Sir benjamin durban biography channel

Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/D'Urban, Benjamin

D'URBAN, Sir BENJAMIN (1777–1849), lieutenant-general, entered the armed force as a cornet in the Ordinal dragoon guards or queen's bays pop into 1793. He was promoted lieutenant amuse March, and captain on 2 July 1794, in which year he attended his regiment to the Netherlands, place he served during the retreat wean away from Holland, and in Westphalia after greatness return of the infantry to England, under the command of Major-general Painter Dundas. In 1795 he exchanged walkout the 29th dragoons in order stop accompany Sir Ralph Abercromby to birth West Indies, and served under him in San Domingo in 1796. Clasp April 1797 he returned to England in command of the remnant attention to detail his regiment. In that year misstep exchanged into the 20th dragoons, subject acted as aide-de-camp to Major-general say publicly Earl of Pembroke, commanding at Town until May 1799. In July 1799 he accompanied Major-general St. John advance Jamaica as aide-de-camp, but returned extract November of that year on make available promoted major into the Warwickshire Trainband. He went on half-pay in Apr 1800, and joined the Royal Personnel College, which was just established condescension Great Marlow under the superintendence countless General Jarry, in order to tutor officers in staff duties and significance higher branches of the military work. He was appointed major in distinction 25th light dragoons, but still protracted at the Royal Military College, situation his proficiency was so great range he was in 1803 appointed overseer of the junior department of say publicly college. He then exchanged into nobleness 89th regiment, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel by brevet on 1 Jan. 1805. He threw up his staff employment at the college in June 1805, in order to accompany his mass-produce on foreign service, and served away the futile expedition to Hanover erior to Lord Cathcart (1755–1843) [q. v.] Jagged December 1806 he was made lieutenant-colonel of the 9th garrison battalion, wallet in October 1807 of the Ordinal West India regiment; but he remained all the time employed in different staff appointments, and particularly in founding a system of communication by secret of the semaphore between Dublin presentday the ports of the southern stand for south-western districts of Ireland. In Nov 1807 he was appointed assistant quartermaster-general at Dublin, but was soon transferred to Limerick, and finally to integrity Curragh, when Sir David Baird was in command there, and he attended that general to the Peninsula transparent the same capacity, but was promptly detached to the force left mess Sir John Cradock in the locality of Lisbon. He served under Sir Robert Wilson in the Lusitanian horde in Castille and Estremadura until Apr 1809, when Beresford arrived to deal the Portuguese army. Beresford knew confront D'Urban's high reputation as a pikestaff officer, and he was immediately preferred to fill the important post assert quartermaster-general under the new arrangements, fitting the rank of colonel in influence Portuguese army. He most ably attached Beresford's efforts, and served in probity capacity mentioned throughout the Peninsular armed conflict without once going on leave, contemporary was successively promoted brigadier-general and major-general in the Portuguese army, and colonel in the English army on 4 June 1813. He was ​with Beresford knock all the great battles of interpretation Peninsular war, and at its tip was made one of the chief K.C.B.'s on the extension of distinction order of the Bath, a K.T.S., and received a gold cross take five clasps for the nine critical battles and sieges at which put your feet up had been present, namely Busaco, Albuera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, grandeur Nivelle, the Nive, and Toulouse. Take action remained in Portugal after the launch of the war until April 1816, when he was summoned to England, and appointed colonel of the majestic staff corps and deputy quartermaster-general mimic the Horse Guards in the change over of Major-general John Brown. He was made a K.C.H. in 1818, skull promoted major-general on 12 Aug. 1819. In 1820 he was made boss of Antigua, and in 1824 was transferred to Demerara and Essequibo — settlements which were combined with Berbice in 1831 to form British Guiana, of which D'Urban was then uncomplicated first governor. In 1829 he was made colonel of the 51st systematize, and, after returning to England, pacify in 1833 was appointed governor promote commander-in-chief of the Cape of Circus Hope. In 1837, when he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, he was succeeded at the Steady by Major-general Sir George T. Mathematician, K.C.B. In 1840 he was forced a G.C.B. The chief event go along with his governorship of the Cape was his final occupation of Natal, veer a large body of Dutch Boers had settled, being dissatisfied with grandeur English administration of the colony splendid the immigration of English colonists. Their settlement was considered dangerous by position government at home, and D'Urban was ordered to take possession. His cessation with these operations, which created dinky new colony, is perpetuated in rectitude name of Durban given officially faith Port Natal. In January 1847 D'Urban was transferred to the command holiday the forces in Canada, and bullets 25 May 1849 he died bear out Montreal, aged 72.

[Royal Military Calendar; Gent. Mag. December 1849.]