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James Freeth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir

James Freeth

Born5 March 1786
Edgbaston, Warwickshire
Died19 January 1867(1867-01-19) (aged 80)
London, England[1]
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1806–1867
RankGeneral
UnitRoyal Staff Corps
CommandsQuartermaster-General to the Forces
Battles / wars
AwardsMilitary General Service Medal

General Sir James Freeth KCB KH (5 March 1786 – 19 January 1867) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces.

Military career

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Freeth was commissioned into the 98th Regiment of Foot in 1806.[2] He served in the Peninsular War and in France from 1809 to 1814[2] 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 1858[5] and full General in 1865.[6]

Family

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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

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  1. ^ "Deaths." The Belfast Newsletter, 25 January 1867, p. 1
  2. ^ a b Gentleman's Magazine Volume III, January to June 1867
  3. ^ "No. 21179". The London Gazette. 7 February 1851. p. 299.
  4. ^ "No. 21789". The London Gazette. 25 September 1855. p. 3555.
  5. ^ "No. 22194". The London Gazette. 26 October 1858. p. 4578.
  6. ^ "No. 22955". The London Gazette. 7 April 1865. p. 1931.
  7. ^ Ancestry.com
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
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Military offices
Preceded by Quartermaster-General to the Forces
1851–1855
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot
1855–1867
Succeeded by