Stringer Lawrence
| Stringer Lawrence | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough, National Portrait Gallery, London
|
|
| Born | 6 March 1697 Hereford, England |
| Died |
10 January 1775 (aged 77) London, Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Allegiance |
 Great Britain
|
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1727–1766 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | British East India Company |
| Commands held | India |
| Battles/wars |
Jacobite rising of 1745 First Carnatic War Second Carnatic War Third Carnatic War |
Major-General Stringer Lawrence (6 March 1697 – 10 January 1775) was an English soldier, the first Commander-in-Chief, India, sometimes regarded as the "Father of the Indian Army".
Lawrence was born at Hereford, England, the son of John Lawrence of Hereford by his wife Mary, about either of whom little is known. He was baptised in the Church of All Saints, Hereford, on 27th February, 1697-98. Concerning his possible ancestry, in 1660 "James Lawrence, junior, gentleman", was admitted to the freedom of the City of Hereford, and became Mayor in 1661. In 1682 "John Lawrence, apothecary", and in 1702 "John Lawrence, brewer", were admitted to the freedom of the city. In the opinion of Biddulph (1901) one of these last "must, almost certainly, have been the father of Stringer Lawrence". In the All Saints' Church burial register is recorded the burial of a certain Michael Stringer on 13 November 1698, from which fact Biddulph (1901) presumed that Stringer was the maiden name of his mother.
He seems to have entered the army in 1727 and served in Gibraltar and Flanders, subsequently taking part in the Battle of Culloden. In 1748, with the rank of major and the reputation of an experienced soldier, he went out to India to command the East India Company's troops. Dupleix's schemes for the French conquest of southern India were on the point of taking effect, and not long after his arrival at Fort St David, Lawrence was actively engaged. He successfully foiled an attempted surprise by French troops at Cuddalore, but subsequently was captured by a French cavalry patrol at Ariancopang (modern Ariankuppam) whilst leading forces to assist Admiral Edward Boscawen in enforcing the Siege of Pondicherry in 1748. He was kept prisoner by the French until the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle.
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