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Philip Honywood was born in Charing, Kent in 1677. He was the son of Charles Ludovic Honywood and Mary Clement. His grandfather was Sir Robert Honeywood, a politician and member of the English Council of State during Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate. His father died when he was 10 and he was commissioned into an Infantry regiment on 12 June 1694. He served in the Netherlands and in Spain under Marlborough, actively involved during the campaigns of 1705-06, the storming of Valencia d’Alcantara where his regiment, the 33rd Foot was highly praised. In 1709 he was given the colonelcy of a newly raised regiment and in 1710 promoted to brigadier-general.
He fell out of favour with Queen Anne when, on a public occasion, together with two other generals, he drank a toast that was offensive to the Government: ‘Damnation and confusion to the new Ministry, and to those who had any hand in turning out the old.’ The New Ministry in question was the Harley Ministry, the government of 1704 to 1712 which was suspected of Jacobite sympathy. Honywood was a staunch Protestant. When this was brought to the attention of Queen Anne she said that she had no further use for the services of the three generals. But when George I acceded to the throne in 1714 his fortunes were restored and he was commissioned to raise the 11th Dragoons. As Colonel of this regiment he commanded them during the Jacobite Rebellion and commanded a brigade at Preston on 12 Nov 1715. He was wounded in the shoulder whilst storming the avenue leading to Wigan. In 1719 he commanded a brigade in Lord Cobham’s expedition to Spain, and captured Vigo with a force of only 800 men. In 1726 he was promoted to Major-General and given a post on the staff for the planned campaign in Holland, but it was cancelled, and in 1732 he was appointed Colonel of the 3rd Dragoons. He was Colonel of the 3rd for 11 years then transferred to the King’s Own Regiment of Horse (KDG) on 18 April 1743. He was with the regiment in Flanders, and at the battle of Dettingen on 16 June 1743 he led a cavalry charge of the Blues and KDG. For his service in the War of the Austrian Succession he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath. The mezzotint of General Sir Philip Honywood was published in 1751 but based on a portrait painted earlier depicting the ramparts and Gate of Portsmouth and Southsea Common. He was Governor of Portsmouth at the time. The horse furniture is very ornate but his coat is strangely devoid of gold lace. The lapels reach to the bottom of the coat and the buttons are in pairs so it is safe to assume that this is a regimental coat of the King’s Own Regiment of Horse (KDG). He wears the star and sash of the Order of the Bath and carries a plain baton. His hat is worn at a rakish angle and the style of wig is often seen in portraits painted in the first half of the 18th century. He died in Portsmouth on 17 June 1752 aged 75.
1694 Ensign in the Hon James Stanley's Regt. of Foot. 12 June |
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