Willoughby Cotton
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Willoughby Cotton GCB
, KCH
(1783–1860) was a British soldier. During his career, Cotton played major roles in the First Anglo–Burmese War, the 1831-32 slave revolt in Jamaica
and the First Anglo-Afghan War
.
Cotton was the Commander-in-chief
of Bombay from April 1847 to December 1850. and was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath
. He was also groom of the bedchamber to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester.
Cotton married Lady Augusta Maria Coventry on May 16, 1806, in Marylebone, London. They had three children together, Augusta Mary Cotton, Willoughby Cotton and Maj.-Gen. Corbet Cotton.
at the age of 12 in 1795. Cotton, aged 14, was a ringleader in the “Great Rebellion” of November 1797. Aggrieved by the attitude of the Head Master, Dr. Henry Ingles (1794–1806), to the breaking of a window, students blew his classroom door off and followed this by burning desks and books upon the close, before retreating to the Island (a Bronze Age burial mound surrounded by a moat. Ingles called in the local militia, whereupon the Riot Act
was read and the island taken. Soldiers stole round to the rear, and wading across the moat, drawn sword in hand, took the whole party prisoners. Cotton was among the students to be expelled as a result of this confrontation.
in 1831) as an Ensign
in the First Battalion, on October 31, 1798. He quickly gained his Lieutenancy, on November 25, 1799, and took part in Lord Cathcart`s expedition to Hanover in 1805. The First Battalion and Cotton were also involved in the 1807 Copenhagen Expedition, again commanded by Lord Cathcart. Cotton was appointed Adjutant-General to the reserve under the Command of Arthur Wellesley
(soon to become the Duke of Wellington) and was involved in the Battle of Kioge on August 29, 1807.
Cotton was deployed to the Iberian Peninsular in April 1809, where he served as Adjutant-General to the Light Division
under Brigadier-General
Robert Craufurd
. Cotton was present throughout the retreat to the lines of Torres Vedras
and subsequent advance, seeing action at the Battle of Côa. On the 12 June 1811 he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Third Guards and then returned to England in August. Cotton returned to the Peninsular in April 1813 and was involved in the Capture of Burgos on the 10 to 12 of June; which is different from the unsuccessful Siege of Burgos
in 1812. He was then present at the decisive battles of Vittoria on the 21 June 1813 and Nive on the 9 to 13 December. Cotton then served in France, commanding the Light Division
during the Passage of Adour on the 23 February 1814. He was involved in the Siege of Bayonne
and commanded the piquets of the Second Brigade of Guards on the night of the French Sortie
, 14 April 1814. It was during the French sortie that, according to the writings of fellow Guards officer Captain Gronow
, Cotton was taken prisoner. He “escaped by giving up his watch and all the money” on him, receiving a beating for “the smallness of the sum.” Cotton returned to England with the First Battalion of the Third Guards in April 1814, but returned to France in June 1815 due to the loss of Second Battalion Officers at the Battle of Waterloo
.
GCB
GCB may stand for:* Gaming Control Board, any governmental body that regulates gambling in its jurisdiction* Generator circuit-breaker, a special circuit breaker in the high-current connection between generator and generator transformer...
, KCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(1783–1860) was a British soldier. During his career, Cotton played major roles in the First Anglo–Burmese War, the 1831-32 slave revolt in Jamaica
Baptist War
The Baptist War, also known as the Christmas Uprising and the Great Jamaican Slave Revolt of 1831–32, was a 10-day rebellion that mobilized as many as 60,000 of Jamaica's 300,000 slave population...
and the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
.
Cotton was the Commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of Bombay from April 1847 to December 1850. and was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath
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...
. He was also groom of the bedchamber to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester.
Family
Willoughby Cotton was born in 1783, to Admiral Rowland Cotton and Elizabeth Aston. They also had a daughter, Sydney Arabella Cotton. Rowland Cotton was from a well-established Chester family, while Elizabeth was the only daughter of Sir Willoughby Aston, 5th Baronet Aston, of Aston, Chester.Cotton married Lady Augusta Maria Coventry on May 16, 1806, in Marylebone, London. They had three children together, Augusta Mary Cotton, Willoughby Cotton and Maj.-Gen. Corbet Cotton.
School Years
Willoughby Cotton entered Rugby SchoolRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
at the age of 12 in 1795. Cotton, aged 14, was a ringleader in the “Great Rebellion” of November 1797. Aggrieved by the attitude of the Head Master, Dr. Henry Ingles (1794–1806), to the breaking of a window, students blew his classroom door off and followed this by burning desks and books upon the close, before retreating to the Island (a Bronze Age burial mound surrounded by a moat. Ingles called in the local militia, whereupon the Riot Act
Riot Act
The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
was read and the island taken. Soldiers stole round to the rear, and wading across the moat, drawn sword in hand, took the whole party prisoners. Cotton was among the students to be expelled as a result of this confrontation.
Early Military Career
Cotton entered the Third Guards (renamed the Scots GuardsScots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
in 1831) as an Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the First Battalion, on October 31, 1798. He quickly gained his Lieutenancy, on November 25, 1799, and took part in Lord Cathcart`s expedition to Hanover in 1805. The First Battalion and Cotton were also involved in the 1807 Copenhagen Expedition, again commanded by Lord Cathcart. Cotton was appointed Adjutant-General to the reserve under the Command of Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
(soon to become the Duke of Wellington) and was involved in the Battle of Kioge on August 29, 1807.
Cotton was deployed to the Iberian Peninsular in April 1809, where he served as Adjutant-General to the Light Division
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
under Brigadier-General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Robert Craufurd
Robert Craufurd
Major-General Robert Craufurd was a Scottish soldier and Member of Parliament . After a military career which took him from India to the Netherlands, he was given command of the Light Division in the Napoleonic Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington...
. Cotton was present throughout the retreat to the lines of Torres Vedras
Lines of Torres Vedras
The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet and his Portuguese workers between...
and subsequent advance, seeing action at the Battle of Côa. On the 12 June 1811 he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Third Guards and then returned to England in August. Cotton returned to the Peninsular in April 1813 and was involved in the Capture of Burgos on the 10 to 12 of June; which is different from the unsuccessful Siege of Burgos
Siege of Burgos
At the Siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Jean-Louis Dubreton. The French repulsed every...
in 1812. He was then present at the decisive battles of Vittoria on the 21 June 1813 and Nive on the 9 to 13 December. Cotton then served in France, commanding the Light Division
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
during the Passage of Adour on the 23 February 1814. He was involved in the Siege of Bayonne
Siege of Bayonne
The Siege of Bayonne was launched by Alfonso the Battler, King of Aragon and Navarre, apparently against the Duke of Aquitaine, William X, and lasted from October 1130 to October 1131. The city of Bayonne was then a part of Aquitaine, nominally a part of France...
and commanded the piquets of the Second Brigade of Guards on the night of the French Sortie
Battle of Bayonne
In the Battle of Bayonne on April 14, 1814, General of Division Thouvenot's French garrison attacked the Allied besieging force under Lieutenant General John Hope...
, 14 April 1814. It was during the French sortie that, according to the writings of fellow Guards officer Captain Gronow
Rees Howell Gronow
Rees Howell Gronow , "Captain Gronow", was a Welsh Grenadier Guards officer, an unsuccessful parliamentarian, a dandy and a writer of celebrated reminiscences.-Origins and education:...
, Cotton was taken prisoner. He “escaped by giving up his watch and all the money” on him, receiving a beating for “the smallness of the sum.” Cotton returned to England with the First Battalion of the Third Guards in April 1814, but returned to France in June 1815 due to the loss of Second Battalion Officers at 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...
.