General Thomas Erle


Thomas Erle was born in 1650, the second son of Thomas Erle and Susanna Fiennes of Charborough House, Dorset. He was staunchly opposed to the Stuart dynasty, and in 1686 hosted a meeting of conspirators at Charborough House intent on deposing King James II. He was of course a great supporter of William of Orange, raising a regiment for his service in 1688. He fought the Jacobite army at the Boyne, the Siege of Limerick and Aughrim. He led the former Luttrell’s Regiment combined with some companies of his old regiment to Flanders. As a Brigadier-general he led the regiment at Landen in March 1693. He was Governor of Portsmouth from 1694 to 1712, and MP for Portsmouth from 1698. By 1702 he was a lieutenant-general, and Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance from 1705 to 1712. He took part in, and was wounded, at the battle of Almanza in 1707. Thomas Erle was married to Elizabeth Wyndham and they had a daughter, Frances. He died on 23 July 1820 and buried at Charborough.


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by Stephen Luscombe