James Edwards (British Army officer)
British Army officer and politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir James Bevan Edwards, KCB, KCMG (5 November 1834 – 8 July 1922) was a senior British Army officer and politician.
United KingdomSir James Edwards | |
|---|---|
Lieutenant-General Sir James Edwards, c. 1895 | |
| Born | 5 November 1834 |
| Died | 8 July 1922 (aged 87) London, England |
| Buried | Brompton Cemetery, London |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Service years | 1852–1893 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Commands | Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong Royal School of Military Engineering |
| Conflicts | 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 |
Military career
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]
Family
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:
- Isabel Sybil Edwards (died 1956), who married in 1902 Colonel Edward Charles Walthall Delves Walthall, CMG, DSO, (1874–1961), an officer in the Royal Artillery.[11]