Francis Peirson
Encyclopedia
Major
Francis Peirson (January 1757 – 6 January 1781) as a British Army
officer who served during the American Revolutionary War
. He was killed in the Battle of Jersey
, the last battle on British soil.
, Peirson joined the British Army
in 1772. In 1779 he was appointed to the 95th Regiment of Foot
which was deployed to Jersey
the following year.
Moses Corbet
, Commander of the Jersey Garrison
, by French troops on 6 January 1781, Peirson took command of the Garrison. Peirson ordered his troops to hold their ground at the center of the island, and he repelled several French attacks on the position. However, he was shot in the heart by a musket ball, and died. During and after his death, the troops under his command were victorious in the Battle of Jersey
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Francis Peirson (January 1757 – 6 January 1781) as a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who served during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was killed in the Battle of Jersey
Battle of Jersey
The Battle of Jersey was an attempt by France to invade Jersey and remove the threat the island posed to American shipping in the American War of Independence. Jersey was used as a base for privateering by the British, and France, engaged in the war as an ally of the United States, sent an...
, the last battle on British soil.
Early career
Educated at Warrington AcademyWarrington Academy
Warrington Academy, active as a teaching establishment from 1756 to 1782, was a prominent dissenting academy, that is, a school or college set up by those who dissented from the state church in England...
, Peirson joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1772. In 1779 he was appointed to the 95th Regiment of Foot
95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot
The 95th Regiment of Foot was formed when the 95th Rifles were redesignated as The Rifle Brigade . In 1881, during the Childers Reforms, it was united with the 45th Regiment of Foot to form the Sherwood Foresters .-History:...
which was deployed to Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
the following year.
Battle of Jersey
Following the capture and imprisonment of MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Moses Corbet
Moses Corbet
Major Moses Corbet was a British Army officer who served as Lieutenant Governor of Jersey from 4 April 1771 to 6 January 1781.-Early career:...
, Commander of the Jersey Garrison
Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Jersey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown....
, by French troops on 6 January 1781, Peirson took command of the Garrison. Peirson ordered his troops to hold their ground at the center of the island, and he repelled several French attacks on the position. However, he was shot in the heart by a musket ball, and died. During and after his death, the troops under his command were victorious in the Battle of Jersey
Battle of Jersey
The Battle of Jersey was an attempt by France to invade Jersey and remove the threat the island posed to American shipping in the American War of Independence. Jersey was used as a base for privateering by the British, and France, engaged in the war as an ally of the United States, sent an...
.
Places named after Peirson
- The Peirson pub is where Phillipe de Rullecourt, the opposing French General died.
- Peirson Place is the short street leading into the Royal Square where Peirson was shot
- Peirson Road is another street in Saint HelierSaint HelierSaint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...