Roger Handasyd | |
|---|---|
 Heusden, the Dutch port where Roger was born | |
| Member of Parliament for Scarborough | |
| In office 1747–1754 | |
| Commander-in-chief, Scotland | |
| In office October 1745 – November 1745 | |
| Member of Parliament for Huntingdon | |
| In office 1722–1741 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 March 1689 (baptised) Heusden, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 4 January 1763 (aged 73) Hanover Square, Westminster, London |
| Resting place | St Andrews' Church, Great Staughton[1] |
| Nationality | English |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Thorneycroft (1710-his death) |
| Relations | Major-General Thomas Handasyd (1645-1729) |
| Residence(s) | Gaynes Hall, near Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire |
| Occupation | Soldier and politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Branch/service | Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant General 1743 |
| Unit | Colonel; 22nd Foot 1712-1730 16th Foot 1730-1763 |
| Battles/wars | War of the Spanish Succession Jacobite rising of 1715 Jacobite rising of 1745 |
Lieutenant General Roger Handasyd, also spelt Handaside, (11 March 1689 – 4 January 1763) was an English military officer and Member of Parliament for different seats between 1722 and 1754.
Often cited as one of the longest serving officers in British military history, in reality he saw little active service. First commissioned in 1694 at the age of five,[2] he was too young for the 1689-1697 Nine Years War and spent most of the 1701 to 1713 War of the Spanish Succession on garrison duties in Jamaica. Appointed colonel of the 22nd Foot in 1712, he transferred to the 16th Foot in 1730, a post he retained until his death in 1763.
Described by a contemporary as a 'bitter Whig', he entered Parliament in 1722 for Huntingdon, a seat he held until 1741. At the outbreak of the Jacobite rising of 1745, he briefly succeeded Sir John Cope after the Battle of Prestonpans as Commander-in-chief, Scotland. In early November, he entered Edinburgh unopposed and was replaced by Henry Hawley in early January 1746.
He re-entered Parliament in 1747 as MP for Scarborough before retiring in 1754, and died in London on 4 January 1763.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Andrew (1214559)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ Yonge 1740, p. 29.