Thomas William Browne Brotherton G.C.B. (1782 - 1868)

Biography

Sir Thomas Brotherton G.C.B. was Wounded in Action at the Battle of Salamanca and again at the Battle of the Nive during the Peninsular War.

Thomas was born in London, likely close to Westminster, on the 10 Dec 1782.^[1][2] He was Christened at the Parish church of St. Mary's at Marylebone in London on 3 February 1783. He has a page on Wikipedia. His parents, William Browne Brotherton and Mary Brotherton (nee Scott), spent much of their lives abroad, especially in France, and little is known about them. They are known to have been from the Lancashire families and held title to the estates of Hey in Newton-le-Willows. His sisters were all also born there suggesting the family was living in London between 1780 and 1784 at least. However at some point, before 1790 the family had moved to Paris, France, right at the start of the French Revolution. There is a letter, from his father, William Brotherton, addressed to John Houghton at the Heye, Newton, seeking payment of arrears of rent. The letter is dated St. Omer, France, on 5 Oct 1789.^[3]

In his old age the General used to tell the story of how, when he was a boy of 8 or 9, his father was arrested in Paris at the height of the French Revolution, and sentenced to the guillotine because he had been discovered harbouring a refugee. He said that his father's life had only been saved because Robespierre, who had ordered the arrest, was himself in 1794 a victim of the guillotine before anything could be done.^[4]

He is believed to have been educated at The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, or Westminster School from 1795.^[5]

He was commissioned ensign without purchase in the Coldstream Guards on 24 January 1800, aged about 18.^[6] The following year he took part in the expedition to Egypt, under Sir Ralph Abercromby which defeated the French in Egypt.

After the campaign in Egypt and as a result of his performance he was promoted to firstly Lieutenant and to Captain in 1801, and transferred to the Scots Guards in 1803. Brotherton was with this Regiment as part of the force led by General William Schaw Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart, KT, PC, PC (Ire),. From 1803 to 1805 Lord Cathcart was commander-in-chief in Ireland, and in 1805 was sent by Pitt to supersede Sir George Don in command of the 14,000 strong British expedition to Hanover of which the Scots Guards were part. Cathcart occupied Hanover on the 14 Dec and joined with Werdereffsky’s Russian column of Tolstoi’s corps. After skirmishes with Barbou's French forces at Springe, Cathcart was forced to withdraw after the Franco-Prussian agreement of 27 January 1806 handing over Hanover to Prussia, and re-embarked for England 7 February 1806.

On 4 June 1807 he exchanged into the 14th Light Dragoons. With it he served almost continuously in the Peninsula from 1808 to 1814. He was in Sir John Moore's retreat to Corunna; he was present at Talavera, at the actions on the Côa, at Bussaco, Fuentes de Oñoro, Battle of Salamanca, where he was wounded, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, the Nivelle, and the Nive, where he was severely wounded and taken prisoner. His record with the Regiment is extensive and recorded in the Record of the Regiment.^[7]

General Wellesley spoke highly of him, of his valuable reports, of his conduct at the Côa, and how he was exchanged after the battle of the Nive when he was wounded.

He was made Major by brevet on Wellesley's special recommendation on 28 Nov 1811, promoted Major in his regiment on 26 May 1812, promoted to brevet Lieutenant Colonel and knighted as Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath (C.B.) in 1817.

In 1830 he was appointed aide-de-camp to the king and promoted to Colonel, in 1841 he was promoted to Major General and in 1844 he became inspector-general of cavalry. In 1849 he was made Colonel of the 15th The King's Hussars, in 1850 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and in 1855 he was advanced to Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath (K.C.B.). In 1859 he became Colonel of the 1st Dragoon Guards, in 1860 he was promoted to full General and in 1861 he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath (G.C.B.).

He wrote a book, published later, "A Hawk At War; The Peninsular War Reminiscences Of General Sir Thomas Brotherton".

His residence, late in life from 1855 to 1867, was 11 Upper Brook St, Grosvenor Estate, Mayfair in London.

Brotherton died on 20 January 1868, at the age of eighty-three, at his son's house near Esher, Surrey, now known as Upper Court. He is buried in the churchyard of St. Andrew's Church, Cobham.^[8] His monument was originally over the family vault near the south door. Sadly the vault seems to have been removed during renovation and both father and son are remembered on a white stone cross not far from the south door bearing the inscription only of the General's son, John William Brotherton, who died in September 1878.

His autobiography^[9] has been copied up to this site to retain his memory.

Marriage and Family

On 11 June 1819, after his exploits with Wellesley in the Peninsular War, he married Louisa Anne Straton, daughter to Captain John Warde Straton Esq. of Lisnawilly and his wife Lady (Emily) Amelia Jocelyn, daughter to the Earl of Roden.^[10] He was 37 and she about 16. She was said to be "beautiful, though frail" They have one child, a boy:

John Brotherton. Born 1821, later of Esher, Surrey.

Also at about this time, 1819, he disentailed the family estates at Hey in Newton-le-Willows so that his three sisters could be provided for if he died in action rather than everything go to his male cousin; his son not then yet born. The estates were sold to a family of Leghs.^[11] His sisters are believed to have married into French families.^[12]

She died in 1847 and he remarried, in 1865, at the age of eighty, to his second wife, Thomasina Hare, the daughter of the Rev. Walter Hare. She was said to be "a designing woman, who married him for his position, and then treated him so abominably that he fled to his son's house at Esher, to end his days in peace." He died not long after in 1868. She died, aged 68 years, on 31 May 1895

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Footnotes

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYRD-WB5), Thos. Willm. Browne Brotherton, 03 Feb 1783; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 580,905, 580,906.
2. ↑ #S-1 Clarence Volume; page 304 incorrectly states 1785
3. ↑ Letter to John Houghton at the Heye, Newton, from William Browne Brotherton, St.Omer, France, requesting the immediate payment of all arrears of rent which is much in arrears, and that future notice must be given, and permission gained, to make repairs. Also makes enquiries concerning J.H's relations. Available Lancashire Archives. Notice
4. ↑ this discussion is available on the Esher Local History Web Site under Monograph No 4 February 1978 on General Sir Thomas William Brotherton G.C.B. by Richard Haynes
5. ↑ Knowledge from Family Historian, see Profile Manager for details.
6. ↑ A List of All the Officers in the Army and Royal Marines (Army List) 1800; available from National Archives or copy from Profile Manager on request; page 106.
7. ↑ #S-2 Hamilton; See Index page 622 and 623
8. ↑ There is an account of the funeral: http://www.edlhs.co.uk/Monographs.html
9. ↑ this discussion is available on the Esher Local History Web Site under Monograph No 4 February 1978 on General Sir Thomas William Brotherton G.C.B. by Richard Haynes
10. ↑ #S-1 Clarence Volume; page 304
11. ↑ 'Townships: Newton in Makerfield', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1911), pp. 132-137 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp132-137, Note 31.
12. ↑ Knowledge from Family Historian, see Profile Manager for details.

Sources

• Source S-1 Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval. The Plantagenet roll of the blood royal; being a complete table of all the descendants now living of Edward III, King of England (Clarence Volume). Volume 2. London: Jack; T.C. & E. C., 1905. archive.org

• Source S-2 Colonel Henry Blackburne Hamilton. Historical record of the 14th (King's) Hussars from A. D. 1715 to A. D. 1900 . London: Longmans and Green, 1901. Open Library