James FitzGibbon (1780 - 1863)

Born 16 Nov 1780 in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland

Husband of Mary (Haley) FitzGibbon — married 14 Aug 1814 in Aldophustown, Canada

Descendants

Died 10 Dec 1863 at age 83 in Windsor Castle, England

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Biography

Col. James FitzGibbon served for the United Kingdom in the War of 1812
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James, born in Ireland in 1780, was the son of Garrett (Gerald) FitzGibbon and Mary Widenham. As a soldier in the 49th Regiment of the British Army, he was a French prisoner for a few days at the Battle of Alkamaar in Holland and he later received the Naval General Service Medal for his service as a marine in the Battle of Copenhagen (1801). His regiment was sent to Canada in 1802.

The War of 1812 separated many military couples and given the danger associated with active service, a number of military couples decided to marry on short notice. One example comes from Captain James Fitzgibbon who married in 1814.

During the War of 1812, Lieutenant FitzGibbon is best known for his actions during the Battle of Beaver Dams and for being the officer who received Laura Secord's warning of the impending American attack. In October 1813, he was appointed captain of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles.

In August 1814, the Americans were in the Niagara and two major engagements had already taken place at Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane, with Fitzgibbon fighting at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. With the Americans in possession of Fort Erie and the British preparing to siege the enemy, Fitzgibbon surprised his commanding officer when he “asked [for] leave, without giving any reason for such an apparently unreasonable request.” Many officers would not receive permission, but Fitzgibbon’s impressive record permitted him to take a short leave.

Fitzgibbon sent a letter to his fiancée, Mary Haley, at Kingston 250 miles away requesting that she meet him. Mary Haley appeared at the appointed time on August 14, 1814 outside the church at Adolphustown, then an important community on the road between Kingston and York. The couple married and “the knot tied, the soldier said farewell to his wife on the church step” before returning to the war. Fitzgibbon knew that he would be involved in heavy fighting and did not want “the girl he loved being left unprovided for” should he be killed. ^[1]

He remained in Canada after selling his commission in 1825 and was appointed a militia colonel the following year.^[2]

A Freemason, from 1822 to 1826, he was deputy provincial grand master, the highest office in Upper Canada. He was a colonel of the Upper Canada Militia during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.

He moved to England in 1847 after the death of his wife Mary Haley, with whom he had four sons and a daughter. In 1850 he was appointed a Military Knight of Windsor.

He died at Windsor Castle in 1863 and is buried there in the crypt of St. George's Chapel. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ James FitzGibbon and the Girl he Loved [1]
2. ↑ Ruth McKenzie, “FitzGIBBON, JAMES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 9, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 29, 2015, [2]
3. ↑ James FitzGibbon - Wikipedia Page [3]

• Mary Agnes Fitzgibbon. (1894) "A Veteran of 1812". Prospero.
• James FitzGibbon - Find A Grave Find A Grave: Memorial #11290084
• Captain James FitzGibbon - Geni Page [4]