William Belford

General William Belford (1709–1780) was an English artillery officer.

Belford was born in 1709, and entered the royal regiment of artillery on its formation as a cadet on 1 Feb. 1726. The regiment of artillery was not yet of much importance as a component part of the army, for Marlborough had always employed Danish, Dutch, and German adventurers as gunners, and had not laid much importance upon securing English artillerymen. King George I, Lord Stanhope, and Sir Robert Walpole all saw the importance of this branch of the service, and Albert Borgard was allowed to raise the royal regiment of artillery in 1726. Young Belford soon showed his aptitude for learning all that was then to be learned of the science of artillery, and was promoted fireworker in 1729, second lieutenant in 1737, first lieutenant in 1740, and captain-lieutenant or adjutant in 1741. In that year he served in the expedition to Carthagena, and gave such satisfaction that he was promoted captain in 1742. He then served in the campaigns in Flanders in 1742-45, and was present at the Battle of Dettingen, and was promoted a major in the army by brevet in 1745. He next commanded the small force of artillery attached to the Duke of Cumberland's army at Culloden, and 'by his spirit and boldness checked the vigour of the clans, and gave the victory,' for which signal service he was promoted lieutenant-colonel in the army by brevet. He then commanded the artillery in Flanders in 1747-8 and at the Battle of Fontenoy, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel in his regiment m 1749, and succeeded Albert Borgard, the founder of the regiment, as colonel commandant at Woolwich in 1751. He held this important post till he was promoted major-general in January 1758. He had then to surrender the command of the regiment, but received the command of the Woolwich district, with the important charge of the Warren, as the arsenal was then called.

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