William Tomkinson
Lieutenant Colonel William Tomkinson (18 January 1790 – 1872) was a British Army officer who served during the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign.
Life
[edit]The fourth son of Henry Tomkinson of Dorfold, Cheshire, his mother was Anne, daughter of John Darlington of Aston, Chester.[2]
Tomkinson was gazetted to the 16th Light Dragoons as a cornet in December 1807, joining his regiment the following April.[3] During the Peninsular War (1809-1813) he was seriously wounded at the crossing of the Douro on 11 May 1809 but recovered to see action at the battles of Busaco (1810), Redhina (1811), Fuentes de Oñoro (1811), El Bodón (1811), Salamanca (1812) and Vittoria (1813).[4]
He was subsequently at Waterloo[5] and remained in France with the Army of Occupation until December 1815.[4]
Retirement
[edit]Tomkinson retired on half-pay in 1821 and bought the land for Willington Hall, Cheshire, on the former estate of Lord Alvanley in 1827.[6] In retirement he became a magistrate and huntsman.[7]
Family
[edit]In 1836 he married Susan, daughter of Thomas Tarleton of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire. The couple had four sons and two daughters including James Tomkinson who became an M.P. and Henry, who joined the army and went on to command the 1st Royal Dragoons.[8] [9]
References
[edit]- ^ The Diary of a Cavalry Officer in the Peninsular War and Waterloo Campaign
- ^ Dalton 1904, p. 88.
- ^ Tomkinson 1894, p. vi-vii.
- ^ a b Bromley & Bromley 2015, p. 361.
- ^ Dalton 1904, p. 86.
- ^ "Willington Hall: History archived page". Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ Tomkinson 1894, p. vii.
- ^ Tomkinson 1894, p. vi.
- ^ Ormerod 1882, p. 481.
- Bibliography
- Bromley, Janet; Bromley, David (2015). Wellington's Men Remembered Volume 2: A Register of Memorials to Soldiers who Fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo- Volume II: M to Z. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-5768-1.
- Dalton, Charles (1904). The Waterloo roll call. With biographical notes and anecdotes. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.
- Tomkinson, William (1894). Tomkinson, James (ed.). The Diary of a Cavalry Officer in the Peninsular and Waterloo Campaign, 1809-1815. S. Sonnenschein & Company.
- Ormerod, G. (1882). Helsby, T. (ed.). The history of the county Palatine and city of Chester vol 3, Wettenhall of Wettenhall. G. Routledge. hdl:2027/coo.31924088434059.
- Graham, Henry (1912). History of the Sixteenth, the Queen's, light dragoons (lancers), 1759 to 1912. Devizes: G. Simpson, printer. hdl:2027/mdp.39015024495387.
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