General Hon Sir William Lumley GCB

William Lumley was born on 28 Aug 1769, the 7th son of Richard Lumley-Saunderson, 4th Earl of Scarborough and Barbara Savile. He was educated at Eton and commissioned into the 10th Light Dragoons in 1787. He transferred to the 22nd Light Dragoons in 1795 as lieutenant-colonel and served in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He distinguished himself at Antrim Castle where he was severely wounded.
His service abroad included Egypt in 1801, and South Africa where he fought at the Battle of Blaauwberg, He was also with General Whitelocke’s 1807 invasion of the River Plate in which he fought at the battle of Montevideo. In 1808 he was with Sir John Stuart’s invasion of Italy and the capture of Ischia. He went to Spain for the Peninsula War and commanded the cavalry brigade at Albuera in 1811. He led a successful cavalry action at Usarge but this was his last battle as he was suffering from ill health and had to be sent home.
He became a courtier under the Prince Regent and was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber in 1812. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1814 and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). In 1819 he was made Governor of Bermuda but this ended badly in 1825 as he was convicted by the court for illegally interfering in the ecclesiastical matters of the island and fined 1,000 pounds.
He was Colonel of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons from 3 Nov 1827 until 30 April 1840 when he transferred to the King’s Dragoon Guards. He was upgraded to GCB in 1831 and promoted to General in 1837. He retired from royal and military duties in 1842. He was married twice, firstly to Mary Sutherland of Ulverstone on 3 Oct 1804, but she died less than 3 years later. He married again on 3 Mar 1817, to Mrs Louisa Margaret Cotton (née Robbins), widow of Colonel Lynch Cotton. Sir William Lumley died at his London home at Grosvenor Square on 15 Dec 1850.

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