William Thornhill (British Army officer)

Born in Derbyshire as the second son of Bache Thornhill of Stanton Hall,^[1][2] he became a Lieutenant in the 23rd Regiment of Foot on 28 February 1800 before rising to Captain on 5 May 1804, both whilst serving in the Peninsula.^[3] On 12 June 1806 he transferred to the 7th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars).^[3] In 1808 he commanded a twelve-man detachment of the regiment at Sahagún and fought at Benavente.^[3] He was promoted to Major on 8 April 1813.^[3]

He also fought with the 7th Hussars at Orthez on 27 February 1814, leading a charge,^[4] capturing a French colour and being wounded.^[3][1] However, he was disgraced in March that year when he failed to prevent an incursion of brigands at Villeneuve, being captured in the process but escaping.^[3][1][5]

He was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo whilst aide de camp to Lord Uxbridge and was made a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel on the day of the battle.^[3] That rank was made substantive on 12 August 1819 when he was put in command of the regiment, a command he held until retirement in 1826.^[3] An 1821 oil sketch of him for Jan Willem Pieneman's The Battle of Waterloo was acquired by the Duke of Wellington and is now at Apsley House.^[6] He later died in Dorset^[1] and is commemorated alongside the Duke of Wellington on the Andle stone on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire.^[2]