Sir Humphrey Bland


Humphrey Bland was born in Lisburn, Ireland c1686, the second child of six, of Thomas Bland. His mother was from the Trydelt family. He was commissioned in March 1704, and in July 1709 became a major in Colonel Frederick Sibourg’s Regiment of Foot which was one of 5 regiments of exiled Huguenots raised in April 1705. He fought in Spain at the Siege of Alicante in 1709 and Almenar in 1710. The regiment was disbanded and he transferred as major in Honywood’s 11th Dragoons in 1715. He was closely connected to Sir Philip Honywood for the rest of his military career. He also served in the Royal Dragoons in 1717 and became CO of the King’s Own Regiment of Horse (KDG) in 1718. He remained in command of the regiment for 19 years, relinquishing the post in 1737.

During this time he was writing ‘A Treatise of Military Discipline’ first published in 1827 (the 8th edition, revised and corrected, was printed in 1759) which laid out the duties of regimental officers. It was a well-known and successful book. George Washington used it in the Virginia Militia and the Continental Army. He was appointed Colonel of the 36th Foot on 27 June 1737 but transferred to the 13th Dragoons on 9 Jan 1741. In 1742 he was made QMG and continued his active service in the War of the Austrian Succession during which time he became Colonel of the 3rd Dragoons on 18 April 1743. He was present at Dettingen in June 1743 and became one of the Duke of Cumberland’s circle of trusted officers, commanding a brigade of cavalry at Fontenoy in May 1745. He was a major-general when he went with the Duke to Scotland for the Jacobite Rebellion, and was at Falkirk and Culloden in 1746. He returned to mainland Europe for the battle of Lauffeld in 1747 but was then appointed Commander-in-Chief of Scotland.

In Scotland he worked closely with Lord Milton, a senior Scottish Judge, to reduce the power of clan chiefs and introduce industry to improve the economy. He produced a paper titled ‘Proposals for civilising the Highlands'. He also proposed the re-establishment of Oliver Cromwell’s network of military garrisons throughout Scotland. He laid out regulations for the interaction of soldiers and the local population, and education, in an attempt to win hearts and minds.

He was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in 1749. This did not require him to live there but he chose to move to the Rock in 1751 in an effort to improve his health which had deteriorated in Scotland. On 8 July 1752 Bland was appointed Colonel of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards and appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle, described as a sinecure which allowed him to stay in Gibraltar. But he returned to Britain to take up the post of Commander-in-Chief of Scotland for the second time, from 1753. In 1756 he retired with the rank of lieutenant-general.

He was married to Elizabeth Dalrymple, daughter of Hon George Dalrymple and granddaughter of the 1st Earl of Stair, but there were no children. They lived at Blandsfort, Abbeyleix, County Laois, Ireland. He died on 8 May 1763.


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