William Lord North and Grey.
Appointed 15th January, 1703.
William Lord North and Grey, of Rolleston, acquired great reputation in the wars of Queen Anne, while serving under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough. He was appointed colonel of the Tenth regiment of foot in January, 1703, and served the campaign of that year at the head of his regiment, performing a conspicuous part at the siege of Huy. In the following year he accompanied his regiment to Germany, evinced signal gallantry at Schellenberg, and had his right hand shot off at the battle of Blenheim. This loss did not occasion him to retire from active service; but he continued at the head of the Tenth, and soon after the celebrated victory of Ramilies, in 1706, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and placed at the head of a brigade of infantry. During the campaign of 1707, he was at the head of the fifth brigade of foot; at the battle of Oudenarde, in 1708, he commanded a battalion of the royals, and the Tenth, twenty-first, and twenty-sixth regiments; he also took part in covering the siege of Lisle, and evinced signal gallantry at the siege and capture of Ghent. On the 1st of January, 1709, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and in 1710 to that of lieut.-general. He served the campaign of 1712, under James Duke of Ormond, and his services were rewarded with the appointment of governor of Portsmouth. When measures were adopted to prevent the accession of the house of Hanover to the throne of Great Britain, Lord North and Grey espoused the interest of the Stuart dynasty, and became a secret advocate for the elevation of the Pretender to the throne. King George I. deprived his lordship of the colonelcy of the Tenth foot, and of the government of Portsmouth; also confined him in the Tower of London. He was subsequently released, and he withdrew to the Continent. Although a very gallant officer in the field, yet he lost sight of the best interests of his country; and during his residence at Brussels, he embraced the Roman Catholic religion. He died at Madrid in October, 1734.
Henry Grove.
Appointed 23rd June, 1715.
This officer entered the army on the 1st of December, 1688, as an ensign in one of the regiments which had declared for the Prince of Orange. He was many years an officer of the Tenth foot, and served with the regiment in the wars of King William III., which were terminated by the peace of Ryswick in 1697. He also served the campaigns of 1702, 1703, and 1704, with the regiment, and was at the battles of Schellenberg and Blenheim. In the autumn of 1704 he succeeded Major Granville, who was wounded at the battle of Blenheim, in the majority of the Tenth, with which corps he served at the forcing of the French lines in 1705, and at the battle of Ramilies in 1706; and he succeeded lieut.-colonel Rawley in the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment in the same year. Lieut.-Colonel Grove commanded the Tenth at the battle of Oudenarde, in July, 1708, and in December following he was taken prisoner at the siege of Ghent. He was liberated soon afterwards, and in the following year he commanded the regiment at the siege of the castle of Tournay, and at the battle of Malplaquet. The practice of giving medals, promotion, and inscriptions on regimental colours, for battles and sieges, had not been introduced; but lieut.-colonel Grove's services were rewarded with the rank of colonel in the army, and in 1711 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. King George I. conferred the colonelcy of the Tenth foot on brigadier-general Grove, who was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1727, and to that of lieut.-general in 1735. He died on the 20th of November, 1736.
Francis Columbine.
Appointed 27th January, 1737.
Francis Columbine served in the wars of Queen Anne, under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough; he was many years an officer of the eighth regiment of foot, in which corps he rose to the rank of major, and he was subsequently promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the Tenth. He performed the duty of commanding officer of the Tenth upwards of twelve years, and preserved the regiment in a high state of discipline and efficiency. He was promoted to the rank of major-general on the 29th of October, 1735, and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the Tenth foot in 1737; on the 2nd of July, 1739, he was advanced to the rank of lieut.-general. He died on the 22nd of September, 1746.
James Lord Tyrawley.