Hercules Robert Pakenham

Hercules Robert Pakenham
Miniature portrait of Hercules Robert Pakenham, made by William Egley (British, 1798 - 1870)
Born	29 September 1781
Died	7 March 1850 (aged 68)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Commands held	South-West District
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Lieutenant-General Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham KCB (29 September 1781 – 7 March 1850) was a British Army officer who served as aide-de-camp to William IV of the United Kingdom.

Early life

Hercules Robert Pakenham was born 29 September 1781, the third son of Edward Michael Pakenham, 2nd baron Longford and Catherine Rowley, second daughter of the Right Hon. Hercules Langford Rowley. He was brother of Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, and brother-in-law of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.^[1][2]

Military

Pakenham was appointed ensign 40th Regiment of Foot on 23 July 1803, became lieutenant 3 February 1804, was transferred to the 95th rifles (later the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)) in April the same year, and obtained his company there on 2 August 1805. He served in the expedition to Copenhagen and in Portugal, where during the Battle of Roliça, he was slightly wounded at Obidos 16–17 Aug. 1808. "He is really one of the best officers of riflemen I have seen," wrote Sir Arthur Wellesley, recommending him for promotion.^[1][2]

He was promoted to a majority in the 7th West India regiment 30 August 1810, remained with the Peninsular Army, and was assistant adjutant-general of Picton's division up to the fall of Badajos, where he was severely wounded and received the Gold Cross for Busaco, Fuentes d'Onoro, Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos).^[1][2]

He was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel on 27 April 1812, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel 26th Cameronians on 3 September 1812, and transferred as captain and lieutenant-colonel to the Coldstream Guards on 25 July 1814, from which he retired on half-pay in 1817.^[1][2]

He was made brevet colonel and aide-de-camp to the king on 27 May 1825 and was promoted to major-general on 10 January 1837.^[1][2] He succeeded Sir Thomas McMahon as Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and General Officer Commanding South-West District in 1839,^[3] was appointed colonel 43rd Light Infantry on 9 September 1844, and was promoted to lieutenant-general on 9 November 1846.^[1][2]

He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 4 June 1815, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 19 July 1838, and received the Peninsular silver medal and Roleia and Vimeiro clasps.^[1][2]

Parliament

Pakenham was a member of Parliament, representing Westmeath from 27 February 1808 to 1826. He sat for his brother, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Longford and placed votes intermittently between 1821 and 1825. Initially he was against Catholic Relief, but later came to favour it, citing his need representation of the change in opinion among his Protestant constituents.^[2]

Pakenham won the 1826 general election for Westmeath, but did not accept due to rumors that his favoring of Protestant interests resulted in his brother "discarding" him. The Catholic press reported that he was "the victim of the vote he gave ... in favour of emancipation."^[2]

Published work

• Hercules Robert Pakenham (January 1, 1825). Colonel Pakenham's speech on the second reading of the Catholic Relief Bill: In the House of Commons, on Tuesday, the 19th of April, 1825. W.E. Andrews. ASIN B0008AZ548

Personal life

When he was a captain, Pakenham was mentioned in Lady Morgan’s Memoirs: Autobiography, Diaries and Correspondence:

We have had Captain Pakenham here some days; he has just gone to Lifford, but is to return on Wednesday. He is a very pleasant young man; I wish he had been here when you were, that your recollection of Baron’s Court might have been more lively.

— Lady Morgan, Marchioness of Abercorn in a letter to Sydney Owenson, 1810^[4]

In November 1817, Pakenham married Emily, the fourth daughter of Thomas Stapylton, Lord le Despenser, and had issue six sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Edward, was killed at Inkerman in 1854 and another, Robert, at the relief of Lucknow in 1857.^[1][2]

He died suddenly at his residence, Langford Lodge,^{[nb 1]} County Antrim, on 7 March 1850.^[1][2]

Legacy

The "Sir Hercules Pakenham Scholarship" and "Emily Lady Pakenham Scholarship" were founded in 1876 by Rev. Arthur Hercules Pakenham in their memory for students of Queen's College, Belfast.^[6][7]

One of the 42 stalls in the Domus Dei in Portsmouth was dedicated to him.^[8]

Notes

1. Langford Lodge, which had been owned by the Rowley family, came into the Pakenham family through Hercule's mother Catherine Rowley Pakenham. It was passed on to Edward Michael Pakenham (died 1818). Upon Edward's death, the lodge was inherited by Hercules.^[5]

References

1.  Chichester, Henry Manners (1895). "Pakenham, Hercules Robert". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography 43. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.
2. Philip Salmon. "Pakenham, Hercules Robert". History of Parliament online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 December 2013.
3. Henry Colburn, The United Service Magazine, vol. 29 (1839) p. 111.
4. "Lady Morgan, Marchioness of Abercorn to Sydney Owenson, [July? 1810] in Lady Morgan’s Memoirs: Autobiography, Diaries and Correspondence. Second Edition, Revised 2 vols (London: Wm. H. Allen & Co., 1863) (online version)". Lord Byron and his Times. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
5. "History of Langford Lodge". Glenavy History. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
6. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1902). "Hercules+Robert+Pakenham"+scholarship Sessional Papers. H.M. Stationery Office. pp. 409–.
7. "University Entry Scholarships - Pakenham Scholarships (F306)". Queen's University, Belfast. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
8. Henry Press Wright (1873). The Story of the 'Domus Dei' of Portsmouth: Commonly Called the Royal Garrison Church. James Parker and Co. pp. 60, 68–9.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Hercules Robert Pakenham