William Earle was born in Hope Street, Liverpool on the 18th of May 1833, one of ten children born to Sir Hardman Earle a broker, and his wife Mary. During William's childhood the family moved to Allerton Tower in Woolton and he was educated at Harrow. On leaving school in 1851 he joined the Hertfordshire based 49th Regiment of Foot and first saw military action in Crimea in 1854 where he fought in most of the major battles including Alma and Sevastopol. In recognition of his gallantry he was awarded the English, Sardinian and Turkish medals. He married Mary Codrington on the 21st of July 1864 with whom he had two daughters, Rachel and Grace.
He had a successful military career when, after promotion to lieutenant, he went on to serve in Gibraltar, Canada and India, before in the 1870s becoming a colonel. In 1880 he was granted major generalship, and in 1882, Brigadier General to the Expeditionary force sent to Egypt, his first major expedition, after which he was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath and appointed Commander of the garrison at Alexandria. Thanked by both Houses of Parliament and awarded the medal and clasp, bronze star, he fought in the Crimean War and was later part of the Nile Expedition attempting to relieve General Gordon at Khartoum.
On the 10th of February 1885, at Kirbekan, William and his River Column of 1,000 men routed 9,000 Mahdist troops who were holding a strategic hill. However he was killed towards the end of the five hour battle in which the British were victorious. Queen Victoria rejoiced at the news of the victory, but offered her deep lament at the loss of William and some of his officers. The Liverpool Mercury reported that 'universal gloom pervaded this city' when news of Major General William Earle's death was received two days later and flags were flown at half mast at the Town Hall and on police buildings. Speaking at the annual meeting of the orphan asylum, the Mayor David Radcliffe offered his heartfelt sympathy to the family, who he described as one of the most highly esteemed in the city. General Sir Ian Hamilton described Earle as a martinet but also thought him a bold man who "was out for fighting".
In 1885, a public meeting was held in the city, presided over
by the Mayor, where it was unanimously agreed to commission a statue of
Earle to be placed in a prominent position. On the 16th of December 1887 a
bronze statue on Darley Dale stone was unveiled outside St George's Hall
by Lord Wolseley, commander of all the British forces in Egypt.. The statue is ten
feet tall and depicts Earle in full battle pose, wearing his gauntlet,
spurs and helmet. He is standing over a shield captured at the battle.
It had been sculpted by Charles Bell Birch, who four years earlier had
worked on the statue of Benjamin Disraeli which stands on the Hall's
steps. Afterwards, a mayoral banquet was held at the Town Hall.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/02/a-liverpool-exemplar-june-huband.html
No comments:
Post a Comment