Rollo Gillespie

Rollo Gillespie
Major-General Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie
Born	1766 Comber, County Down, Ireland
Died	1814 (aged 48) Kalunga, Dehradun, Nepal, (today part of India)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Years of service	1783–1814
Rank	Major-General
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Gurkha War

Major-General Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie KCB (21 January 1766 – 31 October 1814) was an officer in the British army.

Robert Rollo Gillespie was born and grew up in Comber, County Down, in what is now Northern Ireland. He was educated at Kensington and near Newmarket After turning down the opportunity of going to Cambridge university he joined the 3rd Irish Horse during 1783 as a Cornet.

In 1786 he was involved in a duel in which he killed the opposing duellist . Fleeing to Scotland, he stayed briefly and then returned voluntarily to stand trial in 1788. The verdict was 'justifiable homicide' and Gillespie was acquitted. Later he earned the title "Strongest Man of Comber" after performing many feats of strength.

In 1792 he transferred to the 20th Light Dragoons with the rank of lieutenant and soon embarked with his new regiment for Jamaica. However, his ship was shipwrecked at the Portuguese islands of Madeira forcing Gillespie to come ashore by a small boat and he then contracted yellow fever in his first night on the island. After recovery, he rejoined his regiment and fought against the forces of the French Republic in the Caribbean at Tiburon Peninsula, Port-au-Prince, Fort Bizotten and Fort de l'Hôpital.

Being made Adjutant-General of St. Domingo, he was at home alone when eight men broke into his house to burgle it. Armed only with his sword, he killed six of them while the other two fled.