SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF
THE SIXTY-FIRST,
OR,
THE SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT OF
FOOT.
Granville Elliott.
Appointed 21st April, 1758.
Granville Elliott served with distinction in the army of the Emperor of Germany, and returned to England with the reputation of a brave and experienced officer; he was admitted into the British service, by King George II., in 1758, with the rank of major-general, and was appointed colonel of the Sixty-first Regiment, on its formation from the second battalion of the Third Foot, or the Buffs. He commanded a brigade, under Charles, Duke of Marlborough, in the expedition to St. Maloes in 1758; and afterwards proceeded to Germany, where he served as major-general, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. His experience in continental service induced him to suggest to the British government the advantage of having a considerable portion of light cavalry in the army. The subject was previously under consideration, and the formation of regiments of light dragoons was commenced in the following year. He died in Germany in 1759.
George Gray.
Appointed 19th July, 1759.
George Gray was many years an officer in the household cavalry, and in July, 1749, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the first troop, now first regiment, of Life Guards. In 1759, King George II. rewarded him with the colonelcy of the Sixty-first Regiment, from which he was removed, in 1768, to the Thirty-seventh. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1761, and to that of lieut.-general in 1770. He died in 1773.
John Gore.
Appointed 9th May, 1768.
The early services of this officer were in the third regiment of Foot Guards, in which corps he was promoted captain and lieutenant-colonel, in 1750, first major, with the rank of colonel, in 1760, and lieutenant-colonel in 1771 On the 10th of July, 1762, he was advanced to the rank of major-general; and in 1768 he was nominated to the colonelcy of the Sixty-first Regiment: in 1772 he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general, and was removed to the Sixth Foot in February of the following year. He died in November, 1773.
John Barlow.
Appointed 19th February, 1773.
John Barlow was many years an officer in the Third regiment of foot, or the Buffs, with which corps he served at the battle of Dettingen. He was promoted captain of a company on the 22nd of February, 1745, and afterwards served with the Buffs at the battles of Fontenoy, Falkirk, and Culloden; also at the battle of Val in 1747. In 1755 he was promoted major of the Buffs, and on the formation of the Sixty-first Regiment, from the second battalion of the Third Foot, he was nominated to the lieut.-colonelcy of that corps, which he commanded in the expedition to the West Indies, and distinguished himself on several occasions at the reduction of Guadeloupe in 1759. His services were rewarded with the colonelcy of the regiment in 1773; and in August, 1777, he was promoted to the rank of major general. He died in 1778.
Staates Long Morriss.
Appointed 14th May. 1778.
This officer served with reputation in the reign of King George II; was promoted to the rank of captain in the Thirty-sixth Regiment in May, 1756; and in 1758 he was employed in the expedition to St. Maloes, under Charles, Duke of Marlborough. He took great interest in the formation of the Eighty-ninth Regiment, of which he was appointed lieutenant-colonel commandant in October, 1759: he served at the head of this corps until 1763, when it was disbanded. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1772; to that of major-general in 1777; and in the following year he was nominated to the colonelcy of the Sixty-first Regiment. He was advanced to the rank of lieut.-general in 1782, and to that of general in 1796. He died in 1800.
Sir George Hewett, Bart., G.C.B.
Appointed 4th April, 1800.
George Hewett was many years an officer of the Seventieth Foot, in which corps he was promoted to the rank of captain in June, 1775, and he served in North America during the war of independence. In December, 1781, he was promoted to a majority in the Forty-third Regiment, with which corps he served with reputation, and was advanced to the rank of colonel in March, 1794: in May, 1796, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and on the 5th of August, 1799, he was nominated colonel commandant of the second battalion of the Fifth Foot; in 1800, King George III. conferred upon him the colonelcy of the Sixty-first Regiment. He served in the East Indies, and also in the West Indies; was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in September, 1803. He was inspecting general of the Recruiting Department in 1803; and at the commencement of the war with France, the Government placed under his orders all the corps raised under the provisions of the Army of Reserve Act. He was subsequently commander-in-chief in Ireland; and in 1806 he was appointed commander-in-chief in the East Indies, the duties of which important situation he performed five years. On the 4th of June, 1813, he was promoted to the rank of general, and in November of the same year he was created a baronet: he was afterwards honoured with the dignity of Knight Grand Cross of the most honourable Order of the Bath. He performed the duties of barrack-master-general for a short period. He was of a kind and benevolent disposition, was highly esteemed for his social virtues, and distinguished as a benefactor to the poor. He took an interest in the Sixty-first Regiment, of which he was colonel forty years, and expressed a wish to see his corps once more; but took his bed on the day it landed at Southampton, from the island of Ceylon, and died on the 21st of March, 1840, at his seat at Freemantle Park, near Southampton. He was a member of the privy council for Ireland at the time of his decease.
Sir John Gardiner, K.C.B.
Appointed 30th March 1840.
Removed to the Fiftieth Regiment in 1844.
Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B.
Appointed 20th January, 1844.