Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart

Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart

Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart , GCB (born December 21, 1783 in Walton-on-the-Naze , † July 16, 1859 in St Leonards-on-Sea near Hastings ) was a British general. He was known from 1807 to 1843 under the courtesy title of Baron Greenock (after the place Greenock in Scotland ).

Life

Charles Murray Cathcart was the eldest son of general and diplomat William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart . He joined the 2nd Life Guards in 1800 and fought under Sir James Craig in the Mediterranean area in 1805/6 . In 1809 he took part as a major in the unsuccessful Walcheren expedition and then fought as a lieutenant colonel in the Peninsular War near Barossa, Salamanca and Vitoria . In 1814 he served as chief of staff of the quartermaster-general under Sir Thomas Graham , who was married to his aunt, in Holland.

He fought under Wellington near Waterloo , where a horse was shot under him. For his services Cathcart was inducted into the Bath Order , he also received several foreign awards.

Cathcart became major general in 1830, governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1837 , lieutenant general in 1841. After he inherited his father's title in 1843 after the death of his father, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the British troops in Canada from 1846 to 1849 . At times the office of Governor General of the Province of Canada was connected with it. On his return to the United Kingdom, he was given command of the Northern Military District in England. In 1854 he was promoted to general on the occasion of his retirement from active service .

Cathcart was also very interested in science. A mineral discovered on his land in 1841 was named greenockite after him. General Sir George Cathcart (* 1794), who died in the Battle of Inkerman , was his brother.

In 1833 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

Cathcart died in 1859. Peerage inherited from his eldest son, Alan Frederick Cathcart .

Web links

• Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed October 16, 2019 . 

predecessor	Office	successor
William Cathcart	Earl Cathcart 1843-1859	Alan Frederick Cathcart