John Ligonier
| The Earl Ligonier | |
|---|---|
John Ligonier
|
|
| Born | 7 November 1680 Castres, France |
| Died | 28 April 1770 (aged 89) Cobham, Surrey |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of England Kingdom of Great Britain
|
| Service/branch |
 English Army British Army
|
| Years of service | 1702–1770 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Battles/wars |
War of the Spanish Succession War of the Austrian Succession Jacobite rising of 1745 Seven Years' War |
| Awards | Knight of the Bath |
Field Marshal John (Jean Louis) Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier, KCB PC (7 November 1680 – 28 April 1770) was a French-born British soldier. He enjoyed a distinguished career as an active officer, and later became a leading official of the Pitt-Newcastle Ministry that led Britain during the Seven Years' War exercising extensive control over Britain's army as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.
The son of Louis de Ligonier, a member of a Huguenot family of Castres in the south of France that had emigrated to England in 1697, and Louise Ligonier (née du Poncet), John Ligonier was educated in France and Switzerland. He joined a Regiment in Flanders commanded by Lord Cutts in 1702.
He fought, with distinction, in the War of the Spanish Succession and was one of the first to mount the breach at the siege of Liège in October 1702. After becoming a captain in the 10th Foot on 10 February 1703, he commanded a company at the battles of Schellenberg in July 1704 and Blenheim in August 1704, and was present at Menen where he led the storming of the covered way as well as Ramillies in May 1706,Oudenarde in July 1708 and Malplaquet in September 1709 where he received twenty-three bullets through his clothing yet remained unhurt. In 1712, he became governor of Fort St. Philip, Minorca. During the War of the Quadruple Alliance in 1719 he was adjutant-general of the troops employed in the Vigo expedition, where he led the stormers of Pontevedra.
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