Henry Havelock
| Havelock was born in 1795 in Sunderland, England, the son of a wealthy shipbuilder. He and his 3 brothers all entered the army. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1815 and for the following 8 years studied military history. With no prospect of active service in England he transferred to the 13 Regiment Light Infantry in India. There Havelock served with distinction in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826), the First Afghan War in 1839 and numerous battles through to the Sikh Wars in 1845, by which time he had been promoted to Deputy Lieutenant-General. In between he managed to find time to return to England, marry and have a son. In 1857, now Adjutant-General to the British Army in India he served in the Anglo-Persian War, and then the 1857 Indian Rebellion. It is for his recapture of the towns Cawnpore and Lucknow that England remember him, crucial after the Sepoy Rebels had massacred Cawnpore, killing 400 men, women and children after they were promised safe conduct out of town. After recapturing Lucknow another rebel force arrived and his regiment was blockaded in. Havelock died of dysentery just a few days after the siege was lifted. He did live long enough to hear that he was granted a Baronetcy, which was subsequently bestowed on his son. He was also promoted to Colonel before the news of his death had reached England. |
Henry Havelock
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It is not surprising that a number of streets and towns have been named after him.
For more, see the Wikipedia article.
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