Sir Edward Blakeney

Sir Edward Blakeney
Sir Edward Blakeney
Born	26 March 1778 Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Died	2 August 1868 (aged 90) Chelsea, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1794–1855
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	Commander-in-Chief of Ireland
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Peninsular War War of 1812
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order
Other work	Governor of Royal Hospital Chelsea

Field Marshal Sir Edward Blakeney GCB GCH PC (Ire) (26 March 1778 – 2 August 1868) was a British Army officer. After serving as a junior officer with the expedition to Dutch Guiana and being taken prisoner by privateers three times suffering great hardship, he took part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in 1799. He also joined the expedition to Denmark led by Lord Cathcart in 1807. He went on to command the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Regiment of Foot and then both battalions of that regiment at many of the battles of the Peninsular War. After joining the Duke of Wellington as he marched into Paris in 1815, Blakeney fought in the War of 1812. He then commanded a brigade in the army sent on a mission to Portugal to support the constitutional government against the absolutist forces of Dom Miguel in 1826. His last major appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, a post he held for nearly twenty years.

Born the fourth son of Colonel William Blakeney and Sarah Blakeney (née Shields), Blakeney was commissioned as a cornet in the 8th Light Dragoons on 28 February 1794. He was promoted to lieutenant in the 121st Regiment of Foot on 4 September 1794 and to captain in the 99th Regiment of Foot on 24 December 1794. He took part in the expedition to Dutch Guiana in 1796 and was taken prisoner by privateers three times suffering great hardship. He also took part in the evacuation of Santo Domingo in 1798.