Ensign Francis Wrightson Robinson and Commander Henry Lushington Comwyn Robinson, RN (d. 1872)
/Ensign Francis Wrightson Robinson and Commander Henry Lushington Comwyn Robinson, RN (d. 1872)
Brothers Francis Wrightson Robinson and Henry Lushington Comwyn Robinson are commemorated by memorials in the North Nave Aisle.
Inscription reads:
CHILLIANWALLAH
1849
Sacred to the Mémory of
FRANCIS WRIGHTSON ROBINSON
Ensign 56th. Bengal N.I.
Son of Thomas Robinson D.D.
Master of the Temple
and Canon of this Cathedral
Distinguished as a Scholar of Wor.Doll, Oxford
He devoted himself to Military Studies
The object of his earliest ambition
During his brief career in India
He enjoyed the love and respect
of his brother offisers
And in no common degree the confidence
of the native soldier
He fell leading his men to victory
In the hard fought field of CHILLIANWALLAH
January 13th. 1849 in the 23rd. year of his age
Bequeathing to his bereaved family the memory
of a loving nature in early boyhood
of manly piety in the tumult of a camp
and of undoubting trust in his God and Saviour.
We shall meet again.
Francis Robinson was born, 8 second contret Poona on ein to Reginald Heber, Bishop of Calcutta.** Later (1837), he became Lord Almoner's Professor of Arabic at Cambridge University, when he sent Francis to Oakham School, Rutland for four years. In April 1843, the young man matriculated at Worcester College, Oxford, and in January 1846 passed the Selection Committee of the Honourable East India Company for the Bengal Infantry, having been nominated by Major -General Sir James Lushington. No time seems to have been lost in departing for India as he sailed the same month on the 'Tartar', arriving at Calcutta in June.
His first posting was to the 66th Native Infantry+, stationed at Dina pore. In October, he was directed to transfer to the 5th N.I., under orders from Dacca to Dinapore. He never joined, however, as in November he removed at his own request to the 56th++ at Nurpur.
When the Second Sikh War began in 1848 the 56th (red coatees, white facings, black shakos) were at Ferozepore and available to join Lord Gough's "Army of the Punjab." The crossing of the river Chenab river of Chine) and the action at Sadulapur in the cold season of that year were the preliminaries to the first of the two great battles of the campaign - CHILLIANWALLAH, January 13th 1849.
Young Robinson's regiment was posted on the left flank of Brigadier Armin Mountain's brigade, having the 30th N.I. in the centre and the 29th (Worcestershire) Foot on the right flank.
The brigade occupied the centre of the line, which was separated from that of the Sikhs by a mile or so of thick scrub interspersed by dak trees and harbouring in the centre a swampy buffalo-wallow.
The Sikh position was "amidst precipitous and frightful ravines, strengthened by rude fieldworks, distant about a mile Prom the river Jhelum." (Thackwell). Their army (the Khalsa) had been trained by European adventurers and was remak-ably strong in artillery. Some accounts were to say that the Sikh troops were heavily drugged.
Sir Hugh Gough had intended to fight the following day, but when large bodies of the enemy were seen in front and several cannon balls landed soon afterwards near him and his staff, he decided anoffensive was imperative that very afternoon.
The result was a "soldier's battle" which became the most controversial in the annals of the British Raj, the heavy casualties leading the aged Duke of Wellington back home to remark to Sir Charles Napier, "IP you don't go to India as a new Commander-in-Chief), I must.+++
We shall never know the precise manner in which Robinson met his death, but Thackell's account of the progress of the 56th Native Infantry gives an indication:-
"Nothing could exceed the rapidity with which the Sikhs dealt forth the iron hail. Their Pile-firing was excellent, and poured in with fatal precision.”
The 56th NI.I which boldly advanced up to the hostile batteries, sustained enormous losses. Its leader the gallant Bamfield, a man as remarkable. for his Christian demeanour in the different relations of life, as for his heroic valour in the field - here kissed the dust. Young Bamfield of the same regiment, clasped his bleeding father in his arms. Eight officers and 322 men were here killed or wounded. In Pennycuick's Brigade, the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Foot, 25th and 45th N.I., the brigadier himself was killed, shot through the heart.
His young son (an ensign) leapt astride his body to prevent some of the enemy from slashing it, and was also killed. By strange coincidence, the wife of Mr. J.D. Buchanan, the present headmaster of Oakham School where young Robinson went, ia a Pennycuick, the great-granddaughter of the brigadier. Robinson's grave on the battlefield is No.752. The field is overlooked by an obelisk (marking the site of the hospital) on which is the solemn and somewhat archaic inscription: "On both sides innumerable warriors on both sides passed from this life, dying in mortal combat."
Another obelisk stands thousands of miles away in the quiet grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. It commemorates by name two hundred and fifty-five officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of the XXIV Regiment * who fell in the battle and was erected by the regiment in 1853.
In November 1852, Thomas (Francis' Pather, being Master of the Temple, London, and Rector of Therfield, Hertfordshire, gave a sermon on the occasion of the funeral of the Duke of Wellington,* printed copies of which are in the British Museum and the Middle Temple Library. Some twenty six other publications are listed under his name in the B.M.Catalogue, including selections from the Bible translated into Persian.
He became a Canon of Rochester Cathedral in 1854, after which date he must have had the plaque to his son erected. In 1873, he "went to meet him again" at the advanced age of 83.
Notes
The information contained in this paper has been taken from an article by J.P.Entract which appeared in the "Journel of the Society for Army Historical Research" in Spring 1970.
A younger brother of Francis was born in 1832 and became a Commander in the Royal Navy. After a distinguished service career he died in 1872. His memorial is adjacent to that of his brother.
Sacred to the memory of
Henry Lushington Comyn Robinson
Commander Royal Navy
Son of Rev Thomas Robinson D.D.
Canon of this Cathedral.
Cadet in HMS Alarm at Nicaragua 1847 he was thanked
by 1st. Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Cockburn G.C.B.
for saving life from wreck.
As senior mate of HMS Ajax, commanded a field-piece at the destruction of the forts at Bomarsund
was mentioned in French and English despatches
and especially promoted in 1854
Lieutenant of HMS Malacca was landed in the trenches
before Sebastopol 1854-55Served in HMS Esk in New Zealand
1864-66
After 4 years continuous service
He was appointed to HMS Aboukir, Jamaica August 1871
Though suffering he joined his ship
but in 2 months was invalided
and died August 16 1872 aged 40 years
Brave - generous - affectionate
Even unto death
Loyal to duty
This tablet is erected by his widow Christina
Daughter of Thomas Thompson Esq.
Captain Royal Navy.
The officer's four medals are carved on his memorial, viz. Baltic Medal, British Crimea Medal, Turkish Crimea and New Zealand Medal.
Short biographical details of Ensign Francis Wrightson Robinson taken from "A List of Inscriptions on Christian Tombs" by MIles Irving ICS published at the Punjab Government Press, Lahore, 1910.
Reginald Heber (1783 - 1826). British prelate and hymnwriter.
Born April 21st. 1783 at Malpas, Cheshire, where his father was rector.
Educated at Brasenose, Oxford. Became incumbent of Hodnet. Preacher at Lincoln's Inn 1822 and second bishop of Calcutta 1822 - 26. He died at Trichinopoly. He wrote many hymns including, "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "From Greenland's Icy Mountains."
+ The 66th.N.I. mutinied at Govindghar in 1850 and was disbanded by Sir Charles Napier. It was re-raised as Gurkhas.
++ The 56th. N.I. mutinied at Cawnpore in 1857, and were involved in the assaults on Wheeler's Entrenchment and the massacre of the women at the Suttee Chaura Ghat.
+++ In spite of the losses (2,338 killed and wounded, CHILLIAN-
WALLAH remained a technical British victory owing to the retreat of the Sikhs.
Five weeks later, Gough brought the Sikhs to their knees by his victory at Gujerat.
There are two other memorials to officers of the 24th Foot in Rochester Cathedral. To Lt. Col. McPherson, who was wounded at Chillianwallah. To Lieut. Ashton Theodore Dury, who was commissioned into the 24th Regiment in August 1883 and went to the Indian Staff Corps in 1885, being killed in action in November of that year. (vide references to 24th Foot in the paper on Colonel Chard V.C.)
A previous incumbent of Therfield (Nr.Royston) had been Gerald Valerian Wellesley, youngest brother of the Duke, and later Canon of Windsor.
From the notebooks ‘The Naval and Military Memorials of Rochester Cathedral’ (1979)
by Roy Trett, OBE, TD,
Rochester Cathedral Chapter Library
The medieval tombs of the Presbytery and Quire Transept have had a tortured history which many effigies apparently moved and several defaced along with the medieval memorials and brasses over the Early Modern period.
Rochester Cathedral features an exceptionally large collection of Colonial-era military memorials and artefacts. This series has begun to highlight the stories behind these collections and their place in our global heritage.
