Sir John Gaspard LE MARCHANT 1
- Born: 1803
- Marriage (1): Margaret TAYLOR
- Died: 6 Feb 1874, London, Middlesex, England aged 71
General Notes:
KCB, KCMG
Governor of Malta
Notes for Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant KCB GCMG Ensign, 10th Foot; spent many years within the colonies rising to the rank of Major in the 98th Foot; in 1835, quit the position to accompany the British auxiliary legion to Spain as Colonel and Adjutant-General; served with distinction in two campaigns, made Brigadier-General at the storming of the lines at St Sabastian, gained first and third crosses of St Fernando and the order of St Carlos. Returning to England, received a Knighthood; made Lieutenant-Colonel, 99th Regiment.
The third son of, General Le Marchant, SIR JOHN GASPARD Le MARCHANT (1803-1874), entered the English army, and saw service in Spain in the Carlist War of 1835-37. He was afterwards lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland (1847-1852) and of Nova Scotia (1852-1857); governor of Malta (1859-1864); commander-in-chief at Madras (1865-1868). He was made K.C.B. in 1865, and died on the 6th of February 1874.
See Sir Denis Le Marchant, Memoirs of General Le Merchant (i 841); Sir William Napier, History of the War in the Peninsula (6 vols., 1828-1840).
Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant (1803-1874) 1852-58
Born in England as the son of a Major-General, Sir John Gaspard LeMarchant followed in his father's footsteps, joining the army at seventeen. He became one of the youngest men to ever command a regiment as a Major in Cape Colony.
Knighted after service in Spain from 1835-37, Sir John arrived in North America as the Governor of Newfoundland in 1847 to find the inhabitants homeless. During his stay in the area, he encouraged good farming and traveled widely. However, he did oppose Liberal demand for responsible government. His severe unpopularity in Newfoundland led to his transfer to Nova Scotia where he was less controversial and more judicious. After holding a number of similar posts internationally, LeMarchant died in London.
John married Margaret TAYLOR, daughter of Rev. Robert TAYLOR and Mary Ann WATKINS. (Margaret TAYLOR was born about 1815.)
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