Thomas Fowke
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Thomas Fowke (circa 1690 – 29 March 1765) was a British Army officer who was appointed Governor of Gibraltar
.
and Gunston, in South Staffordshire
.
. In 1748, he starved on Staff in Flanders with the rank of Major-General; his aide-de-camp was Robert Donkin.
Holding the rank of Lieutenant General
, he served as Governor of Gibraltar during the period of 31 May 1754 to 12 July 1756 but was suspended for not providing a regiment of marines to Adm. John Byng
, who was attempting to transport troops from Gibraltar
to Minorca
. Fowke was ultimately dismissed from the service by King George II
, but reinstated to his former rank in 1761 by George III.
.
He died in Bath, England in 1765.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Thomas Fowke (circa 1690 – 29 March 1765) was a British Army officer who was appointed 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...
.
Early years
He was the son of John Fowke, Esq. and descended from the Fowkes of BrewoodBrewood
Brewood refers both to a settlement, which was once a town but is now a village, in South Staffordshire, England, and to the civil parish of which it is the centre. Located around , Brewood village lies near the River Penk, eight miles north of Wolverhampton city centre and eleven miles south of...
and Gunston, in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
.
Career
In 1745, he served as Brigadier-General during the Battle of PrestonpansBattle of Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian...
. In 1748, he starved on Staff in Flanders with the rank of Major-General; his aide-de-camp was Robert Donkin.
Holding the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, he served as Governor of Gibraltar during the period of 31 May 1754 to 12 July 1756 but was suspended for not providing a regiment of marines to Adm. John Byng
John Byng
Admiral John Byng was a Royal Navy officer. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen he participated at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. Over the next thirty years he built up a reputation as a solid naval officer and received promotion to Vice-Admiral in 1747...
, who was attempting to transport troops from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
. Fowke was ultimately dismissed from the service by King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, but reinstated to his former rank in 1761 by George III.
Personal life
His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Ingoldsby, Bart. His second wife was Dorothea, daughter of Edward Randall, of Salisbury, Wiltshire. They had one son, Sir Thomas Fowke, Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn. His grandson was Sir Frederick Gustavus Fowke, 1st Baronet (1782–1856) of the Fowke BaronetsFowke Baronets
The Fowke Baronetcy, of Lowesby in the County of Leicester, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 7 February 1814 for Frederick Gustavus Fowke. He was the son of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Fowke, Groom of the Bedchamber to the Duke of Cumberland. His grandfather...
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He died in Bath, England in 1765.