William Grinfield | |
|---|---|
 William Grinfield by an unknown artist | |
| Nickname(s) | Grinney[1] |
| Born | c.1743 Wiltshire |
| Died | (aged 58) Barbados |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1760–1803 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 3rd Foot Guards |
| Commands | 1st Battalion 3rd Foot Guards Sub-District, Southern District North-West District Midland District Eastern District Windward and Leeward Islands |
| Battles / wars | |
General William Grinfield (c.1743–19 October 1803) was a British Army officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Grinfield joined the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards in 1760 and was promoted through the ranks, becoming a major in the regiment in 1786. In 1793 his regiment joined the Flanders Campaign, fighting at the siege of Valenciennes and Battle of Lincelles, during which time he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. Having held a higher army-wide rank than he did regimental rank, Grinfield was promoted by seniority to major-general later in the same year.
Grinfield continued with the 3rd Guards until 1795 when he was given a command within the Southern Military District, also becoming colonel of the 86th Regiment of Foot. He went on to command the North-West Military District before in 1798 being promoted to lieutenant-general, and in 1801 receiving command of the Midland Military District. In the following year he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the Windward and Leeward Islands. In this role he attacked French and Dutch colonies at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, capturing Saint Lucia, Tobago, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. Promoted to general on 1 October of the same year, he died of yellow fever at Barbados only eighteen days later, aged 58.
- ^ Ward (1988), p. 68.