Leicester Smyth
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Leicester Smyth (formerly Curzon-Howe) KCB
KCMG
(25 October 1829 – 27 January 1891) was Governor of Gibraltar
.
and educated at Eton College
, Smyth was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1845. He served in the Basuto War in 1852.
In 1854 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp
to Lord Raglan
and was present at the Battle of Alma
, the Battle of Inkerman
and the Siege of Sevastopol. He subsequently served as ADC to General
Codington
.
He was made Assistant Military Secretary in the Ionian Islands
in 1856, Military Secretary in Ireland
in 1865 and Deputy Quartermaster in Ireland
in 1872.
In 1877 he became General Officer Commanding
Western District
and in 1880 GOC Cape Colony
. He was acting High Commissioner for Southern Africa
from 1882 to 1883, GOC Southern District
from 1889 to 1890 (in which capacity he hosted a visit by the Shah of Persia) and Governor of Gibraltar
from 1890 until his death in 1891, aged 61.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(25 October 1829 – 27 January 1891) was Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
.
Military career
Born the seventh son of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl HoweRichard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Richard William Penn Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe, GCH, PC was a British peer and courtier.Curzon was the third son of Hon...
and educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Smyth was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1845. He served in the Basuto War in 1852.
In 1854 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lord Raglan
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC , known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British soldier.-Early life:...
and was present at the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
and the Siege of Sevastopol. He subsequently served as ADC to General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Codington
William John Codrington
General Sir William John Codrington GCB was a British general and politician who served in the Crimean War.-Military career:...
.
He was made Assistant Military Secretary in the Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
in 1856, Military Secretary in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1865 and Deputy Quartermaster in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1872.
In 1877 he became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Western District
Western Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 and was originally called the Welsh & Midland Command before changing its name in 1906. In 1907 Western Command relocated to Watergate House in Chester...
and in 1880 GOC Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. He was acting High Commissioner for Southern Africa
High Commissioner for Southern Africa
The British office of High Commissioner for South Africa was responsible for governing British possessions in Southern Africa, latterly the protectorates Basutoland , the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, as well as for relations with autonomous governments in the area...
from 1882 to 1883, GOC Southern District
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
from 1889 to 1890 (in which capacity he hosted a visit by the Shah of Persia) and Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
from 1890 until his death in 1891, aged 61.