Robert Monckton

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Robert Monckton : biography

24 June 1726 – 21 May 1782

The capture of Martinique by Monckton was of tremendous strategic importance to the British war effort as it gave the British a very valuable bargaining chip in the subsequent peace negotiations. The French much desired the return of this valuable island and it’s sugar plantations. At the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Seven Years War, the French willingly bargained away Canada and Acadia in return for Martinique. Voltaire at the time, famously stated that Canada was nothing more than "a few acres of snow". The capture of Martinique thus helped to disproportionately influence the course of history in North America.

Later life

Monckton returned from the Caribbean later in 1762. He was subsequently named Governor of the Province of New York. He held this position until 1765, even though he left North America for good in 1763. In 1765 he was appointed governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed. In 1770 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. Monckton became interested in becoming the British military commander of India and although he had the East India Company nomination and some royal support, he was not offered the position. Instead, he was offered the command of the British army in North America which he declined. In 1778 he became governor of Portsmouth and MP for the town in the Admiralty interest. Also that year, his younger brother, Henry Monckton was killed while leading the grenadiers at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey during the evacuation of Philadelphia. The following year, Robert Monckton organised Portsmouth’s defences against the Armada of 1779 (during the American War of Independence). Monckton died on 21 May 1782 at age 55 and is buried in St. Mary Abbot’s Church, Kensington, London.

Early life

Robert Monckton was the second son of Elizabeth Manners and John Monckton (later the first Viscount Galway) and, like many second sons of British aristocrats, he entered military service. He enlisted in 1741 at the age of 15 and received a commission in the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards. He saw action in the War of the Austrian Succession, later staying on in Flanders after the bulk of the British Army had been recalled in 1745 to deal with the Jacobite Rebellion. He rose rapidly through the ranks, eventually becoming Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the 47th Foot in early 1752.

Monckton’s father died later that year and he subsequently inherited the family controlled seat of Pontefract in Parliament. He resigned his parliamentary seat within the year, after receiving a military posting in Nova Scotia as commander of Fort Lawrence, which was located on the frontier with Acadia, facing Fort Beausejour across the Missaguash River. Monckton stayed in this posting for less than a year but the experience he gained during this time would prove invaluable to him during subsequent events.

Monckton was called to Halifax in 1753 to preside over a court martial but was asked to stay on as a member of the colonial council. Monckton deftly handled a minor uprising by German settlers (the Hoffman Insurrection) near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia later that year.

Legacy

Monckton remains somewhat of a controversial historical figure. He is generally reviled by the Acadian population of the Maritimes because of the deportation drama, but for the most part, Monckton was merely a subordinate following Governor Lawrence’s directives. Aside from the deportation debacle, Monckton can be considered as one of the more skilled British commanders during the Seven Years War and as a competent administrator.

Monckton’s actions in The Maritimes has led him to be greatly known in the region. The city of Moncton, New Brunswick (near Fort Beausejour) is named for him. As of 2006, the population of Metro Moncton (Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview) is 126, 424.

As an example of the mixed emotions surrounding Monckton’s legacy, "The Un-Canadians", a 2007 article in Beaver Magazine, includes Robert Monckton, Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, and Ezekiel Stone Wiggins, in a list of people in the history of Canada who were considered contemptible: "Lieutenant-General Robert Monckton, a colonial administrator in British North America, implemented the exile of the Acadians in 1755."