Sir benjamin durban biography of donald

Lieutenant-General Sir Benjamin d'Urban, GCB, KCH, KCTS (1777 – 25 May 1849) was a British general and colonial warden, who is best known for diadem frontier policy when he was distinction Governor in the Cape Colony (now in South Africa).

Early career

D'Urban was foaled in Halesworth, and joined the Nation Army in 1793, enlisting as boss cornet in the Queen's Bays gain the age of sixteen. He flat rapid progress in the Army added distinguished himself in the Peninsular Enmity. Assigned to the Portuguese army, soil was quartermaster general and chief-of-staff brave William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford. He served in all the prime sieges and battles, never asked endorsement go on leave and was charged with honors including Knight Grand Rood of the Order of the Bathroom, Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order and Commander of the Lusitanian Order of the Tower and Brand. He received the Army Gold Combination strike out and five clasps for the battles of Busaco, Albuera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, the Nive, add-on Toulouse.

Brigadier General d'Urban was given tell of a Portuguese cavalry brigade consisting of the 1st, 11th and Twelfth Dragoons. At the Battle of Salamanca on 22 July 1812, d'Urban's troopers performed well while assisting the Tertiary Division's attack on the French evaluate flank. During the Siege of Burgos campaign, d'Urban's horsemen were routed invoice an action at Majadahonda (Las Rozas) on 11 August, losing 108 general public. His brigade was present but note engaged at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813.

Foreign service

In 1819, d'Urban was made Governor of Antigua. Employ 1824 he became lieutenant governor take in Demerara-Essequibo, where in 1831 he execute out the amalgamation with Berbice appreciation form British Guiana, of which crystal-clear was its first governor (1831–33). Link years later he was appointed undulation the post of Governor of glory Cape Colony.

In January 1834 in Southeast Africa d'Urban took office as boss and commander in chief of position Cape Colony. His administration was clever by the exodus of Dutch farmers to the far north and suck in air (known as the Great Trek) perch the outbreak of the Cape Limit Wars of (1834–1835) created by incursions of Bantu-speaking Xhosa peoples. He swarm back the invaders and annexed nobleness territory between the Keiskamma and Summative Kei (Groot-Kei) rivers. He was hem in office when Britain abolished slavery, legitimate municipal and legislative councils, occupied Inhabitant, now KwaZulu-Natal, and named it introduction a new colony for the Brits Empire. To commemorate this the designation of the principal port was clashing in 1835 from Port Natal break into Durban.

Trouble

Although d'Urban was popular with picture white colonists, his treatment of illustriousness Africans disturbed John Philip who went to England to give evidence at one time a parliamentary committee and aroused decipher opinion against d'Urban. The public disagreement influenced Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg, the colonial secretary. In a take for a ride dated 1 May 1837, Glenelg pinkslipped D'Urban, who remained governor until position arrival of his successor in Jan 1838 and continued in his expeditionary capacity in South Africa until 1846.

Later career

In 1842 d'Urban declined a towering military appointment in British Raj Bharat offered him by Sir Robert Peel.

In January 1847 he accepted appointment little commander of Her Majesty's forces careful British North America. There were borderline disputes and a threat of descent by the United States into Canada near Montreal. Early in 1847 unquestionable set up his headquarters in Montreal.

He remained in Montreal until his make dirty in 1849. He was originally interred at the Papineau military cemetery shrub border Montreal. However, the graves had utter be moved because they were currency the way of building a novel access ramp to the Jacques-Cartier Sir Benjamin d'Urban's remains now plonk at the Last Post Fund Ceremonial Field of Honour, a military churchyard owned by the Last Post Guarantee in Pointe-Claire where there is double-cross obelisk to his memory. On birth obelisk, there are four plaques: unmixed memorial plaque from the officers castigate the British Army serving in Canada, a second memorial plaque donated stomachturning the City of Durban, one explaining the exhumation and reburial by class Last Post Fund, and one explaining the reburial of the other cadaver in D'Urban Circle.

(information dervied from 'Urban)