James Leith
Encyclopedia
Major James Leith VC
(26 May 1826 - 13 May 1869) was a Scottish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He played cricket for Cambridge University
from 1846 to 1849.
Leith was 31 years old, and a lieutenant
in the 14th Light Dragoons (later 14th Hussars (The King's)), British Army
during the Indian Mutiny when on 1 April 1858 at Betwa, India
, when the following deed led to his being awarded the Victoria Cross:
The medal is currently displayed at the 14th/20th King's Hussars
gallery of the Museum of Lancashire
, Preston, Lancashire.
He was appointed to the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
in 1868.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(26 May 1826 - 13 May 1869) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Life
James Leith was educated at Blackheath Proprietary SchoolBlackheath Proprietary School
The Blackheath Proprietary School was an educational establishment founded in 1830 that was noted in the contemporary press as an extremely successful school in terms of its education but is perhaps most notable for its profound influence on the game of football, in both Association and Rugby codes...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He played cricket for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
from 1846 to 1849.
Leith was 31 years old, and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 14th Light Dragoons (later 14th Hussars (The King's)), 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...
during the Indian Mutiny when on 1 April 1858 at Betwa, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, when the following deed led to his being awarded the Victoria Cross:
The medal is currently displayed at the 14th/20th King's Hussars
14th/20th King's Hussars
The 14th/20th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992.- History :Originally styled the 14th/20th Hussars, the regiment was created in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 14th King's Hussars and the 20th Hussars, as part of the reductions in the Army...
gallery of the Museum of Lancashire
Museum of Lancashire
The Museum of Lancashire is housed in an old courthouse in Preston in Lancashire, England. It is mostly a historical museum dedicated to describing life in Preston during World War II. It also displays information about the role of women during the war and that of life in the World War I trenches....
, Preston, Lancashire.
He was appointed to the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a bodyguard to the British Monarch. Until 17 March 1834 they were known as The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners.-Formation:...
in 1868.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Grampian)