Brigadier-General Thomas Edgecumbe Hickman, CB, DSO (25 July 1859 – 23 October 1930) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

officer and Conservative Party politician. Hickman was one of sixteen children of Sir Alfred Hickman, industrialist and member of parliament for Wolverhampton West. Educated at Cheltenham School, in 1881 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the

36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot The 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1701. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot to form the Worcestershire Regiment in 1881. It ...

, which became the 2nd Battalion of the

Worcestershire Regiment The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment ...

in July of the same year. From 1884 to 1894 and again from 1896 to 1900 he was attached to the

Egyptian Army The Egyptian Army (), officially the Egyptian Ground Forces (), is the land warfare branch (and largest service branch) of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Until the declaration of the Republic and the abolishment of the monarchy on 18 June 1953, it w ...

, serving in the Camel Corps during the

Mahdist War The Mahdist War (; 1881–1899) was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later th ...

. He was awarded the

Osminieh Order The Order of Osmanieh (, Modern ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i Iftikhar, this became the second highest order ...

(fourth class) and

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie (, August 29, 1852 – 1922) was a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the order was awarded in five classes, with the Firs ...

(fourth class) by the

Khedive of Egypt The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which brought an end to the short-li ...

, and made a Companion of the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO). During these years he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 25 July 1888, received a brevet appointment as

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on 18 November 1896, a brevet appointment as lieutenant colonel on 16 November 1898, the substantive promotion to the rank of major on 14 February 1900, and the brevet appointment as

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on 14 March 1900. That year he transferred to South Africa to serve in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, which had started in October 1899. He was appointed a Companion of the Most Honourable

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

(Military Division) in April 1901. Following the end of the war in June 1902, he stayed on in South Africa as Colonel on the Staff for the Eastern sub district in the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

district command. He remained in South Africa until 1908. He was placed on half-pay on return to the United Kingdom, and officially retired from the army with the rank of brigadier-general in April 1914. Hickman entered politics, and was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South at the general election of January 1910. He held the seat until its abolition at the 1918 general election. With the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Hickman returned to the army, and was appointed general officer commanding the 109th Brigade,

36th (Ulster) Division The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteers, who f ...

, in September 1914. He remained with the brigade in France until 1916, then involving himself in recruitment activities. At the 1918 general election he was elected as

Coalition Conservative The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place soon after British victory in the ...

MP for the new seat of Wolverhampton Bilston. He retired from parliament at the next election in 1922. He was the director of a number of companies and was master of the Albrighton Hunt. He died at his residence, Wergs Hall, near

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

, aged 71.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hickman, Thomas Edgecumbe 1859 births 1930 deaths Military personnel from Wolverhampton British Army brigadiers People educated at Cheltenham College Worcestershire Regiment officers British Army generals of World War I Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People from Bilston UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 4th class Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of the Mahdist War 36th Regiment of Foot officers