Gerard Gosselin | |
|---|---|
 Gerard Gosselin, c. 1810 | |
| Born | 4 February 1769 |
| Died | 11 June 1859 (aged 90) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1787–1859 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 130th Regiment of Foot Brigades in Sicily, Genoa, and Canada Genoa Garrison Castine Garrison Halifax Garrison |
| Battles / wars | |
| Relations | Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin (brother) Frances C. Fairman (granddaughter) |
| Other work | Deputy lieutenant and magistrate for Kent |
General Gerard Gosselin DL (4 February 1769 – 11 June 1859) was a British Army officer of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. After a short stint in the Marines, he joined the British Army in 1787 in the 34th Regiment of Foot. Having been promoted to lieutenant in 1791 he transferred to the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards in the same year, where he initially served as adjutant. Gosselin was promoted to captain in 1794 and almost immediately purchased his majority as well, transferring to the 130th Regiment of Foot. He travelled with this regiment to Jamaica where they served as garrison troops until returning home in 1796.
Gosselin subsequently served in a number of recruiting roles, becoming a lieutenant colonel in 1800, a colonel in 1810, and a major general in 1813. He was then sent to Sicily where he served on the staff of Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck, and he commanded a brigade in the capture of Genoa in April 1814. Later in 1814 he was sent with his brigade to North America to serve in the War of 1812. Under the orders of Lieutenant General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke he then commanded the land component of an expedition into Maine, where in September they captured Castine and successfully fought the Battle of Hampden. Gosselin was made Provincial Governor of the area, a position in which he served until the end of the war in 1815. He briefly served as commander of the garrison at Halifax before returning to England in 1816. In retirement Gosselin became a magistrate and deputy lieutenant for Kent. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1825 and general in 1841, he died at his home near Faversham in 1859, aged ninety.