Arms of John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford, being his paternal arms of Byng (Quarterly sable and argent in the first quarter a lion rampant of the second), with augmentation of honour granted in 1815 by the Prince Regent of in bend sinister a representation of the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot, in recognition of his heroic action at the Battle of the Nive
Promoted to colonel on 25 July 1810,[10] Byng went to Spain in September 1811 to become Commander of a brigade serving under General Rowland Hill.[6] Promoted to major-general on 4 June 1813, Byng commanded his brigade at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and then at the Battle of Roncesvalles on 25 July 1813 when his brigade took the brunt of the French assault and held its position for three hours in the early morning before finally being forced back; meanwhile General Lowry Cole rushed up reinforcements in the early afternoon and then fended off the French until the evening when thick fog rolled in.[11] Byng's stubborn resistance at Roncesvalles allowed the Marquess of Wellington (later the Duke) to consolidate enough troops to defeat the French at the Battle of the Pyrenees over the next few days.[2]
Battle of the Nive
Byng also fought at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and then at the Battle of the Nive in December 1813; at the latter battle, he led his troops up a hill under fire, occupied it and then planted the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot there before driving the French troops down the hill. His conduct was such that the Prince Regent told him that he was
"permitted to wear over the arms of the family of Byng, in bend sinister, a representation of the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot," and the following crest of honourable augmentation: "out of a mural crown an arm embowed, grasping the colour of the aforesaid 31st regiment, and pendent from the wrist by a ribband the gold cross presented to him by His Majesty's command, as a mark of His royal approbation of his distinguished services".[12]
The Battle of the Pyrenees: Byng's stubborn resistance at Roncesvalles allowed the Viscount Wellington (shown on horseback in the painting) to consolidate enough troops to defeat the French at the Battle of the Pyrenees
Byng became General Officer Commanding the Eastern District in England in October 1815[18] before transferring to be General Officer Commanding the Northern District in England in June 1816.[19] At the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, he was absent because he had two horses entered at York races that day, and delegated command to his deputy, who failed to peacefully disperse the large crowd, resulting in 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries.[20] Promoted to lieutenant general on 27 May 1825,[21] he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1828.[15] He became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland and was admitted to the Privy Council of Ireland later that year.[15] After leaving Ireland, he was elected as a WhigMember of Parliament for Poole in Dorset in October 1831[22] and was one of the few military men who supported the Reform Bill of 1832.[15] He was also appointed to the honorary position of Governor of Londonderry and Culmore on 15 June 1832.[23] In recognition of Byng's support for the Reform Bill, the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, raised him to the peerage as Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth on 8 May 1835,[24] which territorial designation recognised the Earldom borne by his maternal ancestors which had become extinct in 1799. He was promoted to full general on 23 November 1841,[25] and on 28 August 1847 he was raised further in the peerage as Viscount Enfield and Earl of Strafford[26] Also in 1847, following the death of his eldest brother the Whig MP George Byng (1764-1847), he inherited Wrotham Park.[27]
Secondly, following the death of his first wife, he married Marianne James, a daughter of Sir Walter James James, by whom he had a further son and three daughters.[6]
References
^Hattendorf, John B. "Byng, George, first Viscount Torrington". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4262. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abStephens, H.M. (2004). "John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4264. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^David R. Fisher and Stephen Farrell, BYNG, Sir John (1772–1860), of 6 Portman Square, Mdx. and Bellaghy, co. Londonderry in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832, ed. D.R. Fisher, 2009
^Bentham, Jeremy (2015). The Book of Fallacies. Oxford University Press. p. 327. ISBN978-0198719816.
john, byng, earl, strafford, field, marshal, 1772, june, 1860, british, army, officer, politician, after, serving, junior, officer, during, french, revolutionary, wars, irish, rebellion, 1798, became, commanding, officer, grenadier, battalion, regiment, foot, . Field Marshal John Byng 1st Earl of Strafford GCB GCH PC Ire 1772 3 June 1860 was a British Army officer and politician After serving as a junior officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and Irish Rebellion of 1798 he became Commanding Officer of the Grenadier Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards during the disastrous Walcheren Campaign He served as a brigade commander at the Battle of Vitoria and then at the Battle of Roncesvalles on 25 July 1813 when his brigade took the brunt of the French assault and held its position for three hours in the early morning before finally being forced back The Earl of StraffordPortrait of John Byng by William Salter 1834 1840Born1772Berkeley Square LondonDied3 June 1860 aged 87 or 88 Grosvenor Square LondonAllegianceUnited KingdomService wbr branchBritish ArmyYears of service1793 1831RankField MarshalCommands heldGrenadier Bn 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards2nd Guards BrigadeNorthern DistrictCommander in Chief IrelandBattles warsFrench Revolutionary WarsIrish Rebellion of 1798Napoleonic WarsAwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the BathKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic OrderArms of John Byng 1st Earl of Strafford being his paternal arms of Byng Quarterly sable and argent in the first quarter a lion rampant of the second with augmentation of honour granted in 1815 by the Prince Regent of in bend sinister a representation of the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot in recognition of his heroic action at the Battle of the Nive During the Hundred Days he commanded the 2nd Guards Brigade at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June 1815 and again at the Battle of Waterloo later that month when light companies from his brigade played an important role in the defence of Chateau d Hougoumont He went on to be Commander in Chief Ireland and after leaving Ireland in 1831 he was elected as Whig Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset and was one of the few military men who supported the Reform Bill for which he was rewarded with a peerage Contents 1 Origins 2 Career 2 1 Early promotions 2 2 Napoleonic Wars 2 3 Battle of the Nive 2 4 Waterloo 2 5 Ireland and politics 3 Family life 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksOrigins EditHe was the third son of George Byng 1735 1789 of Wrotham Park in Middlesex now in Hertfordshire eldest son of Robert Byng 1703 1740 Governor of Barbados by his wife and Anne Conolly whose mother was a daughter of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl of Strafford 1672 1739 of the second creation of that title His great grandfather was Admiral George Byng 1st Viscount Torrington 1663 1733 of Southill Park in Bedfordshire 1 Career EditEarly promotions Edit He was educated at Westminster School 2 He was commissioned as an ensign in the 33rd Regiment of Foot Duke of Wellington s Regiment on 30 September 1793 3 and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 December 1793 4 and to captain on 27 December 1794 5 He was sent to the Netherlands later that year where he was wounded during a skirmish at Geldermalsen in January 1795 during the Flanders Campaign 6 In 1796 Byng became aide de camp to General Richard Vyse in the Southern District of Ireland and was wounded during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 6 He became a major in the 60th Regiment of Foot on 28 December 1799 7 and a lieutenant colonel in the 29th Regiment of Foot on 18 March 1800 8 He transferred to the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards on 11 August 1804 9 and took part in the expedition to Hanover in 1805 in the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807 and having taken command of the Grenadier Battalion of his Regiment in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in Autumn 1809 6 Napoleonic Wars Edit Promoted to colonel on 25 July 1810 10 Byng went to Spain in September 1811 to become Commander of a brigade serving under General Rowland Hill 6 Promoted to major general on 4 June 1813 Byng commanded his brigade at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and then at the Battle of Roncesvalles on 25 July 1813 when his brigade took the brunt of the French assault and held its position for three hours in the early morning before finally being forced back meanwhile General Lowry Cole rushed up reinforcements in the early afternoon and then fended off the French until the evening when thick fog rolled in 11 Byng s stubborn resistance at Roncesvalles allowed the Marquess of Wellington later the Duke to consolidate enough troops to defeat the French at the Battle of the Pyrenees over the next few days 2 Battle of the Nive EditByng also fought at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and then at the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 at the latter battle he led his troops up a hill under fire occupied it and then planted the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot there before driving the French troops down the hill His conduct was such that the Prince Regent told him that he was permitted to wear over the arms of the family of Byng in bend sinister a representation of the colour of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the following crest of honourable augmentation out of a mural crown an arm embowed grasping the colour of the aforesaid 31st regiment and pendent from the wrist by a ribband the gold cross presented to him by His Majesty s command as a mark of His royal approbation of his distinguished services 12 Waterloo Edit Byng went on to fight at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and at the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814 6 During the Hundred Days he commanded the 2nd Guards Brigade at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June 1815 and again at the Battle of Waterloo later that month when light companies from his brigade played an important role in the defence of Hougoumont 6 After the battle he was placed in command of the I Corps and took part in the advance on Paris 13 Having captured the Peronne and its fortress 14 the Corps went on to occupy the heights of Montmartre and then to form part of the Army of Occupation 15 He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815 16 and a Knight of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa on 8 October 1815 17 Ireland and politics Edit The Battle of the Pyrenees Byng s stubborn resistance at Roncesvalles allowed the Viscount Wellington shown on horseback in the painting to consolidate enough troops to defeat the French at the Battle of the Pyrenees Byng became General Officer Commanding the Eastern District in England in October 1815 18 before transferring to be General Officer Commanding the Northern District in England in June 1816 19 At the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 he was absent because he had two horses entered at York races that day and delegated command to his deputy who failed to peacefully disperse the large crowd resulting in 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries 20 Promoted to lieutenant general on 27 May 1825 21 he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1828 15 He became Commander in Chief Ireland and was admitted to the Privy Council of Ireland later that year 15 After leaving Ireland he was elected as a Whig Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset in October 1831 22 and was one of the few military men who supported the Reform Bill of 1832 15 He was also appointed to the honorary position of Governor of Londonderry and Culmore on 15 June 1832 23 In recognition of Byng s support for the Reform Bill the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne raised him to the peerage as Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth on 8 May 1835 24 which territorial designation recognised the Earldom borne by his maternal ancestors which had become extinct in 1799 He was promoted to full general on 23 November 1841 25 and on 28 August 1847 he was raised further in the peerage as Viscount Enfield and Earl of Strafford 26 Also in 1847 following the death of his eldest brother the Whig MP George Byng 1764 1847 he inherited Wrotham Park 27 Byng also served as honorary colonel of the 4th West India Regiment as honorary colonel of the 2nd West India Regiment 28 and as honorary colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot 29 in his final years he was also honorary colonel of the Coldstream Guards 15 He was promoted to field marshal on 2 October 1855 30 and died at his home in Grosvenor Square in London on 3 June 1860 15 Family life EditByng married twice Firstly in 1804 to Mary Mackenzie by whom he had one son 6 George Stevens Byng 2nd Earl of Strafford 1806 1886 eldest son and heir Secondly following the death of his first wife he married Marianne James a daughter of Sir Walter James James by whom he had a further son and three daughters 6 References Edit Hattendorf John B Byng George first Viscount Torrington Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 4262 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b Stephens H M 2004 John Byng 1st Earl of Strafford Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 4264 Subscription or UK public library membership required No 13589 The London Gazette 2 November 1793 p 974 No 13628 The London Gazette 1 March 1794 p 192 No 13734 The London Gazette 23 December 1794 p 1259 a b c d e f g h Heathcote 1999 p 63 No 15216 The London Gazette 24 December 1799 p 1331 No 15239 The London Gazette 15 March 1800 p 260 No 15726 The London Gazette 7 August 1804 p 953 No 16390 The London Gazette 24 July 1810 p 1094 Chandler 1979 p 384 No 17037 The London Gazette 8 July 1815 p 1358 Siborne 1848 p 689 Siborne 1848 p 689 690 a b c d e f Heathcote 1999 p 64 No 16972 The London Gazette 4 January 1815 p 19 No 17075 The London Gazette 31 October 1815 p 2186 David R Fisher and Stephen Farrell BYNG Sir John 1772 1860 of 6 Portman Square Mdx and Bellaghy co Londonderry in The History of Parliament the House of Commons 1820 1832 ed D R Fisher 2009 Bentham Jeremy 2015 The Book of Fallacies Oxford University Press p 327 ISBN 978 0198719816 Reid p 138 No 18141 The London Gazette 28 May 1825 p 925 No 18859 The London Gazette 11 October 1831 p 2083 No 19066 The London Gazette 12 July 1833 p 1347 No 19268 The London Gazette 8 May 1835 p 900 No 20044 The London Gazette 24 November 1841 p 3007 No 20769 The London Gazette 31 August 1847 p 3162 Wrotham Park Barnet Hertfordshire Genealogy Retrieved 2 February 2014 No 17840 The London Gazette 3 August 1822 p 1275 No 18439 The London Gazette 5 February 1828 p 238 No 21792 The London Gazette 2 October 1855 p 3652 Sources EditChandler David 1979 Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars New York Macmillan ISBN 0 02 523670 9 Heathcote Tony 1999 The British Field Marshals 1736 1997 A Biographical Dictionary Barnsley Leo Cooper ISBN 0 85052 696 5 Reid Robert 1989 The Peterloo Massacre William Heinemann ISBN 978 0 434 62901 5 Siborne William 1848 The Waterloo Campaign 1815 4th ed Westminster A Constable External links Edit Wikisource has the text of the 1885 1900 Dictionary of National Biography s article about Byng John Hansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by the Earl of StraffordMilitary officesPreceded bySir Lowry Cole GOC Northern District1816 1828 Succeeded bySir Henry BouveriePreceded bySir George Murray Commander in Chief Ireland1828 1831 Succeeded byThe Lord VivianPreceded byGeorge Vaughan Hart Governor of Londonderry1832 1860 Office abolishedPreceded bySir Alexander Campbell Colonel of the York Light Infantry Volunteers1815 1816 Regiment disbandedPreceded bySir James Leith Colonel of the 4th West India Regiment1816 1819 Regiment disbandedPreceded bySir Henry Torrens Colonel of the 2nd West India Regiment1822 1828 Succeeded byFrancis FullerPreceded byGordon Forbes Colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot1828 1850 Succeeded byThe Lord DownesParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byBenjamin LesterHon William Ponsonby Member of Parliament for Poole1831 1835 Served alongside Benjamin Lester 1831 1835Charles Tulk 1835 Succeeded byCharles TulkGeorge ByngPreceded byThe Duke of Cambridge Colonel of the Coldstream Guards1850 1860 Succeeded byThe Lord ClydePeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Earl of Strafford3rd creation1847 1860 Succeeded byGeorge ByngBaron Strafforddescended by acceleration1835 1853 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Byng 1st Earl of Strafford amp oldid 1129954925, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
