Lieutenant Colonel John Luard

Transcription

1 Lieutenant Colonel John Luard St. Hilary s Preparatory School, Godalming

2 Context John Luard was born in 1790 and died in During his lifetime he witnessed the Peninsular Wars, the public reaction to the Corn Laws, the reign of Queen Victoria and British occupation of India. As part of Waterloo 200 we have researched the role John Luard played in the Battle of Waterloo, and his life beyond this significant event.

3 Key dates in the life of John Luard 1790 John Luard was born, the fourth son of Peter Luard and his wife Louisa. He was born at a house called The Priory near Abergavenny in Wales. He attended Worcester School, a blackguard place! 1802 John Luard entered the Royal Navy 1806 John Luard was a midshipman on HMS Ramillies. The Ramillies sailed around the Caribbean and Luard found the routine monotonous John Luard left the service of the navy and his father purchased him a cornetcy in the 4th Dragoons He arrived in Portugal to take part in the attempt to drive France out, the Peninsular War John Luard transferred from the 4th Light Dragoons to the 16th th April the 16th Light Dragoons set sail from Dover for Belgium. 17 th June the 16 th Light Dragoons sleep in a cabbage patch waiting for battle. 18 th June the 16 th Light Dragoons take part in the cavalry charge at Waterloo.

4 Recollections of John Luard at Waterloo, taken from Scarlet Lancer, by James Lunt 17th June 1815 The regiment awoke from a night in a cabbage patch. By 11 o clock that morning there was still no sign of the French. At 3.00pm Napoleon led a charge against the British. His cavalry was halted by the rain, an unending downpour. The British soldiers did not know how lucky they were. The British troops settled down for the night, sleeping outside in the pouring rain. The weather was cold and damp. John Luard was busy checking on the status of the soldiers. He saw one with a grandfather clock on his back. Later he was invited to warm himself in front of a fire, the principal ingredient of which was the clock! When Luard did sleep he lay on his cloak, but it only served to keep the upper part of my body dry. My breeches were soaked and the discomfort kept me awake most of the night, although I was extremely fatigued. It was in this condition that John Luard entered the battle.

5 18 th June 1815 It continued to rain fitfully throughout the night then as the grey skies slowly cleared the watery sun came out and Sunday 18th June began. The soldiers were, unshaven, bedraggled and covered in mud. At 9.00am Luard was ordered to put his regiment on their horses, My horse was so cold and shivered so much that he could hardly stand for me to mount. At 11 o clock the regiment was moved to the east of the Brussels highway, very little happened for the next hour or so. At am the French cannonade began, but as the ground was soft the cannons sank into the ground After the 16 th s attempt to break through a French division, the order to charge was given. John Luard spurred his horse into the centre of the cavalry, a few paces behind his colonel. Then they were off, sliding, slipping and slithering down the slope into the smoke-filled valley below, the shrilling trumpet calls muffled by the booming of the guns. Luard felt his horse stumble to its knees, clutched frantically at the reins to pull it up again, and at the same time he saw Hay (his colonel) pitch out of his saddle and fall heavily to the ground. Swerving to avoid his colonel s body, Luard passed on into the confusion of his front, cut down a French lacer who loomed suddenly out of the smoke, and then swung his horse round to avoid a bayonet thrust The French broke away, the officers of the 16th rode frantically among their men ordering them to rally, and by some good fortune they were obeyed But in less than thirty minutes Wellington had lost a quarter of his entire force

6 At 4pm the Prussians arrived at the battlefield. At the same time John Luard s horse was shot. The 16th were moved to the west of the Brussels highway. Amazingly John Luard saw his brother George. Later, Luard was talking to a Lieutenant Philps of the 11th Light Dragoons when Philp s his head was shot off by cannon shot. Whilst Luard was in this position and trying to keep the Belgians in their position a horse man appeared out of the smoke and called, That s right, that s right His face blackened with smoke, but otherwise his appearance as neat as every John Luard had just encountered the Duke of Wellington. The battalions marched towards the enemy and eventually the battle was won, The day was ours wrote Luard years later. Scotland Forever, a picture showing a cavalry charge at Waterloo

7 After Waterloo Lieutenant Colonel John Luard wrote that, All of my life I have wanted to serve in India and in 1822 the 16 th Light Dragoons were posted to India. He left Northampton on 28 th May 1822, never to see his father again. He was to spend twenty two years in India and gain modest fame from his book, Sketches in India. In 1826 he met Elizabeth Scott. He was not the only man in his regiment to want to win her favour; in fact he had to go against the attempts of his general! However he won her affections and on 25 th September 1826 they were married. Luard described Elizabeth as, not very strong in health, but all that any husband could wish for. They had six children over the next fifteen years. Richard, the oldest was born in India, but then either the whole family or Elizabeth moved back to England as records show that John, Elizabeth, Frederick and Charles were all born in England. The youngest, Susan, was born in Calcutta. In 1838 Luard became Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of India. Parish register showing Elizabeth s birth

8 Sadly on 31 st October 1840 Elizabeth Luard died in Calcutta. Memorial inscription for Elizabeth Luard

9 In 1843 Lieutenant Colonel John Luard retired from the army. This census return shows that in 1861 Lieutenant Colonel John Luard was living in number 6 Clarence Crescent in Windsor. A picture of Clarence Crescent today

10 Lieutenant Colonel John Luard spent his retirement travelling and sketching. He wrote a book, A History of the Dress of the British Soldier in 1852 and was looked after by his two daughters. According to the Surrey Advertiser John Luard s last act was to be present at the School of Art opening and concert in Farnham, which had been established partly by the exertions of his daughter. Lieutenant Colonel John Luard died on October 24 th According to James Lunt until the end of his long life John Luard always maintained that his proudest moment was taking part in the cavalry charge at Waterloo. Lieutenant Colonel John Luard s entry in the Dictionary of National Biography volumes 1-20, 22

11 Bibliography Luard, J, 1852, A History of the Dress of the British Soldier, The Naval and Military Press, East Sussex Lunt, J, 1964, Scarlet Lancer, Rupert Hart-Davis, London Websites Ancestry.co.uk