William Leeke
Encyclopedia
William Leeke was a British Army
officer and clergy
man, known for his published reminiscences of the Waterloo Campaign, which form a primary source for many modern histories of the campaign.
to a naval family, who owned an estate in Hampshire
. He was brother to Sir Henry John Leeke
, who rose to the rank of admiral
in the Royal Navy
. Their father was Samuel Leeke
, a deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, and their mother was Sophia, daughter of Capt. Richard Bargus, R.N. Leeke's eldest brother Samuel had also served in the navy, but died off Cadiz
in 1810, while serving as a lieutenant. His sister, Urania, married Admiral Sir Edward Tucker.
in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
through the influence of Sir John Colborne
(later Lord Seaton), the regiment's colonel, who was a relative: Leeke's mother's brother, Thomas Bargus, had married Colborne's mother.
(Colborne's father had died in 1785, when he was seven). Originally joining the 52nd as a Gentleman Volunteer
in May 1815, he was gazetted
ensign almost immediately, the promotion dated 4 May. He was only 17, which made him the youngest ensign at Waterloo.
He carried the 52nd's Regimental Colours during the Battle of Waterloo
, which gave him a good understanding of the 52nd's actions during the battle.
Leeke purchased his promotion
to lieutenant
on 20 November 1823, and remained in the 52nd until 2 September 1824 when he exchanged into the 42nd Regiment of Foot
, on half-pay. Despite the fact that he was by then studying at Cambridge, he returned to full-pay as a lieutenant in the Ceylon Regiment on 28 May 1828, by exchange. He sold out on 28 August 1828.
, gaining a BA in 1829 and an MA in 1832. In 1829 Leeke was ordained deacon
in the Church of England
, serving as curate
at Westham
, Sussex
. He was ordained priest
in 1830, by the Bishop of Chichester
, and in 1831 became stipendary curate at Brailsford
with Osmaston
, Derbyshire
. Then, in 1840, was appointed Perpetual Curate
of Michael's Church at Holbrook
in Derbyshire, living in Holbrooke Hall, with Thomas William Evans
as a patron. Leeke was also Rural Dean
of Duffield, from 1849.
While at Cambridge, in 1827 Leeke instituted the Jesus Lane Sunday School in an attempt to improve conditions in the local slums. His work eventually resulted in the establishment of an elementary school
, which has now evolved into Parkside Community College
. His four sons also volunteered at the Sunday School during their respective times in Cambridge while students at Trinity
.
He wrote a number of works on church matters, including an address on the abolition of pluralities.
. Her sister Maria married George Gawler
, a fellow officer of Leeke's from the 52nd Foot.
They had four sons – Edward Tucker
, Henry
, John Cox
and Samuel – and four daughters.
Two of Leeke's sons entered the church. Edward Tucker became sub-dean of Lincoln Cathedral
, and John Cox was made Bishop of Woolwich
in 1905. Henry was a notable athlete, competing in the throwing events for Cambridge University, and English Amateur champion for the hammer throw. His son, Henry Alan Leeke, represented Great Britain in the throwing events at the 1908 Summer Olympics
. Samuel was a barrister at Lincoln's Inn
. He was called to the bar in 1873, and worked up until his death at 77 in 1925. He was known for his skill as a conveyancer and equity draftsman, and also worked successfully as an advocate, with a reputation for not losing cases. His obituary in The Times
commended his "charming manner and old-world courtesy", and described him as "a fine old English gentlemen" who excited respect and affection from those who met him.
In 1863, Leeke's eldest daughter Sophia married Thomas Horsfall
, MP for Liverpool
; she was his third wife, and died in 1867. His daughter Jane married Edward Latham (d. 1883), housemaster of Repton School
then vicar of Matlock Bath
. Edward and Jane had ten children, including Jane Leeke Latham, an educationalist and missionary.
Leeke died in 1879. There is a stained glass memorial to him and his wife in St Michael's Church, Holbrooke. A street in Cambridge was named after Leeke, but has now been demolished.
Leeke's account of the Battle of Waterloo
caused some controversy, since he claimed that official records erred in ascribing the defeat of Napoleon's Imperial Guard to the British 1st Foot Guards. Leeke claimed that the 52nd Foot
alone, under the command of Sir John Colborne
(later Lord Seaton), was responsible for turning the flank of the Imperial Guard in the last stages of the battle, ensuring the victory, stating on the title page of both volumes that:
Leeke also lamented that Wellington's despatches had unfairly made no mention of Colborne's vital command, and the 52nd's "daring feat". His memoirs were partly inspired by what he felt to be a "very great injustice [that] has been done to Lord Seaton and the 52nd Light Infantry, which regiment he commanded at Waterloo, by those who have attempted, in subsequent years, to write the history of that great battle", and that he considered "the truth, with regard to what we knew the 52nd had achieved at Waterloo, ought to see the light".
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 and clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, known for his published reminiscences of the Waterloo Campaign, which form a primary source for many modern histories of the campaign.
Early life
Leeke was born in 1797 on the Isle of WightIsle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
to a naval family, who owned an estate in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He was brother to Sir Henry John Leeke
Henry John Leeke
Admiral Sir Henry John Leeke KCB KH DL was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Third Naval Lord, Member of Parliament for Dover and Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire.-Career:...
, who rose to the rank of admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Their father was Samuel Leeke
Samuel Leeke
Samuel Leeke of Havant, was a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant for the Hampshire.He was the son of Samuel Leeke, of Portsmouth. Samuel Leeke snr had been bequeathed Portsea Manor by the previous owner John Moody; it remains in the Leeke family. Leeke snr was also bequeathed a share of Havant...
, a deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, and their mother was Sophia, daughter of Capt. Richard Bargus, R.N. Leeke's eldest brother Samuel had also served in the navy, but died off Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
in 1810, while serving as a lieutenant. His sister, Urania, married Admiral Sir Edward Tucker.
Military experience
William Leeke obtained his commission as an ensignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
through the influence of Sir John Colborne
John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton
Field Marshal John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH, PC was a British field marshal and colonial governor.-Early service:...
(later Lord Seaton), the regiment's colonel, who was a relative: Leeke's mother's brother, Thomas Bargus, had married Colborne's mother.
(Colborne's father had died in 1785, when he was seven). Originally joining the 52nd as a Gentleman Volunteer
Military volunteer
A military volunteer is a person who enlists in military service by free will, and is not a mercenary or a foreign legionaire. Volunteers often enlist to fight in the armed forces of a foreign country. Military volunteers are essential for the operation of volunteer militaries.Many armies,...
in May 1815, he was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
ensign almost immediately, the promotion dated 4 May. He was only 17, which made him the youngest ensign at Waterloo.
He carried the 52nd's Regimental Colours during the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, which gave him a good understanding of the 52nd's actions during the battle.
Leeke purchased his promotion
Sale of commissions
The sale of commissions was a common practice in most European armies where wealthy and noble officers purchased their rank. Only the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army never used such a system. While initially shunned in the French Revolutionary Army, it was eventually revived in the...
to lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 20 November 1823, and remained in the 52nd until 2 September 1824 when he exchanged into the 42nd Regiment of Foot
42nd Regiment of Foot
The 42nd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally the 43rd Highlanders they were renumbered the 42nd in 1748.- Early history :...
, on half-pay. Despite the fact that he was by then studying at Cambridge, he returned to full-pay as a lieutenant in the Ceylon Regiment on 28 May 1828, by exchange. He sold out on 28 August 1828.
University studies and work for the Church of England
After leaving the army, Leeke attended Queens' College, CambridgeQueens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, gaining a BA in 1829 and an MA in 1832. In 1829 Leeke was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, serving as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Westham
Westham
Westham is a large village civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The village is adjacent to Pevensey five miles north-east of Eastbourne. The parish consists of three settlements: Westham; Stone Cross; and Hankham...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. He was ordained priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1830, by the Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
, and in 1831 became stipendary curate at Brailsford
Brailsford
Brailsford is a small red brick village in Derbyshire on the A52 midway between Derby and Ashbourne. The village has a pub, a post office, a petrol station and a school...
with Osmaston
Osmaston, Derbyshire Dales
Osmaston is a small village in the Derbyshire Dales in the county of Derbyshire in England.Located two and a half miles south of Ashbourne, Osmaston is an archetypal English village with thatched cottages and a village pond.-History:...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. Then, in 1840, was appointed Perpetual Curate
Perpetual curate
A Perpetual Curate was a clergyman of the Church of England officiating as parish priest in a small or sparsely peopled parish or districtAs noted below the term perpetual was not to be understood literally but was used to indicate he was not a curate but the parish priest and of higher...
of Michael's Church at Holbrook
Holbrook, Derbyshire
Holbrook is a village in Derbyshire at the southern end of the Pennines around five miles north of Derby, England.-History:Holbrook lies about two miles to the north-east of Duffield, the parish of which it was a part, being within Duffield Frith. When the latter was seized by King Henry III...
in Derbyshire, living in Holbrooke Hall, with Thomas William Evans
Sir Thomas William Evans, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas William Evans, 1st Baronet was an English Liberal politician who represented the constituency of South Derbyshire....
as a patron. Leeke was also Rural Dean
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
of Duffield, from 1849.
While at Cambridge, in 1827 Leeke instituted the Jesus Lane Sunday School in an attempt to improve conditions in the local slums. His work eventually resulted in the establishment of an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, which has now evolved into Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College is a state secondary school with 600 places for children aged 11–16, situated in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. It is part of the Parkside Federation, along with Coleridge Community College-Admissions:...
. His four sons also volunteered at the Sunday School during their respective times in Cambridge while students at Trinity
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 wrote a number of works on church matters, including an address on the abolition of pluralities.
Family
In 1828, Leeke married Mary Ann Cox, daughter of John Cox, of DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. Her sister Maria married George Gawler
George Gawler
-External links: – Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK...
, a fellow officer of Leeke's from the 52nd Foot.
They had four sons – Edward Tucker
Edward Tucker Leeke
The Reverend Edward Tucker Leeke was a British clergyman and scholar. He was Canon and sub-dean of Lincoln Cathedral.The son of Revd. William Leeke, the Waterloo veteran and historian, Edward Tucker Leeke was born in 1842....
, Henry
Henry Leeke (athlete)
Henry Leeke was a notable British amateur athlete, and one-time Amateur Champion of England in the hammer throw.-Early years:Born in Holbrook, Derbyshire, Leeke was the son of the Reverend William Leeke, noted Waterloo historian, and famous for carrying the Colour of the 52nd Light Infantry during...
, John Cox
John Cox Leeke
John Cox Leeke was an Anglican bishop, the inaugural Bishop of Woolwich from 1905 to 1918.The son of the Revd William Leeke, he was born in Holbrooke, Derbyshire in 1843. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and ordained in 1867. He began his career with a curacy at Wanstead after which...
and Samuel – and four daughters.
Two of Leeke's sons entered the church. Edward Tucker became sub-dean of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
, and John Cox was made Bishop of Woolwich
Bishop of Woolwich
The Bishop of Woolwich is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
in 1905. Henry was a notable athlete, competing in the throwing events for Cambridge University, and English Amateur champion for the hammer throw. His son, Henry Alan Leeke, represented Great Britain in the throwing events at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
. Samuel was a barrister at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He was called to the bar in 1873, and worked up until his death at 77 in 1925. He was known for his skill as a conveyancer and equity draftsman, and also worked successfully as an advocate, with a reputation for not losing cases. His obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
commended his "charming manner and old-world courtesy", and described him as "a fine old English gentlemen" who excited respect and affection from those who met him.
In 1863, Leeke's eldest daughter Sophia married Thomas Horsfall
Thomas Horsfall
Thomas Berry Horsfall was a Conservative Party politician in England. He was a Member of Parliament for over 15 years, and was Lord Mayor of Liverpool from 1847 to 1848....
, MP for Liverpool
Liverpool (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool was a Borough constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of England to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament...
; she was his third wife, and died in 1867. His daughter Jane married Edward Latham (d. 1883), housemaster of Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
then vicar of Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
. Edward and Jane had ten children, including Jane Leeke Latham, an educationalist and missionary.
Leeke died in 1879. There is a stained glass memorial to him and his wife in St Michael's Church, Holbrooke. A street in Cambridge was named after Leeke, but has now been demolished.
The History of Lord Seaton's Regiment
The history of Lord Seaton's regiment, (the 52nd light infantry) at the battle of Waterloo; together with various incidents connected with that regiment, not only at Waterloo but also at Paris, in the north of France, and for several years afterwards: to which are added many of the author's reminiscences of his military and clerical careers during a period of more than fifty years was published in two volumes in 1866.Leeke's account of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
caused some controversy, since he claimed that official records erred in ascribing the defeat of Napoleon's Imperial Guard to the British 1st Foot Guards. Leeke claimed that the 52nd Foot
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
alone, under the command of Sir John Colborne
John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton
Field Marshal John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH, PC was a British field marshal and colonial governor.-Early service:...
(later Lord Seaton), was responsible for turning the flank of the Imperial Guard in the last stages of the battle, ensuring the victory, stating on the title page of both volumes that:
The author claims for Lord Seaton and the 52nd the honour of having defeated, single-handed, without the assistance of the 1st British Guards or any other troops, that portion of the Imperial Guard of France, about 10,000 in number, which advanced to make the last attack on the British position.
Leeke also lamented that Wellington's despatches had unfairly made no mention of Colborne's vital command, and the 52nd's "daring feat". His memoirs were partly inspired by what he felt to be a "very great injustice [that] has been done to Lord Seaton and the 52nd Light Infantry, which regiment he commanded at Waterloo, by those who have attempted, in subsequent years, to write the history of that great battle", and that he considered "the truth, with regard to what we knew the 52nd had achieved at Waterloo, ought to see the light".
Published works
- A Few Suggestions for Increasing the Incomes of many of the Smaller Livings and for the almost total Abolition of Pluralities, more especially addressed to the Members of Both Houses of Parliament , Derby : Printed by William Bemrose, and sold by Hatchard, 1838.
- Memorials to the Archbishop of Canterbury, from Seventy-two of the Clergy of Derbyshire, on the Abolition of Pluralities, 1839
- The history of Lord Seaton's regiment, (the 52nd light infantry) at the battle of Waterloo ..., volume 1, London : Hatchard and co. 1866.
- The history of Lord Seaton's regiment, (the 52nd light infantry) at the battle of Waterloo ..., volume 2, London : Hatchard and co. 1866.
- Papers on The Observance of the Lord's Day