Henry Wyndham


Henry Wyndham was born on 12 May 1790, the second son (illegitimate) of the 3rd Earl of Egremont. In 1806 he joined the army as an ensign in the 31st Regiment but within a month had transferred to the Foot Guards. He served in the Peninsula as ADC to the Duke of Wellington and fought at Vimiera and Rorica. He also served with Sir John Moore and brought home despatches after Corunna, at the same time escorting a French prisoner, General Lefèvre. He transferred to the 10th Hussars in July 1809 with the rank of captain and served in the Peninsula in 1811 attached to the Portuguese cavalry, and was at the battle of Albuhera. When the 10th came out to Spain in 1813 he fought with them at Morales del Toro. He and his squadron played a prominent part in the pursuit of the French after Vittoria and in operations in the Pyrenees.

He left the regiment in 1813 and purchased his majority in the 60th Rifles, then became a lieutenant-colonel in Dillon’s Regiment which was a unit of foreign soldiers serving for the British, but it was disbanded in 1814. He then transferred to the Coldstream Guards and fought with them at Waterloo. He achieved fame at Hougoumont where he and three others prevented the French from forcing their way in. He was severely wounded in the battle and would have lost an arm but for the intervention of Assistant Surgeon Jenks of the 10th Hussars.

On 11 July 1816 Henry Wyndham was appointed CO of the 19th Lancers, but they were also disbanded in 1821 and he went on half pay. In March 1824 he succeeded George Quentin as CO of the 10th Hussars and remained with the regiment for 9 years. He retired on 22 March 1833, and reached the rank of major-general in 1837. He commanded the Dublin District from 1843 to 46, promoted to lieutenant-general in 1846. He was appointed Colonel of the 11th Hussars on 19 Nov 1847. He also sat as MP for Cockermouth from 1852 to 57 and West Cumberland from 1857 to 1860. He was promoted to General in 1854 and knighted KCB. He died on 2 August 1860. The portrait is a detail from Sir William Beechey’s painting of the three Wyndham brothers, Henry, George and Charles. It was painted in 1814 at a time when Henry was moving from one regiment to another, the 60th Rifles, Dillon’s and the Coldstream Guards. But his scarlet uniform here is that of a staff officer, ADC to a General.


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