Sir James Edwards | |
---|---|
Born | 5 November 1834 |
Died | 8 July 1922 London, England | (aged 87)
Buried |
Brompton Cemetery, London |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1852–1893 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Commands held |
Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong Royal School of Military Engineering |
Battles/wars |
Crimean War Indian Mutiny Mahdist War |
Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Mentioned in Despatches |
Lieutenant General Sir James Bevan Edwards KCB, KCMG (5 November 1834 – 8 July 1922) was a senior British Army officer and politician.
Edwards was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1852. [1] He served with the Royal Engineers in the Crimean War in 1853 and the Indian Mutiny of 1857. [2]
He transferred to the Indian Staff Corps in 1882, [3] and, during the Mahdist War, became Commanding Royal Engineer for the Suakin Expeditionary Force in 1885. [4] He was mentioned in despatches for his role in this Expedition. [5]
On return to the United Kingdom, Edwards became Commandant of the Royal School of Military Engineering. [6] He was then appointed Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong in 1889. [7]
Edwards was also selected by the British Government to inspect the forces of the Australian colonies in 1889 and to advise on their organisation. He recommended a structure to enable the colonies to combine for mutual defence, uniform organisation and armament, a common Defence Act, a military college to train officers and a uniform gauge for railways. [2]
At the 1895 general election, he was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hythe in Kent, [8] but he made his resignation from the British House of Commons in February 1899. [9]
He became colonel-commandant of the Royal Engineers in 1903. [2]
Edwards died in 1922 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. [10]
Edwards married three times: in 1868 to Alice Brocklebank, daughter of Ralph Brocklebank; in 1901 to Nina Balfour, daughter of John Balfour; and, in 1918, Amy Ann Harding. [2] He had several children, including:
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