William Hampton Parlby

General William Hampton Parlby was a senior British Army officer, who served in British cavalry regiments in India and the Crimean War.

William Hampton Parlby
Birth name	William Hampton Parlby
Born	1801 Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	26 October 1881 Hubberston, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1816–1881
Rank	General
Unit	4th (Queen's Own) Light Dragoons
Commands	10th Hussars Cavalry formations in the Crimea Curragh Cavalry Brigade
Battles / wars	Crimean War
Awards	British Crimea Medal Sardinian Crimea Medal Turkish Crimea Medal 4th Class Order of the Medjidie

Family background

William Parlby was born in India in what was known as the Bengal Presidency in 1801;^[1] his parents were Colonel James Templer Parlby, an engineer in the East India Company (but originally from Plymouth) and Lousia Munt (she was originally from London).^[2] He was one of five siblings, four of which survived childhood. His grandfather was Thomas Parlby a master mason and architect from Plymouth.^[3]

William's mother Louisa was a collector of locally commissioned pictures of scenes of colonial and local life around their residence in India, i.e. the cantonment at Maidapur (near the administrative centre of Berhampore, West Bengal).^[4]

William Parlby died a bachelor in Hubberston, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on 26 October 1881, none of his relatives were named in the will and probate record.^[5]

Military career

William Parlby was commissioned as a cornet in the 4th (Queen's Own) Light Dragoons on 3 October 1816; he was promoted to lieutenant on 17 May 1824 and then to captain on 28 September 1826.^[6] He is recorded as being a brevet major in 1841^[7] and in 1845.^[8] In 1843 he commanded a detachment of his regiment in Wales during the Rebecca Riots. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the 4th Light Dragoons on 30 January 1846 (by purchase),^[9] although he only commanded the regiment for seven months.^[10]

In terms of his overseas and campaign service, William Parlby served with his regiment in India and then as a colonel he commanded other regiments in India e.g. the 10th (The Prince of Wale's Own) Royal Regiment of Light Dragoons (Hussars) based in Kirkee, India.^[11] In 1854 after the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade he was ordered to bring his regiment (then the 10th Hussars) from India to the Crimea (via Egypt),^[12] the 680 strong regiment arrived on 15 April 1855 to join Allied troops laying siege to the city of Sebastopol.^[13] During the latter stages of the Crimea War he commanded the British Cavalry Division^[14] from 17 April to 30 June 1855 and then the Cavalry Division's Hussar Brigade from 1 July to 2 September 1855.^[15][16][17] He was also present with Turkish forces at the Battle of the Chernaya. He was thoroughly involved in cavalry operations around Sevastopol and Lord Raglan complimented him in despatches.^[18] He was awarded the Crimea Medal with Clasp for Sebastopol, the Sardinian and Turkish Crimea Medals and 4th Class Order of the Medjidie.^[19]

On home service as a major general he commanded the Cavalry Brigade of the Dublin Division in Ireland, based at Curragh Camp (1860–1861).^[20][21]

He was promoted to major general in 1860,^[22] then lieutenant general on 21 March 1869 and then promoted to general on 22 May 1876.^[23]

General Parlby would become the Regimental Colonel of the 21st Regiment of Hussars on 24 October 1865;^[24] until on 1 July 1880 he was appointed as Colonel of his old regiment (the 4th (Queens Own) Hussars)^[25] a post he was still holding in 1881 when he died (albeit an honorary post).

References

1. 1871 Wales Census, Hubberston, Pembrokeshire
2. India, Select Marriages, 1792-1848. India Office Ecclesiastical Returns-Bengal Presidency, Misc, India
3. Gentlemen's Magazine Obituaries. 1802/692
4. "The Louisa Parlby Album Watercolours from Murshidabad 1795–1803" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
5. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1881 Pembrokshire, Wales
6. War Office, Great Britain (1839). "A List of the Officers of the Army and of the Corps of Royal Marines". War Office. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
7. "Hart's New army list April 1842". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
8. Hyder, William Augustine (1845). "Proceedings of the General Court Martial, Held by Order of Field Marshall The Duke of Wellington, the Commander-in-chief, for the Trial of Lieut. William Augustine Hyder, 10th Royal Hussars, on the Prosecution of Lieu. Colonel Vandeleur, 10th Royal Hussars". Charles & Edwin Layton. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
9. Britain, Great (1846). "The London Gazette". T. Neuman. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
10. "4th Light Dragoons". www.genes.plus.com. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
11. "Hart's New army list July 1854". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
12. The 10th Royal Hussars. Brander, Michael. Published by Leo Cooper, 1969
13. Calthorpe, Lt-Colonel John Gough (26 July 2016). Letters From Head-Quarters: Or, The Realities Of The War In The Crimea [Illustrated Edition]. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 9781786259608. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
14. Russell, Sir William Howard (17 September 2015). The British Expedition to the Crimea. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465604316. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
15. "Crimean War - Order of Battle 1855". www.xenophon-mil.org. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
16. "Charles Usherwood's Service Journal, 1852-56 — Sebastapol Falls to the Allies". www.victorianweb.org. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
17. Anglesey, Lord (14 September 1993). A History of the British Cavalry 1816-1919: Volume 2: 1851-1871. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9780850521740. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
18. Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (22 January 2014). British Battles of the Crimean Wars 1854-1856: Despatches from the Front. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473831858. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
19. "Hart's New annual army list, militia list, yeomanry cavalry list, and Indian civil service list 1881". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
20. "Lot 45, 28 March 2002, Dix Noonan Webb". www.dnw.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
21. "Commander, Curragh Cavalry Brigade and Inspector-General of Cavalry for Ireland (Curragh District and Brigade)" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
22. "Companion to the Almanac, Or Yearbook of General Information for ..." Retrieved 5 November 2018.
23. "The London Gazette, 23 June 1876, 3618" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
24. "The United Service Magazine: With which are Incorporated the Army and Navy Magazine and Naval and Military Journal". H. Colburn. 1842. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
25. "Hart's New annual army list, militia list, yeomanry cavalry list, and Indian civil service list 1881". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.