Thomas Napier (British Army officer)

Sir Thomas Napier

Born| 10 May 1790
Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died| 5 July 1863
Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland
Allegiance|  United Kingdom
Service/branch|  British Army
Rank| General
Commands held| Commander-in-Chief, Scotland
Battles/wars| Napoleonic Wars
Awards| Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

General Sir Thomas Erskine Napier KCB (10 May 1790 – 5 July 1863) was a British Army officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Scotland.

## Military career[edit]

Napier was commissioned into the 52nd Regiment of Foot on 3 July 1805.[1] He took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807, at the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 and at the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811 during the Napoleonic Wars.[1] He also took part in the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 where he was wounded.[1] He went on to be assistant adjutant-general in Belfast and then served as Commander-in-Chief, Scotland and also as Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1852 to 1854.[1] From 1854 to 1857 he was Colonel of the 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment[2] and from 1857 to his death Colonel of the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot.[3]

He was the brother of Admiral Sir Charles Napier.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Thomas Erskine Napier". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19771. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. ^ "Colonels". The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
3. ^ "71st (Glasgow Highland Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
4. ^ "Napier". Electric Scotland. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

Military offices

Preceded by

Henry Riddell

|  Commander-in-Chief, Scotland
1852–1854  | Succeeded by

The Viscount Melville

Governor of Edinburgh Castle
1852–1854
Preceded by

Sir James Macdonell

|  Colonel of the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot
1857–1863  | Succeeded by

Hon. Charles Grey

Preceded by

William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford

|  Colonel of the 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment
1854–1857  | Succeeded by

Cecil Bisshopp