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William Augustus Pitt was born in 1728, the son of George Pitt MP and Mary Louisa Bernier. He was the brother of George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers. He had a long career in the army, beginning on 1st Feb 1743 when he purchased a commission in the 10th Dragoons as a cornet. Three years later in Feb 1746 he was a lieutenant. The Army list has him as a captain in the 37th Foot on 16 April 1748 and on half pay on 25 Dec 1748. He returned to the 10th Dragoons on 12 June 1749 and was a major on 28 Jan 1755. He disappeared from the regimental list between 1756 and 1759 in which year he was appointed commanding officer, as lieutenant-colonel (6 April 1759).
In his short history of the 10th, Michael Brander says that Lt-Col Pitt was away from the regiment for long periods and that command devolved upon Major Davenport, who was killed at Warburg. But it was in the Seven Years War that Colonel Pitt suffered from a severe wound during the battle of Kloster Kampen in October 1760. He was captured, along with 32 others of the regiment.
1759 Appointed commanding officer of 10th Dragoons. 6 April (until Oct 1770) He was also MP for Wareham from 1754 to1761 but lost his seat while he was a prisoner of war in France. In 1763 he married Mary Howe, daughter of Lord Howe. They had no children. William Augustus Pitt lived at Highfield House, Hampshire where he died at the age of 81 on 29 Dec 1809. |
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