Francis Grenfell, 1st Baron Grenfell

The Lord Grenfell
Lord Grenfell
Born	29 April 1841 Swansea, Wales
Died	27 January 1925 (aged 83) Windlesham, Surrey
Buried at	Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1859–1908
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	Egyptian Army 4th Army Corps Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Battles/wars	9th Xhosa War Anglo-Zulu War Anglo-Egyptian War Mahdist War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Other work	Pilgrims Society

Winchester Cathedral, memorial for Field Marshal Lord Grenfell

Field Marshal Francis Wallace Grenfell, 1st Baron Grenfell, GCB, GCMG, PC (29 April 1841 – 27 January 1925) was a British Army officer. After serving as aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, South Africa, he fought in the 9th Xhosa War, the Anglo-Zulu War and then the Anglo-Egyptian War. He went on to become Sirdar (Commander-in-Chief) of the Egyptian Army and commanded the forces at the Battle of Suakin in December 1888 and at the Battle of Toski in August 1889 during the Mahdist War. After that he became Governor of Malta and then Commander-in-Chief, Ireland before retiring in 1908.

Early life and career

Born the son of Pascoe St Leger Grenfell and Catherine Anne Grenfell (née Du Pre), Grenfell was educated at Milton Abbas School in Dorset but decided to leave school early.^[1]

Military career

Grenfell purchased a commission as an ensign in the 3rd Battalion of the 60th Royal Rifles on 5 August 1859.^[2] He then purchased promotion to lieutenant on 21 July 1863^[3] and to captain (in the last year in which purchase was allowed) on 28 October 1871.^[4] He became aide-de-camp to Sir Arthur Cunynghame, Commander-in-Chief, South Africa, in 1874.^[5] After taking part in the Battle of Quintana in February 1878 during the 9th Xhosa War in 1878, he was promoted to brevet major on 11 November 1878.^[6] He next fought at the Battle of Ulundi in July 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War and then returned to England to become brigade major at Shorncliffe Army Camp shortly before he was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 29 November 1879.^[5] He became brigade major of an infantry brigade in South Africa in April 1881^[7] and, having been promoted to the substantive rank of major on 1 July 1881,^[8] he fought at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.^[5] Promoted to brevet colonel on 18 November 1882, he was made aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria that same year.^[1]

Grenfell became Deputy Sirdar (Commander-in-Chief) of the Egyptian Army in late 1882 and, after commanding the Egyptian troops stationed at Aswan during the Nile Expedition, he became Sirdar himself in April 1885.^[5] He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on 25 August 1885,^[9] and having led his troops at the Battle of Ginnis in December 1885, was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel on 7 January 1886.^[10] He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 25 November 1886.^[11] He went on to command the forces at the Battle of Suakin in December 1888 and at the Battle of Toski in August 1889 during the Mahdist War and was promoted to major-general for distinguished service in the field on 3 August 1889.^[12] In recognition of the transformation he had achieved in making the Egyptian Army a successful fighting force, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George on leaving Egypt on 25 May 1892.^[13]

The Battle of Toski, at which Grenfell commanded the British forces, during the Mahdist War

Returning to England Grenfell became Deputy Adjutant-General at the War Office in 1892 and Inspector General of Auxiliary Forces at the War Office in August 1894.^[14] He returned to Egypt to command the British forces there (under the new Sirdar) in 1897, and having been promoted to lieutenant-general on 1 April 1898,^[15] he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 15 November 1898.^[16] He became Governor of Malta^[17] with the local rank of general on 1 January 1899^[18] and was created Baron Grenfell, of Kilvey in the County of Glamorgan on 15 July 1902.^[19] He went on to command the newly created 4th Army Corps in April 1903^[20] and, having been promoted to full general on 16 March 1904,^[21] he became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland and General Officer Commanding 3rd Army Corps in May 1904.^[22] He was promoted to field marshal on retirement on 11 April 1908.^[23] In May 1910 he attended the funeral of King Edward VII^[24] and in June 1911 he attended the coronation of King George V.^[25]

Grenfell served as colonel of the 1st Surrey (South London) Regiment,^[26] colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards and then colonel of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards^[27] as well as, latterly, colonel commandant the King's Royal Rifle Corps^[28] and colonel of the King's Own Malta Regiment of Militia.^[29] He was also a founding committee member of the Pilgrims Society in 1902.^[30] He died aged 83 at Windlesham in Surrey on 27 January 1925 and was buried at St Mary and All Saints Churchyard at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.^[31]

Family

In 1887 Grenfell married Evelyn Wood, daughter of Major General Robert Blucher Wood; they had no children. Following the death of his first wife, he married Margaret Majendie (daughter of Lewis Majendie MP) in 1903; they had two sons and a daughter.^[23]

Arms

Arms of Grenfell

Arms of Grenfell: Gules, on a fess between three clarions or a mural crown of the first.^[32]

Honours and Decorations

• GCB: Knigh Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 15 November 1898^[16]
• GCMG: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George - 25 May 1892 - on leaving Egypt^[13]

• LL.D. (honorary), University of Cambridge, May 1902.^[33]

Foreign decorations

Grenfell was awarded the Order of the Medjidie (second class) and the Order of Osmanieh (third class) on 27 May 1886.^[34] He was advanced to the Order of the Medjidie (first class) on 17 May 1888^[35] and to the Order of Osmanieh (first class) on 25 July 1892.^[36]

References

Sources

• Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley (UK): Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-696-5. 

Further reading

• Obituary in The Times, 28 January 1925
• Grenfell, Lord (1925). Memoirs of Lord Grenfell. Hodder & Stoughton. ASIN B0008564IE. 

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Civil Commissioners, Governors and Governors-General of Malta Civil Commissioners (1799-1813) Ball Pigot Cameron Ball Oakes Governors (1813-1964) Maitland Rawdon-Hastings Ponsonby Bouverie Stewart More O'Ferrall Reid le Marchant Storks Grant Straubenzee Borton Simmons Torrens Smyth Fremantle Grenfell Clarke Grant Rundle Methuen Plumer Congreve du Cane Campbell Bonham-Carter Dobbie Gort Schreiber Douglas Creasy Laycock Grantham Dorman Governors-General (1964-1974) Dorman Mamo