Alexander George Woodford

Sir Alexander Woodford
Sir Alexander Woodford
Born	15 June 1782 Welbeck Street, London
Died	26 August 1870 (aged 88) Royal Hospital Chelsea, London
Buried at	Kensal Green Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1794–1843
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	1st battalion Coldstream Guards 2nd battalion Coldstream Guards
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Field Marshal Sir Alexander George Woodford, GCB, KCMG (15 June 1782 – 26 August 1870) was a British Army officer. After taking part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, he served in most of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars. During the Hundred Days he commanded the 2nd battalion of the Coldstream Guards at the Battle of Quatre Bras, the Battle of Waterloo and the storming of Cambrai. He went on to become lieutenant governor and brigade commander at Malta, lieutenant governor and brigade commander at Corfu and then commander of the British garrison on the Ionian Islands before being appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar.

Born the son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Woodford and Lady Susan Gordon (daughter of Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon), Woodford was educated at Winchester College and Royal Military Academy, Woolwich before being commissioned as an ensign in the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot on 6 December 1794. He was promoted to lieutenant in the 22nd (the Cheshire) Regiment of Foot on 15 July 1795 and transferred back to the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot in September 1799 before seeing action at the Battle of Alkmaar in October 1799 (where he was wounded) during the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. Promoted to captain lieutenant on 14 December 1799, he transferred to the Coldstream Guards on 28 December 1799 and became aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir James Forbes in Sicily in 1803. He took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807 before rejoining Lord Forbes' staff in Sicily in March 1808. After returning London, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 8 March 1810.