Colonel George Napier (11 March, 1751 – 13 October, 1804) was a British Army officer, most notable for his marriage to Lady Sarah Lennox, and for his sons Charles James Napier, William Francis Patrick Napier, and George Thomas Napier, all of whom were noted military officers, collectively referred to as “Wellington’s Colonels.” He also served as Comptroller of Army Accounts in Ireland from 1799 until his death in 1804.
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Birth
George Napier was the younger son of Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier and his wife Henrietta Maria Johnston.
Military service
Napier was commissioned into the 25th Foot in 1767 and was promoted Lieutenant in 1771. He became the regiment's Quartermaster in 1776. In 1778 he transferred to the 80th Regiment of Foot (Royal Edinburgh Volunteers) as a Captain. He served in the American War of Independence on the staff of Sir Henry Clinton.[1] He sold his commission in 1781, but was commissioned into the 1st Foot Guards in 1782. In 1783 he transferred to the 100th Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincolnshire Regiment) as a Captain. In 1794 he was promoted Major, transferred to the 87th Foot, and then transferred again to the newly-raised Londonderry Regiment as Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1800 he was promoted Colonel.
Marriages
On January 22nd, 1775 he married Elizabeth Pollock, and together they had one daughter, Louisa Mary Napier (died 1856). On August 27th, 1781 he married Lady Sarah Lennox, daughter of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. He was described at the time as being “impoverished.” Her two previous marriages had ended in scandal and divorce, and George was her third husband, Sarah was George’s second wife. Together they raised eight children, including the three who would become famed military officers. Their children were:
- General Sir Charles James Napier GCB (1782 – 1853)
- Lieutenant-General Sir George Thomas Napier KCB (1784 – 1855)
- Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB (1785 – 1860)
- Richard Napier (1787 – 1868)
- Emily Louisa Augusta Napier (1787 – 1863)
- Captain Henry Edward Napier RN (1789 – 1853)
- Caroline (died 1810)
- Cecelia (died 1808)
In 1785, he moved his family to Celbridge, in County Kildare, Ireland, where he eventually earned a post as Comptroller of Army Accounts. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, he is said to have armed his five sons and put his house in a state of defence, and offered an asylum to all who were willing to resist the insurgents. [2] [3]
Footnotes
External links
Trivia
In 1999, a 6-part miniseries based on the lives of Sarah Lennox and her sisters aired in the U.K. It was called Aristocrats. George Napier appears in the series. [6]
