| George Wade | |
|---|---|
| 1673–March 14, 1748 | |
 Field Marshal George Wade |
|
| Place of birth | Kilavally, Westmeath, Ireland |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1690 – 1748 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Battles/wars | War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rebellion , Battle of Dettingen |
Field Marshal George Wade (1673–March 14, 1748) served as a British military commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.
Army career
Wade, born in Kilavally, Westmeath in Ireland, joined the British Army in 1690 and served in Flanders in 1692, earning a promotion to Captain. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1702–13) he first served under Marlborough, gaining promotion to major and lieutenant colonel in 1702. In 1704 he served on the staff of Henri de Massue, 1st Earl of Galway, distinguishing himself at Alcantara and Villa Nova in 1706 and at Almanza in 1707. He won promotion to Brigadier General in 1708. He served as second-in-command to James Stanhope in Minorca in 1708 before returning to Spain in 1710, where at the Battle of Saragossa he earned a promotion to Major General. Major General Wade returned home to attempt politics before becoming involved in the suppression of the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The government of George I sent Wade to inspect Scotland in 1724. He recommended the construction of barracks, bridges and proper roads to assist in the control of the region and within a month received appointment as Commander in Chief of His Majesty's forces, castles, forts and barracks in North Britain, tasked with carrying out his own recommendations. He occupied this position until 1740. Between 1725 and 1737 Wade directed the construction of some 250 miles of road, plus 40 bridges (including the Tay Bridge at Aberfeldy). The roads linked the garrisons at Ruthven, Fort George, Fort Augustus, and Fort William. He also organised a militia named "Highland Watches", calling on members of the landed gentry. He raised the first six companies in 1725 (three of Campbells and one each of Frasers, Grants, and Munros); with four more in 1739, reorganized as the Black Watch regiment. He still had the time to sign his support to the Foundling Hospital in London, acting as a founding governor in 1739 of this politically fashionable charity. In 1742 Wade won promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General and became a Privy Councillor. In 1743 he became a Field Marshal with the appointment to joint command of the Anglo-Austrian force in Flanders against the French in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), leading the British troops under George II at Dettingen (27 June 1743). He resigned from his command in March 1744, returning home to beome commander-in-chief. When the Jacobites rose again in 1745 the speed of their advance from Scotland left Wade scrambling. He failed to counter their march into England and was dismissed, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland heading the army for the decisive Battle of Culloden in 1746. Wade received mention in a verse added to God Save the King circa 1745, but dropped by the time the song gained adoption as the British national anthem towards the end of the eighteenth century:
Lord, grant that Marshal Wade
May, by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush
And, like a torrent, rush
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the King.
See also
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Charles Wills |
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance 1741–1748 |
Succeeded by Sir John Ligonier |
| Preceded by The Earl of Stair |
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces 1745–1748 |
Succeeded by Vacant |
