George Beckwith (British Army officer)

General Sir George Beckwith GCB (1753 – 20 March 1823) was a British Army officer.

General Sir George Beckwith GCB
Sir George Beckwith
Born	1753
Died	20 March 1823 (aged 69–70)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	General
Commands	Ireland
Battles / wars	American Revolutionary War Napoleonic Wars
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Bath

Military career

Beckwith was commissioned into the 37th Regiment of Foot in 1771. He distinguished himself as a regimental officer in the American Revolutionary War, where he was assistant to Major Oliver Delancey responsible for British Intelligence.

In July 1782, he replaced Delancey and after the war he worked for Sir Guy Carleton in Canada. His efforts were aimed at stirring up trouble in Vermont, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee. At the time Britain thought the weak American government might ask for British help.^[1]

He was then appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda in 1797, when a colonel. His baggage and furniture left England on 23 September 1797, aboard the Caledonia, travelling in a convoy bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, but was lost when the Caledonia was captured by the French. Beckwith was to follow aboard a Royal Navy frigate and so escaped the fate of his baggage. He arrived in Bermuda in February 1798. Beckwith was later appointed Governor of Saint Vincent in 1806 and Governor of Barbados in 1810.^[2]

On 1 May 1809, he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath (later apparently elevated to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath) for his Capture of Martinique in 1809 and also led a successful expedition against Guadeloupe, the last French possession in the area, in 1810. He attained the full rank of general in 1814. Sir George Beckwith was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland from 1816 to 1820. He died in London on 20 March 1823.^[2]

Family

His father was Major General John Beckwith, who commanded the 20th Regiment of Foot. His brothers were Captain John Beckwith, Thomas Sydney Beckwith and Brigadier General Ferdinand Beckwith. He was also the uncle of Major-General John Charles Beckwith.

References

1. Spain 2004.
2. Bolton 1885, p. 88-89.

Bibliography

• Bolton, Augustus Samuel (1885). "Beckwith, George" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Spain, Jonathan (2004). "Beckwith, Sir George (1752/3–1823)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1911. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Government offices
Preceded by Henry Tucker	Governor of Bermuda 1798–1803	Succeeded by Henry Tucker
Preceded by Henry William Bentinck	Governor of Saint Vincent 1806–1808	Succeeded by Charles Brisbane
Preceded by John Spooner acting	Governor of Barbados 1810–1815	Succeeded by James Leith
Military offices
Preceded by Henry Bowyer	Commander-in-Chief Windward and Leeward Islands 1808–1814	Succeeded by Sir James Leith
Preceded by Sir Brent Spencer	Colonel of the 2nd West India Regiment 1809–1818	Succeeded by Henry Torrens
Preceded by Sir George Hewett	Commander-in-Chief, Ireland 1816–1820	Succeeded by Sir David Baird
Preceded by The Earl of Lindsey	Colonel of the 89th Regiment of Foot 1818–1823	Succeeded by Sir Robert Henry MacFarlane