William Lovelace Walton


Walton was born in 1788, the son of the Dowager Lady Strachan. He was commissioned as Ensign in the Coldstream Guards on 8th May 1806. He was at the siege and capture of Copenhagen in 1807 and at the end of December 1808, embarked with the 1st battalion at Ramsgate for the Peninsula where he remained throughout 1809, 1910 and the first part of 1811. He was at Talavera and Busaco, the retreat to the Lines at Torres Vedras and advance to the Spanish frontier.

He was promoted Lieutenant and Captain on 7th March 1811 and returned to the UK in May. He then served with the 2nd Battalion, embarking for Holland in November 1813 with six companies. He was on the continent until 1818, commanding the Light Company at Waterloo. After the battle he was appointed Brigade Major in place of W Stothert, 3rd Guards, who was fatally wounded.

He was promoted to Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel on 20th Feb 1823. In 1832 he married Harriet Lovell. Promotion again in 1837 to Major and Colonel and becoming Regimental Lieutenant-Colonel (Commanding Officer) on 31st December 1839. He held that position until 8th May 1846 when he retired, becoming a Major-General on 9th November that year. On 20th June 1854 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General and became Colonel of the 5th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers on 20th Feb 1856. He reached the rank of General on 13th February 1863 and died on 11th January 1865.

This portrait is by Healy, painted in 1838 so he is a Major here. His double-breasted coatee is scarlet with gilt buttons in pairs. The gold laced collar has a silver star badge. The epaulettes carry the badges of rank, in his case a crown and star, above the regimental badge of the rose. His trousers have a gold stripe which shows he is in levee dress. The sword belt is a special pattern for field officers, being of red leather with three gold embroidered stripes. It is worn over the crimson sash. His medals are for Waterloo and the Military General Service, with two clasps for Busaco and Talavera.

This information was taken from an article by Ernest J Martin published in the Military Historical Society Bulletin no 23, Feb 1956.


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