Sir William Houston | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 August 1766 |
| Died | 8 April 1842 (aged 75) Bromley Hill, Kent |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1781–1842 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 19th Regiment of Foot 84th Regiment of Foot 58th Regiment of Foot 7th Division South-Western District |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order Order of the Crescent |
General Sir William Houston, 1st Baronet GCB GCH KC (10 August 1766 – 8 April 1842) was a British Army officer and Governor of Gibraltar. Houston joined the army in 1781, and by the start of the French Revolutionary War was a captain. He fought in the Flanders campaign before being promoted to major in 1794. As a lieutenant-colonel he fought at the Capture of Minorca and at the sieges of Alexandria and Cairo. Promoted to colonel in 1802, Houston fought in the Walcheren Expedition of 1809 before being promoted to major-general.
Houston initially commanded a brigade in the Peninsular War before becoming the first commander of 7th Division in 1811. He left his command later in the year because of illness, having commanded it at the battles of Sabugal and Fuentes de Oñoro and the siege of Badajoz. Houston saw no more active service in the Napoleonic Wars, with a series of staff positions culminating in him serving as acting Governor of Gibraltar in 1832. He died in 1842.