Patrick Grant

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Patrick Grant bigraphy, stories - British Army officer

Patrick Grant : biography

1804 – 11 September 1895

Field Marshal Sir Patrick Grant, GCB, GCMG (1804 – 11 September 1895) was a senior British Army officer.

Military career

He was the second son of Major John Grant, of the 97th Regiment of Foot, of Auchterblair, Invernessshire, where he was born.

He entered the Bengal Native Infantry as an ensign in 1820, and became captain in 1832. He served in Oudh from 1834 to 1838, and raised the Hariana Light Infantry. Employed in the adjutant-general’s department of the Bengal Presidency army from 1838 until 1854, he became adjutant-general in 1846. He served under Sir Hugh Gough at the Battle of Maharajpore in 1843, winning a brevet majority, was adjutant-general of the army at the battles of Moodkee in 1845 (twice severely wounded), and of Ferozeshah and Sobraon in 1846, receiving the CB and the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel.

He took part in the battles of Chillianwala and Gujarat in 1849, gaining further promotion, and was appointed aide-de-camp to the queen. He served also in Kohat in 1851 under Sir Charles Napier. Promoted to major-general in 1854, he was commander-in-chief of the Madras Army in 1856. He was advanced to KCB in 1857, and on General Anson’s death was summoned to Calcutta to become Commander-in-Chief, India. From Calcutta he directed the operations against the mutineers, sending forces under Henry Havelock and James Outram for the relief of Cawnpore and Lucknow, until the arrival of Sir Colin Campbell from England as commander-in-chief, when he returned to command the Madras Army again. On leaving India in 1861 he was decorated with the GCB. He was promoted lieutenant-general in 1862, was governor of Malta from 1867 to 1872, was made GCMG in 1868, promoted general in 1870, field marshal in 1874 and colonel of the Royal Horse Guards and Gold-Stick-in-Waiting to the Queen in 1885.

He married, in 1832, Jane Anne Fraser-Tytler (1804–1838) the 3rd child of William Fraser-Tytler (1777–1853) and had 2 children, Alexander Charles Grant (1834–1910) and then Aldourie Patrick Grant (1837–1860). He married his second wife, in 1844, Frances Maria, daughter of Field Marshal Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough.

He was governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, from 1874 until his death there in 1895. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.