Richard Vyse

General Richard Vyse
Memorial to Richard Vyse in Lichfield Cathedral
Born	11 July 1746 Lichfield, Staffordshire
Died	30 May 1825 (aged 78) Lichfield, Staffordshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Battle of Le Cateau
Relations	father: William Vyse son: Major-General Richard William Howard Vyse

General Richard Vyse (11 July 1746 – 30 May 1825) was a British general, and briefly a Member of Parliament for Beverley.

Vyse was born at Lichfield, Staffordshire the younger son of William Vyse (1710–1770), canon residentiary and treasurer of Lichfield, and younger brother of William Vyse (1741–1816), canon residentiary and chancellor of Lichfield. In 1780, he married Anne,^[1] the only surviving daughter and heiress of Field-marshal Sir George Howard and was the father of Major-General Richard William Howard Vyse, anthropologist and Egyptologist.

Vyse was appointed cornet in the 5th Dragoons on 13 February 1763. He attained the brevet rank of colonel on 7 January 1781, received the command of the 1st Dragoon Guards on 28 May 1784, and during the revolutionary war served in Flanders in command of a brigade under the Duke of York. He distinguished himself on several occasions, particularly at the Battle of Beaumont on 26 April 1794, where at the head of two brigades of heavy cavalry, he materially contributed to the victory, and at the evacuation of Ostend, which he superintended on 1 July.

Vyse was nominated major-general on 2 October 1794, and lieutenant-general on 1 January 1801. He was returned to parliament in 1806 for Beverley, but in the following year made way for his son. He attained the rank of general on 1 January 1812, and died at Lichfield on 30 May 1825. He filled for some time the office of comptroller to Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland.^[2]

Notes

1. Copy (on paper) of articles previous to the marriage of Richard Vyse and Miss Anne Howard [no ref.] 10 May 1780 at Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies
2. (Gent. Mag. 1825, ii. 180; Historical Records of the Third Dragoon Guards, 1838, p.127)

References

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Richard Vyse

Archival documents

• Smalbroke family of Birmingham MS 1098 includes Vyse family at Birmingham City Archives.* Vyse, Richard (1746-1825) MP General 131255 at National Register of Archives.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Vyse, Richard William Howard". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.