Edward Nicolls
| Edward Nicolls | |
|---|---|
A portrait of Nicolls later in life, now in the Officer's Mess at Royal Marines Barracks, Plymouth
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| Born | 1779 Coleraine, Ireland |
| Died |
(aged 85) Blackheath, London |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Years of service | 1795–1835 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Royal Marines |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
War of the Fourth Coalition
Anglo-Turkish War
General Sir Edward NicollsKCB (1779 – 5 February 1865) was an Anglo-Irish officer of the Royal Marines. Known as "Fighting Nicolls", he had a distinguished military career, being involved in reputedly at least 107 actions across the world during his 40 years of service, and was wounded in combat numerous times.
Nicolls was born in Coleraine, Ireland, in a family with a military tradition, and raised there until entering school in Greenwich. In 1795, at the age of 15, he received his first commission in the Royal Marines, and began service with shipborne detachments of marines. During the Napoleonic Wars and associated conflicts in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and North Sea, he served as a commander of ships' detachments, and gained his reputation for ferocity and courage.
During the War of 1812, Nicolls was posted to Spanish Florida as part of the British attempt to recruit local allies in the fight against the United States. As the war ended and after he returned to England in 1815, he attracted controversy by advocating for the Creeks and other locals who allied themselves with the British. From 1823 to 1828, he was the commandant of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, which was followed by a posting from 1829 to 1835, as Superintendent of Fernando Po off the coast of Africa. In 1835, Nicolls retired from the Royal Marines with the rank of a lieutenant colonel. For his service, Nicolls was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, among other honours, and was promoted to the rank of full general in his retirement.
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