John Eardley Inglis

Sir John Inglis with sword from Nova Scotia House of Assembly by William Gush, Province House (Nova Scotia)^[1]

Major General Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis KCB (15 November 1814 – 27 September 1862) was a British Army officer, best known for his role in protecting the British compound for 87 days in the siege of Lucknow.

Military career

In 1833 he joined the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot, in which all his regimental service was passed. In 1837 he saw active service in Canada in the Lower Canada Rebellion, including the actions at St. Denis and St. Eustache.

During the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1848 to 1849 in the Punjab, He was in command at the Siege of Multan and at the Battle of Gujrat.

In 1857, on the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny, he was in command of his regiment at Lucknow. Sir Henry Lawrence being mortally wounded during the siege of the residency, Inglis took command of the garrison, and maintained a successful defence for 87 days against an overwhelming force. He was promoted to major-general and made K.C.B.

After further active service in India, he was, in 1860, given command of the British troops in the Ionian Islands. In 1860 he was given the colonelcy of his regiment, now the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry), a position he held until his death.

He died at Homburg on 27 September 1862, aged 47 and was buried in the crypt of Saint Paul's Cathedral, London.

Family

Part of a series on the
Military history of Nova Scotia
Citadel Hill
Events
Battle of Port Royal 1690 Siege of Port Royal 1710 Battle of Jeddore Harbour 1722 Northeast Coast Campaign 1745 Battle of Grand Pré 1747 Dartmouth Massacre 1751 Bay of Fundy Campaign 1755 Fall of Louisbourg 1758 Headquarters established for Royal Navy's North American Station 1758 Burying the Hatchet ceremony 1761 Battle of Fort Cumberland 1776 Raid on Lunenburg 1782 Halifax Impressment Riot 1805 Establishment of New Ireland 1812 Capture of USS Chesapeake 1813 Battle at the Great Redan 1855 Siege of Lucknow 1857 CSS Tallahassee Escape 1861 Departing Halifax for Northwest Rebellion 1885 Departing Halifax for the Boer War 1899 Imprisonment of Leon Trotsky 1917 Jewish Legion formed 1917 Sinking of HMHS Llandovery Castle 1918 Battle of the St. Lawrence 1942–44 Sinking of SS Point Pleasant Park 1945 Halifax VE-Day Riot 1945 Walter Callow Wheelchair Bus established 1947
Notable military regiments
Mi'kmaq militias 1677-1779 Acadian militias 1689-1761 40th Regiment 1717-57 Troupes de la marine 1717-58 Gorham's Rangers 1744-62 Danks' Rangers 1756-62 84th Regiment of Foot 1775-84 Royal Fencible American 1775-83 Royal Nova Scotia Volunteers 1775-83 King's Orange Rangers 1776-83 1st Field Artillery 1791-present Royal Nova Scotia 1793-1802 Nova Scotia Fencibles 1803-16 The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) 1860-present The Princess Louise Fusiliers 1867-present 78th Highlanders 1869-71 Cape Breton Highlanders 1871-present Nova Scotia Rifles 1914-19 No. 2 Construction Battalion 1916-19 West Nova Scotia 1916-present The Nova Scotia Highlanders 1954-present
Other
Nova Scotia Captivity Narratives Impressment in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia portal History of Canada portal Canadian Armed Forces portal

He was born in Nova Scotia, the son of John Inglis, the third bishop of that colony and grandson of Charles Inglis (bishop).

He was married to Julia Selina Thesiger (1833–1904), daughter of Frederick Thesiger^[2] who wrote of her experiences during the siege of Lucknow including extracts from her diary.^[3]

Their children included Rupert Edward Inglis who was an England rugby international, who was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His letters home to his wife from the front were published by his widow after the war.^[4]

Legacy

Inglis is the namesake of Inglis Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, which connects with Lucknow Street

Gallery

Sir John Inglis  Sir John Inglis, Julia, Lady Inglis and two of their three children. Source: Illustrated London News, 28 November 1857  Inglis's Quarters, Residency – February 2014  Sir John Inglis, crypt, St Paul's Cathedral, London

See also

• Military history of Nova Scotia

References

External links

•  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Inglis, John Eardley Wilmot". Dictionary of National Biography. 29. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 
• India and its mutiny: a lecture delivered before the Halifax Young Men's Christian Association, on Tuesday evening, March 16, 1858