Thomas Fowke

Thomas Fowke
Born c. 1690
Died 29 March 1765
Bath, Avon, England
Allegiance  Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch British Army
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held Governor of Gibraltar
Battles/wars Battle of Prestonpans
Relations Sir Frederick Gustavus Fowke, 1st Baronet, of the Fowke baronets (grandson)

Lieutenant General Thomas Fowke (pronounced "Foke") (c. 1690 – 29 March 1765) was a British Army officer who was appointed Governor of Gibraltar.

Early years

He was the son of John Fowke, Esq. and descended from the Fowkes of Brewood and Gunston, in South Staffordshire.[1]

Career

In 1745, he served as Brigadier-General during the Battle of Prestonpans.[2] In 1748, he starved on Staff in Flanders with the rank of Major-General; his aide-de-camp was Robert Donkin.

Holding the rank of Lieutenant General, he served as Governor of Gibraltar during the period of 31 May 1754 to 12 July 1756[3] but was suspended for not providing a regiment of marines to Admiral John Byng, who was attempting to transport troops from Gibraltar to Minorca.[4] Fowke was ultimately dismissed from the service by King George II,[5] but reinstated to his former rank in 1761 by George III.[2]

Personal life

His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Ingoldsby, Bart. His second wife was Dorothea, daughter of Edward Randall, of Salisbury, Wiltshire.[6] They had one son, Sir Thomas Fowke, Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn. His grandson was Sir Frederick Gustavus Fowke, 1st Baronet (1782–1856) of the Fowke baronets.[1]

He died in Bath, England in 1765,[2] having been an officer for more than sixty years.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Lodge, Edmund (1859). The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage and Baronetage: Containing the Family Histories of the Nobility (Digitized by GoogleBooks 11 June 2006 ed.). London: Hurst and Blackett. p. 686. OCLC 7806271.
  2. "Gibraltar Administrators". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  3. Regan, Geoffrey (2000). Brassey's Book of Naval Blunders. Brassey's. p. 35. ISBN 1-57488-253-8.
  4. Cannon, Richard; Tupper, Arthur (1837). Historical Records of the British Army. 4 (Digitized by GoogleBooks 11 May 2006 ed.). Great Britain Adjutant-General's Office. p. 51.
  5. A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Digitized by GoogleBooks 13 May 2008. 42. London: Henry Colburn. 1880. p. 507. OCLC 7366853.
  6. The Gentleman's Magazine for 1765, p. 198.
Government offices
Preceded by
Humphrey Bland
Governor of Gibraltar
1754–1756
Succeeded by
Lord Tyrawley
Military offices
Preceded by
None
Colonel of Thomas Fowke's Regiment of Foot
1741
Succeeded by
William Graham
Preceded by
Percy Kirke
Colonel of The Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Foot
1741–1755
Succeeded by
John Fitzwilliam
Preceded by
Edward Braddock
Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot
1755–1756
Succeeded by
Charles Jeffereys


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