He joined the army in 1796 as an officer in the Royal Engineers and served at Hanover (1805) and at the Battle of Copenhagen (1807).[7] He served with distinction during the Peninsular War from May 1809 to April 1814[7] and was present at the battles of Talavera (1809), Bussaco (1810), Vittoria (1813), Pyrenees (1813), Nive (1813), Orthez (1814) and Toulouse (1814).[8] He was captured at the Battle of Porto (1809) but managed to escape.[9]
Goldfinch was promoted to second lieutenant (1798), first lieutenant (1800), second captain (1805), captain (1807), brevet major (1812), brevet lieutenant-colonel (1813), lieutenant-colonel (1814), colonel (1837), major-general (1841), lieutenant-general (1851)[10][11] and colonel commandant (1854).[12] He received the Gold Cross for Vittoria, Nive, Orthez and Toulouse and the Military General Service Medal with three clasps for Talavera, Busaco, and the Pyrenees.[13]
With his wife, Catherine Elizabeth (née Thomas), he had two sons, Henry Robert Goldfinch[14] and John Howard Goldfinch, as well as two daughters, Mary Louisa Goldfinch and Catherine Elizabeth Goldfinch.[15]
He died at his home at 11 Upper Wimpole Street, London, on 21 November 1854, aged 73, and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery on 25 November 1854, just two weeks after the cemetery opened, being the 29th person to be buried there. His is the oldest surviving memorial anywhere within the cemetery.[8][16][17]
Referencesedit
^England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975
^Appointment of Colonels Commandant – The London Gazette 17 February 1854 p468
^England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567–1970
^"Obituary: Lieut.-Gen. Sir Henry Goldfinch". The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review. Bradbury, Evans. February 1855: 190. Retrieved 13 May 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
henry, goldfinch, general, november, 1781, november, 1854, officer, royal, engineers, served, during, peninsular, 1807, 1814, ending, career, colonels, commandant, corps, royal, engineers, appointed, companion, order, bath, 1815, knight, commander, order, bath. Lt General Sir Henry Goldfinch KCB 24 November 1781 1 21 November 1854 was an officer in the Royal Engineers who served during the Peninsular War of 1807 to 1814 ending his career as one of the colonels commandant of the Corps of Royal Engineers 2 He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath CB in 1815 3 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath KCB in 1852 4 Sir Henry Goldfinch in about 1853 The grave of Sir Henry Goldfinch is one of the earliest in Brookwood Cemetery Harry Goldfinch was born in London the son of Henry Goldfinch and his wife Ann Paterson or Patterson 5 He was educated at Tonbridge School and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich 6 He joined the army in 1796 as an officer in the Royal Engineers and served at Hanover 1805 and at the Battle of Copenhagen 1807 7 He served with distinction during the Peninsular War from May 1809 to April 1814 7 and was present at the battles of Talavera 1809 Bussaco 1810 Vittoria 1813 Pyrenees 1813 Nive 1813 Orthez 1814 and Toulouse 1814 8 He was captured at the Battle of Porto 1809 but managed to escape 9 Goldfinch was promoted to second lieutenant 1798 first lieutenant 1800 second captain 1805 captain 1807 brevet major 1812 brevet lieutenant colonel 1813 lieutenant colonel 1814 colonel 1837 major general 1841 lieutenant general 1851 10 11 and colonel commandant 1854 12 He received the Gold Cross for Vittoria Nive Orthez and Toulouse and the Military General Service Medal with three clasps for Talavera Busaco and the Pyrenees 13 With his wife Catherine Elizabeth nee Thomas he had two sons Henry Robert Goldfinch 14 and John Howard Goldfinch as well as two daughters Mary Louisa Goldfinch and Catherine Elizabeth Goldfinch 15 He died at his home at 11 Upper Wimpole Street London on 21 November 1854 aged 73 and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery on 25 November 1854 just two weeks after the cemetery opened being the 29th person to be buried there His is the oldest surviving memorial anywhere within the cemetery 8 16 17 References edit England Select Births and Christenings 1538 1975 Appointment of Colonels Commandant The London Gazette 17 February 1854 p468 Appointment to Companion of the Order of the Bath The London Gazette 16 September 1815 Google Books p1880 Appointment to KCB London Gazette 5 April 1852 p988 England amp Wales Non Conformist and Non Parochial Registers 1567 1970 Obituary Lieut Gen Sir Henry Goldfinch The Gentleman s Magazine and Historical Review Bradbury Evans February 1855 190 Retrieved 13 May 2019 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help a b Henry Goldfinch The Napoleon Series a b Lieut Genl Sir Henry Goldfinch KCB on John Clarke s Brookwood Cemetery website Dr Mark S Thomson Wellington s Engineers Military Engineering on the Peninsular War 1808 1814 Pen amp Sword Military 2015 Google Books p42 John Philippart The Royal Military Calendar Or Army Service and Commission Book Volume 4 London 1820 Google Books p495 496 Death of Lt Ge Henry Goldfinch The London Gazette 9 January 1855 p86 John Clarke An Introduction to Brookwood Cemetery Necropolis Publications 1992 p10 Goldfinch War Services of the Officers of the Royal Engineers Hart s Army List Edward Walford The County Families of the United Kingdom Robert Hardwicke London 1860 Henry Robert Goldfinch Google Books p255 Marriage of Catherine Elizabeth Goldfinch 26 February 1853 The Spectator p19 Lt General Sir Henry Goldfinch on the Brookwood Cemetery website Brookwood the largest cemetery in Britain BBC News 27 August 2010External links editHenry Goldfinch at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Goldfinch amp oldid 1144739116, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
