| The Lord Methuen | |
|---|---|
Lord Methuen, circa 1902. |
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| Born | 14 December 1846 |
| Died | 6 July 1914 (aged 67) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1865 - 1912 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Unit | Ashanti Campaign Second Boer War |
| Commands held | Home District Eastern Command South Africa Natal Malta |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order |
Field Marshal Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen GCB, GCMG, GCVO (1 September 1845 – 30 October 1932) was a British military commander.
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Paul Sanford Methuen was born at Corsham Court, Wiltshire, the eldest of three sons of Frederick Henry Paul Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen and his wife Anna Horatia Caroline Sanford.[1]
Educated at Eton College, Methuen served two years in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and then joined the Scots Guards as an ensign in 1864.[1]
He was promoted to Captain in 1867[1] and was appointed adjutant of the 1st battalion in 1868.[1]
He saw active duty at Amoaful in the Ashanti campaign of 1873 - 1874 on the staff of Sir Garnet Wolseley.[1] He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1876[1] and became regimental major in 1882.[1]
He became brigade major, Home District from 1871,[1] Assistant Military Secretary in Ireland from 1877,[1] military attaché in Berlin from 1878[1] and assistant adjutant and quartermaster general at the Home District from 1881.[1] He was the commandant of headquarters in Egypt for three months in 1882, being present at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir.[1]
He served in the expedition of Sir Charles Warren to Bechuanaland in 1884 to 1885, where he commanded Methuen's Horse, a corps of mounted rifles.[1] He was deputy adjutant-general, in South Africa from 1888.[1]
He was promoted to major-general in May 1888[1] and was Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding the Home District from 1892 to 1897.[1] He served in 1897 as press censor at headquarters on the Tirah expedition[1] and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1898.[1] He was then given the command of the 1st Division on the outbreak of the South African War.[1]
Methuen was a perfect Christian knight - there could not be a nobler gentleman
Paul Methuen reached South Africa in 1899 and expelled the Boers from Belmont and Graspan.[1] He was slightly wounded at the Battle of Modder River.[3] He suffered both defeats and successes during the war. His greatest defeat was at the Battle of Magersfontein, for which he was best remembered. He was captured on 7 March 1902 by the Boers[4] at the Tweebosch, the only British general to be captured during the war. He had been wounded in the battle as well as breaking his leg after his horse fell on him. Boer general Koos de la Rey released him due to the severity of his injuries, providing his personal cart to take Methuen to hospital in Klerksdorp. The two allegedly became lifelong friends as a result of this action.[5]
Despite these visible setbacks, Methuen continued to be well regarded, and was given more responsibilities. He was appointed colonel of the Scots Guards in 1904,[1] then general,[1] and in June was given the command of the IV Army Corps,[1] which was reconstituted as Eastern Command in 1905.
In 1908 he was appointed general officer commanding-in-chief in South Africa.[1] He was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of Natal in 1910 and was made a field marshal in 1911.[1]
He helped raise the standards of training of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914.[1] In 1915 he was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of Malta until he retired in 1919.[1]
In retirement he was appointed Constable of the Tower late in 1919.[1] Lord Methuen died at Corsham Court on 30 October 1932[1] and was succeeded by his son Paul Ayshford Methuen, 4th Baron Methuen.
Lord Methuen was married twice, first to Evelyn,[1] the eldest daughter of Sir Frederick Hutchingson Hervey-Bathurst, third baronet of Clarendon Park, Wiltshire. They were married in 1878 until her death in 1879. He then married in 1884, his cousin Mary Ethel,[1] the second daughter of William Ayshford Sanford, of Nynehead Court. They had three sons and four daughters.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Philip Smith |
GOC Home District 1892–1897 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Trotter |
| Preceded by The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |
Colonel of the Scots Guards 1904–1932 |
Succeeded by The Duke of York |
| New title New Post
|
GOC-in-C Eastern Command 1905–1908 |
Succeeded by Sir Arthur Paget |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Evelyn Wood |
Constable of the Tower of London 1920–1932 |
Succeeded by Lord Milne |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Frederick Henry Paul Methuen |
Baron Methuen 1891–1932 |
Succeeded by Paul Ayshford Methuen |