21-809: Major General John Robyns , KH (13 May 1780 – 22 March 1857) was a senior officer of the Royal Marines who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and earned historically noteworthy military distinctions on the North America and West Indies Station during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 . As a battalion commander of Royal Marines, Captain John Robyns faced enemy forces which included his counterparts of
42-648: A Light Infantry role, becoming the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) later in the year. The regiment next took part in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809. The regiment embarked for Portugal in 1811 for service under Viscount Wellington in the Peninsular War . It fought at the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811, the Second Siege of Badajoz later that month and
63-485: A Marine captain, Robyns rejoined Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane's command in 1813, as the Officer Commanding the detachment of Marines aboard HMS Albion . He was among the handful of Royal Marines company-grade officers chosen to command a battalion ashore during the War of 1812 . Robyns commanded a 400-strong composite battalion of Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel in the Battle of Bladensburg ,
84-525: The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland . A second battalion was raised in 1800. The 1st Battalion was deployed to Madeira in 1801 and both battalions went to Jamaica in 1802; the two battalions were amalgamated there later in the year. The regiment absorbed the Bucks volunteers in 1802 and became the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot in 1802. It returned to England in 1808 and converted to
105-587: The Burning of Washington , and in the Battle of Baltimore . At Baltimore Robyns was severely wounded while leading his battalion on 12 September 1814. The British Army commander, Major General Robert Ross , was killed in the same action. Writing from HMS Tonnant , to the Admiralty Lords on 17 September 1814, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane singled out the "frequently gallant conduct" of Robyns as worthy of special "favour and protection". Following
126-570: The Royal Marines as a major with full pay in 1835. Major-general (United Kingdom) Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 219456326 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:39:17 GMT 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) The 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
147-827: The Siege of San Sebastián in autumn 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 before returning to England in April 1814. The regiment was dispatched to North America in May 1814 and saw action in the last phase of the War of 1812 . It fought at the Battle of Bladensburg , capturing two American colours, in August 1814. Under
168-588: The United States Marines at Bladensburg, Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans. In his later years Robyns served one term as Mayor of Penzance (1840–41) in his native Cornwall . John Robyns, the son of Thomas Robyns, was christened in the Parish of Madron , in West Cornwall, on 13 May 1780. The private christening, performed by a midwife, probably occurred soon after his birth, if not on
189-648: The Zaimukhts and was involved in the destruction of their capital, Zawa, in 1879. As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 85th was linked with the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot , and assigned to district no. 42 at Cowley Barracks in Oxford . On 1 July 1881
210-604: The rebellions in Lower and Upper Canada and then transferred to the West Indies in 1843 before returning home in 1846. The regiment was posted to Mauritius in 1853 and South Africa in 1856 before returning home again in 1863. It embarked for India in 1868 and was deployed to Afghanistan for service in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878. After returning to India, it took part in operations against
231-599: The British disaster of 8 January 1815. Royal Marines also contributed to the subsequent orderly withdrawal by the British forces. In spite of the award of a pension for wounds received, Robyns escaped the officer reductions in the Royal Marines establishment of 1814 and 1816. Robyns married Miss Wilmot John (1787–1867), the second daughter of George John, of Penzance , at Madron on 18 July 1815. Routine duties and assignments followed until his retirement in 1835. He
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#1732779557720252-699: The Marines sailed for Barbados as part of the expedition under Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane and Lieutenant General George Beckwith . In 1809 Captain John Robyns participated in the British Invasion of Martinique , a highly successful amphibious operation. Captain John Robyns remained on the Leeward Islands Station until about 1811, well after the seizure of Guadeloupe by the British forces under Cochrane and Beckwith. Still
273-528: The Royal Marines. Adair's 100 Royal Marines and a similar-sized party of Edward Nicolls ' Red Sticks were brigaded with Colonel William Thornton (British Army officer) 's 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) . Thornton's Brigade performed laudably at New Orleans, overwhelming the American line on the west bank of the Mississippi. The brigade's small triumph, however, was not enough to counterbalance
294-475: The actual day of birth. It may be assumed that young Robyns received an adequate common school education that was sufficient to prepare him for a commission. He may have served in the Royal Navy or British Army prior to 1796. It is difficult to document this period of his life with precision. Robyns received his commission as a second lieutenant of His Majesty's Marine Forces in 1796. Soon afterwards he
315-537: The command of Colonel William Thornton , the regiment accompanied by detachments from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines , carried out a successful attack on the American positions on the west bank of the Mississippi River during the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. Casualties among the regiment were: 2 dead, 1 captured and 41 wounded. The regiment returned home later that year. The regiment
336-555: The defeat at Baltimore, Robyns was brevetted a major on the British Army List. Though still recovering from a wound described as "severe," he accompanied the British expeditionary force which was sent to engage in the Battle of New Orleans . Once again charged with a composite command, he commanded a company in the "composite battalion" of 100 Marines commanded by his senior, Brevet Major Thomas Benjamin Adair (1783–1849), of
357-669: Was a British Army line infantry regiment , raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1881. The regiment was raised in Buckinghamshire by Lieutenant-Colonel George Nugent as the 85th Regiment of Foot , in response to the threat posed by the French Revolution , on 18 November 1793. The regiment
378-411: Was dispatched to Malta and became the 85th (or The Duke of York's Own) Regiment of Light Infantry (Bucks Volunteers) in April 1821. After that it transferred to Gibraltar and became the 85th, or The King's Regiment of Light Infantry (Bucks Volunteers) in August 1827. The regiment went back to Malta in 1828 and then returned home in 1831. It embarked for Canada in 1838 as part of the response to
399-616: Was ordered to the East Indies where he remained on station nearly five years, earning his promotion to first lieutenant in 1799. Following his return, shortly prior to the Treaty of Amiens , he was sent to Ireland where he remained on station until his promotion to captain in 1807. John Robyns was thus still a subaltern when H.M. Corps of Marine Forces was elevated to the dignity of Royal Marines on 29 April 1802. In 1808 Captain Robyns of
420-544: Was promoted to the substantive rank of major in the Royal Marines on 16 April 1832, thus finally attaining the permanent status of "General and Field Officer (G & FO)", Royal Marines. In 1840 he served one term as Mayor of Penzance, a largely honorary public function. Robyns died in Cornwall on 22 March 1857. He was buried in Madron on 27 March 1857. 28 December 1815 Awarded a pension for wounds. Allowed to retire from
441-758: Was sent to join the Duke of York 's army in the Netherlands in 1794 as part of the unsuccessful defence of that country against the Republican French during the Flanders Campaign . It was posted to Gibraltar in 1795 and returned home in 1797. It embarked for the Netherlands again in August 1799 and saw action at the Battle of Alkmaar and the Battle of Castricum in October 1799 during
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