Brigadier General Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas
Sir Thomas Monteath, (1788–1868), an army officer in the East
India Company, was born on 25 November 1788 at Hanover, Jamaica, the
son of Thomas Monteath of Kippen. He took the surname Douglas on 18 December
1850, on inheriting the estate of Douglas Support, which had been
, which had been
entailed to the descendants of his paternal grandmother by her sister
Margaret, duchess of Douglas.
Monteath entered the East India
Company's service as a cadet in 1805. He was appointed an ensign in
the Bengal army on 4 December 1806, and was at once attached to the
35th Bengal infantry, with which he served throughout his long career.
He was promoted lieutenant on 9 September 1808. He first saw service
under Sir Gabriel Martindall in the campaigns in Bundelkhand in 1809
and 1810, during which Monteath was twice wounded. He next served
throughout the Gurkha and Nepalese campaigns in 1814 and 1815 under
generals Sir Jasper Nicolls and Sir David Ochterlony. He was present
at the battles of the Timli Pass and of Kalanga, and at the assaults
of Jountgarh and Srinagar, where he was again wounded. In the marquess
of Hastings' campaign against the Pindaris in 1818, the 35th Bengal
native infantry was attached to the brigade which was sent to Bikaner
in the extreme east of Rajputana, in order to drive the Pindaris back
into central India, where Lord Hastings was waiting for them. Douglas
was next engaged in the Merwara campaign of 1820, and was promoted
captain on 24 May 1821. In 1826 he was present at Viscount
Combermere's successful siege of Bharatpur and took part in the
assault. On 20 July 1826 Monteath married Mrs Lucinda Florence Whish,
at Meerut. He and his wife had at least one daughter, before his wife
died at Lucknow in 1837, at the age of thirty-nine.
Monteath
was promoted major on 17 January 1829 and lieutenant-colonel on 2
April 1834, and commanded his regiment throughout the First
Anglo-Afghan War of 1838–42. His regiment was one of those which,
under Sir Claude Wade, forced the Khyber Pass and co-operated with Sir
John Keane's army from Bombay in the storming of Ghazni and the
capture of Kabul in 1838. For his services Monteath was made a CB on
20 December 1839 and selected by Shah Shuja as one of the officers to
receive his newly formed Durani order. Monteath's regiment was one of
those left to garrison Kabul, and remained there until October 1841,
when it was ordered with the 13th light infantry to return to India
under the command of Sir Robert Sale. Hardly had this brigade started
when the Afghans resumed hostilities and Sale had to fight his way to
Jalalabad, where he was besieged. In the defence of that city Monteath,
who from his rank was second in command, greatly distinguished
himself. On 16 April 1842 the garrison was relieved by General Sir
George Pollock, and in the campaign which followed Monteath commanded
a brigade. For his gallant conduct he was appointed an aide-de-camp to
the queen on 4 October 1842. On 7 September 1845 he was appointed
colonel of his old regiment, and on 10 March 1846 he was given command
of the district of Ambala, with the rank of brigadier. Soon after he
left India.
Douglas was promoted major-general on 20 June 1854,
lieutenant-general on 18 March 1856, and general on 9 April 1865. On
28 March 1865 he was made a KCB for his long services during the early
years of the century. He died at Stonebyres
in Lanarkshire on 18
October 1868, by which time his tomb was
finished.
Daughter:
Augusta Emmilina Monteath Douglas married at St
George's, Hanover St, London on 4th March 1862, John Reginald Yorke
MP (1938-1912). Augusta died on 19 Feb 1863, presumably of
childbirth complications. They had a son, dunm yp.
London Gazette Issue 21165 published on
the 24 December 1850
Whitehall, December 18, 1850.
The Queen has been pleased to grant unto Thomas Monteath,
Esquire, Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath,
Colonel of the 35th Regiment of Light infantry, in the
service of the East India Company, on the Bengal
Establishment, and one of Her Majesty's Aides-de-Camp,
eldest son and heir of Thomas Monteath, late of Kingston, in
the Island of Jamaica, who was second son of Walter Monteath,
sometime of Kepp, in the county of Perth, Esquire, and Jean
his wife, sister of Margaret, Duchess of Douglas, all
deceased, Her Royal licence and authority that he and his
issue, may in compliance with a clause contained in a
certain disposition and deed of entail, bearing date the
31st day of December 1793, take and henceforth use the
surname of Douglas, in addition to and after that of
Monteath, and that he and they may bear the arms of Douglas
quarterly in the first quarter, with those of Monteath, and
that he, the said Thomas Monteath, may bear the designation
of Monteath Douglas, of Douglas Support and Menteth, such
arms being first duly exemplified according to the laws of
arms, and recorded in the Herald's Office, otherwise the
said royal licence and permission to be void and of none
effect:
And also to command that the said royal
concession and declaration be registered in Her Majesty's
College of Arms. |
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|
Armorial
on the Monteath Mausoleum |
There are three mottoes associated with the crest
(above):
• Jamais arriere (Never behind)
• Quae serata secura (The things which are locked are safe)
• Viresco (I become green) |
An extensive description of the arms can be
found in the Friends
Winter 2020 Newsletter . |
See also:
1. Douglas
Support
