbishop Adam Loftus is buried. Loftus was the second son of Captain Henry Loftus, by his wife Diana, daughter of William Bullock of Sturston Hall in Norfolk. When Loftus was eighteen, his father purchased a commission for him in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in the 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, which was deployed to North America in 1775, where he saw action in the American War of IndependenceR. G. Thorne
LOFTUS, William (1752-1831), of Stiffkey, Norf.
at

The History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in ...

Online. Accessed 19 February 2014. before returning to Ireland almost three years later. Loftus was promoted to

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1796,

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

in 1803 and full

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

in 1813. He served as Governor of

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Du ...

from 1807 to 1810 and as

Lieutenant of the Tower of London The Lieutenant of the Tower of London serves directly under the Constable of the Tower. The office has been appointed at least since the 13th century. There were formerly many privileges, immunities and perquisites attached to the office. Like the ...

from 1810, and from 1821, Colonel of the

2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) The 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was first raised in 1685 by the Earl of Peterborough as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse by merging four existing troops of horse. Renamed several ...

until his death. Loftus died peacefully at his house in

Wimpole Street Wimpole Street is a street in Marylebone, central London. Located in the City of Westminster, it is associated with private medical practice and medical associations. No. 1 Wimpole Street is an example of Edwardian baroque architecture, comple ...

on 15 July 1831 and was buried eight days later alongside his second wife Lady Elizabeth Loftus in the Townshend family vault at

Raynham Hall Raynham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. For nearly 400 years it has been the seat of the Townshend family. The hall gave its name to the five estate villages, known as The Raynhams, and is reported to be haunted, providing the scene ...

Role in the American War of Independence

Loftus embarked for

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

from

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

on 10 April 1775 and arrived at a city under siege by local militia on 24 May. Three weeks later, Loftus, a cavalry

Cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

, volunteered to dismount for his first military action at Bunker Hill overlooking the city, under the command of General Sir William Howe, who on this occasion, was pleased to give him the rank of Lieutenant. The shock of one of the bloodiest battles of the war was followed by long winter months under siege in Boston, which ended in an ignominious evacuation in March 1776. Loftus was seconded as an assistant engineer building fortifications in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

for the next few months (ibid.). In July 1776, Loftus landed with his regiment on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

, where the 17th joined forces with the newly recruited Hessian troops. He distinguished himself with great gallantry in his first command on the Bedford Road under

Sir William Erskine There have been five baronetcies of the United Kingdom created for a person with the surname Erskine, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creatio ...

, personally commended by General Howe for his part in driving back the Americans and capturing General Sullivan, together with two Brigadier-Generals and ten field officers (ibid). A few weeks later at Kip's Bay, Loftus was presented with the opportunity to change the course of history when he saw General Washington virtually unguarded and galloped to:

"''...within a hundred yards of that General George Washington, whom he nearly captured. The men whom he had with him were all knocked out of their saddles by the American riflemen concealed behind a fence. Had he been fortunate enough to take such a prize, probably the whole course of events would have changed.''"

This account may well be apocryphal but it matches what is now known about a moment of fury on that day, 15 September 1776, when Washington briefly lowered his guard. A few weeks later, Loftus had the honour of being selected with twenty picked light dragoons, as General Howe's personal guard at

Pelham Manor Pelham Manor is an affluent village located in Westchester County, New York. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total population of 5,752. It is located in the town of Pelham. History The Bolton Priory, Edgewood House, and Pelhamdale are ...

. At White Plains, Howe chose him to lead the Hessian Grenadiers across the

Bronx River The Bronx River (), approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States and drains an area of . It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. Besides the Hutchinson River, the Bronx River is the only fresh water river i ...

, where he was wounded. His wounds were not critical and he was back in the field the following month, when he joined Lord Percy's brigade at the

Battle of Fort Washington The Battle of Fort Washington was fought in New York on November 16, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War between the United States and Great Britain. It was a British victory that gained the surrender of the remnant of the garrison of ...

. His regiment was unable to provide any hope for further promotion, so Loftus transferred to a company in the 44th regiment and was ordered by General Knyphausen to defend a pass at Kingsbridge with one hundred men. The pass was defended, finally pushing the militia back in Kingsbridge in what was one of the heaviest defeats for the Americans in that war but Loftus was once again wounded, and withdrew to winter quarters, missing the action at The Battle of Trenton. Loftus returned to active duty with Colonel Bird up the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...

to Peck's Hill in January 1777, where they blew up the American ammunitions stores. This was followed by a number of actions in New Jersey in 1777. Loftus was promoted to captain and returned to Ireland as aide-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenants of Ireland at

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the ...

Rebellion in Ireland

Loftus was appointed as

ADC ADC may refer to: Science and medicine * ADC (gene), a human gene * AIDS dementia complex, neurological disorder associated with HIV and AIDS * Allyl diglycol carbonate or CR-39, a polymer * Antibody-drug conjugate, a type of anticancer treatment ...

to successive

Lords Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...

from 1778 until 1783. He forged life-time friendships in this office,United Service Magazine, 1831, vol.7 p.208 seen as "a good officer and so respectable in his character and connexxions". Loftus returned to active duty in the 3rd Regiment of Guards purchasing a company in 1784, and served as Lt-Colonel based in London. He moved his family to Norfolk in 1790 (ibid.) and in 1794, raised the 24th Light Dragoons, appointed Brevet Colonel of that regiment(portrait left). In 1796, Loftus was made a Major General on the English staff and was sworn in as a Member of the Irish Parliament for

Lord Ely Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ...

and returned to

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buck ...

as member for

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of ...

for Lord Townshend in the same year. Loftus was removed to the Irish staff in 1797 at the request of

Lord Camden Marquess Camden is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1812 for the politician John Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden. The Pratt family descends from Sir John Pratt, Lord Chief Justice from 1718 to 1725. His third son from his ...

and appointed to be Commander in Chief in

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following th ...

based in

. He reported back to Camden that the Catholics of Munster were in favour of "good order and government" and that if he wanted to root out sedition, he should look at "Dublin or the North". Loftus left the grateful citizens of Cork in 1798 to take command of Laughlinstown camp. In the same year, he commanded a brigade at the

battle of Vinegar Hill The Battle of Vinegar Hill ('' Irish'': ''Cath Chnoc Fhíodh na gCaor'') was a military engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 between a force of approximately 13,000 government troops under the command of Gerard Lake a ...

and presided over a military court at the trial of

Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously known as Wolfe Tone ( ga, Bhulbh Teón; 20 June 176319 November 1798), was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members in Belfast and Dublin of the United Irishmen, a republican socie ...

.Belfast Newsletter, "Theobold Wolfe Tone", 13 November 1798 In 1800 Loftus was transferred back to the staff in England but retained both Irish and Parliamentary seats to see the Act of Union through.

Family

Loftus married firstly on 18 February 1778, Margaret daughter of Maccerel King of Lesson Hall, Dublin. They had two sons and two daughters before she died on 4 May 1786. He was married secondly on 7 May 1790 to Lady Elizabeth Townshend, daughter of

George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend Field Marshal George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, PC (28 February 172414 September 1807), known as The Viscount Townshend from 1764 to 1787, was a British soldier and politician. After serving at the Battle of Dettingen during the War ...

. They had five sons and four daughters.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loftus, William

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 the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yo ...

Bunker Hill Bunker Hill Bunker Hill Bunker Hill 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) officers 17th Lancers officers 18th century in Boston 18th-century Anglo-Irish people 19th-century Anglo-Irish people 1752 births 1775 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay 1775 in the Thirteen Colonies 1776 in the United States 1831 deaths Battles involving Great Britain Battles involving the United States Battles of the New York Campaign British Army generals British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War British MPs 1796–1800 Charlestown, Boston Conflicts in 1775 Conflicts in 1776 History of the Royal Marines Irish MPs 1790–1797 Irish MPs 1798–1800 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wexford constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Military history of New England UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818 Fort Washington Fort Washington

Fortification of Dorchester Heights The Fortification of Dorchester Heights was a decisive action early in the American Revolutionary War that precipitated the end of the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from that city. On March 4, 1776, troops from the Contin ...

Landing at Kip's Bay The Landing at Kip's Bay was a British amphibious landing during the New York Campaign in the American Revolutionary War on September 15, 1776. It occurred on the East River shore of Manhattan north of what then constituted New York City. ...

Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular tow ...

William William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...