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Bell, John (1746/7–1798), army officer and inventor, was born in the parish of St Cuthbert's, Carlisle, the eldest son of William Bell, hatter, of Botchergate, Carlisle. He was baptized at St Cuthbert's Church on 22 February 1747. After working in the family business, ...

Blood, Holcroft (c. 1657–1707), army officer and military engineer, the third son of Colonel Thomas Blood (1617/18–1680) and his wife, Mary (fl. 1650–1670), the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Holcroft of Holcroft, Lancashire, was born in Sarney, co. Meath, Ireland. In 1672, unknown to his father, he enlisted in the navy and served during the Third Dutch War. Later, under the false name ...

Boxall, Sir Charles Gervaise (1851–1914), army officer and promoter of rail-mounted artillery, was born on 30 August 1851 at Delves House, Ringmer, Sussex, the second son of William Percival Boxall JP, of Cowfold, Sussex, and his wife, Caroline Money. Educated privately, then at ...

Debbieg, Hugh (1731/2–1810), military engineer and army officer, was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (1742–6). Nothing is known of his parentage and birthplace. His ability was manifest at an early age, and he advanced rapidly in the Royal Artillery, becoming matross on 1 April 1742, cadet in May 1744, and cadet gunner in April 1745. During September and October 1746 he served as an engineer in the futile expedition against ...

Desaguliers, Thomas (1721–1780), army officer and military engineer, was born on 5 January 1721, and baptized on 20 January at St Margaret's, Westminster, the fourth (but second surviving) son of John Theophilus Desaguliers (1683–1744), natural philosopher and engineer, and his wife, Joanna Pudsey (1690×95–1753)...

Frazer, Andrew (1739?–1792), army officer and military engineer, was the son of George Frazer, a deputy surveyor of excise in Scotland, and was probably the Andrew Frazer born on 18 March 1739 in St Cuthbert's parish, Edinburgh, the son of George Frazer...

Freeburn, James (1808–1876), army officer and inventor of shell fuses, was born in the parish of St Cuthbert's, Midlothian. At an early age he was apprenticed to a baker. At the age of seventeen he enlisted in the 7th battalion of the Royal Artillery...

Green, Sir William, first baronet (1725–1811), military engineer and army officer, was born on 4 April 1725 in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, and baptized in the parish church on 11 April. He was the eldest son of Farbridge Green, and his wife, Helen Smith...

Landmann, George Thomas (1780–1854), army officer and military engineer, was born on 11 April 1780 at Woolwich, Kent, the son of Isaac Landmann (1741–1826), professor of artillery and fortification at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and his wife, Helene. Nothing is known of his school education. He became a cadet at the ...

Livens, William Howard (1889–1964), army officer and inventor of oil and gas weapons, was born at Lincoln on 28 March 1889, the only son of Frederick Howard Livens, chief engineer of the firm which became Ruston and Hornsby, and his wife, Priscilla Mary Abbott...

Mann, Gother (1747–1830), army officer and military engineer, was born on 21 December 1747 at Plumstead, Kent, the second son of Cornelius Mann and his wife, Elizabeth, née Gother. His father, a first cousin of Sir Horace Mann (1701–1786), went to the West Indies...

See McLeod, Sir Donald Friell

Moncrieff, James (1744–1793), army officer and military engineer, was the son of James Moncrieff of Sauchop, Fife. He attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, between 11 March 1759 and 28 January 1762, when he was appointed practitioner engineer and ensign. During the earl of Albemarle's...

Morrison, George (1703/4?–1799), military engineer and army officer, entered the train of artillery as a gunner on 1 October 1722, and was quartered at Edinburgh Castle until 1729. He distinguished himself in suppressing the Jacobite rising of 1745, and was sent to the ...

Petit, Lewis [Lewis Petit des Etans] (1665?–1720), military engineer and army officer, was (according to notes made by his descendant John Louis Petit) a member of the family of Petit des Etans of Caen in Normandy, but rarely used the toponym. He arrived in ...

See Romer, Wolfgang William

Shrapnel, Henry (1761–1842), army officer and inventor of the Shrapnel shell, was born on 3 June 1761, the youngest son of the nine children of Zachariah Shrapnel (1724–1796) from Midway Manor House, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, and his wife, Lydia (née Needham). The family name appears as ...

Skinner, William (1699/1700–1780), military engineer and army officer, was born at St Christopher (St Kitts), West Indies, the son of Thomas Skinner, a merchant and younger son of William Skynner, mayor of Hull in 1665. Skinner's parents both died while he was a child, and he was adopted by ...