Sir James Freeth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1786 Edgbaston, Warwickshire |
| Died | 19 January 1867(1867-01-19) (aged 80) London, England1 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Service years | 1806–1867 |
Rank | General |
| Unit | Royal Staff Corps |
| Commands | Quartermaster-General to the Forces |
Conflicts | |
| Awards | Military General Service Medal |
General Sir James Freeth KCB KH (5 March 1786 – 19 January 1867) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces.
Military career
Freeth was commissioned into the 98th Regiment of Foot in 1806.2 He served in the Peninsular War and in France from 1809 to 18142 and, in 1851, was appointed Quartermaster-General to the Forces.3 He went on to be Colonel of the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1855.4
He was promoted Lieutenant-General in 18585 and full General in 1865.6
Family
He married Harriett Holt and together they went on to have six sons and two daughters.7 Three of his sons became major-generals; his great-grandchild, Francis Arthur Freeth, was a chemist who developed a number of processes in explosives manufacture and a major in the Territorial Army.8 Another of his great-grandchildren, George Douglas Freeth Junior, renewed interest in surfing in Hawaii at the turn of the twentieth century, helped popularize the sport in California beginning in 1907, and created the foundation of Southern California's lifeguard service.9
References
References
- "Deaths." The Belfast Newsletter, 25 January 1867, p. 1
- Gentleman's Magazine Volume III, January to June 1867
- "No. 21179". The London Gazette. 7 February 1851. p. 299.
- "No. 21789". The London Gazette. 25 September 1855. p. 3555.
- "No. 22194". The London Gazette. 26 October 1858. p. 4578.
- "No. 22955". The London Gazette. 7 April 1865. p. 1931.
- Ancestry.com
- Allen, Peter (1 November 1976). "Francis Arthur Freeth. 2 January 1884 – 15 July 1970". Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 22 (22): 104–118. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1976.0004. ISSN 1748-8494.
- Moser, Patrick (2022). Surf and Rescue: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture. Sport and society. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-05344-3.