Lt. Gen. Sir Eyre Coote, Kt.

He was the descendant of a younger brother of the Earl of Mountrath, was born, most probably at his father's seat in the County of Limerick, in 1726. He entered the army at an early age, and it is believed served against the Pretender in 1745. In the beginning of 1754 his regiment embarked from Ireland for the East Indies. In January 1757 Coote, then a captain, was ordered by Admiral Watson to take possession of Calcutta, surrendered by the Nabob. He acted as Governor until dispossessed by Clive, who claimed to be his superior officer. At the battle of Plassey he held a prominent and responsible position, and was afterwards detached with a party in pursuit of M. Law, who had collected together the dispersed French.

In the same year, General Lally threatening the siege of Trichinopoly, Coote, then a Colonel, drew together what forces he could, and invested Wandewash, which he took in October 1759. General Lally attempted to retake this important post, and a battle was fought under its walls, 22nd January 1760, in which Coote was successful, and the French retired to Pondicherry. The siege of this place commenced 26th November, and was carried on with unremitting diligence until January 1761, when it was captured by the British forces; the garrison, consisting of 1,400 European soldiers, became prisoners of war, and a vast quantity of military stores and treasure fell into the hands of the victors. This was almost a final blow to the French power in India. Mr. Mill praises his admirable good sense and temper displayed during the siege. When for a time replaced by Major Monson (through mistake of the Directors in London), he acted cheerfully under him, and helped "to encircle the brows of another with laurels which belonged to his own."[168] On Coote's return to England next year he was presented with a £700 diamond-hilted sword by the Directors of the East India Company.

At the close of 1769, or very early in 1770, he was appointed Commander-in-chief in India, and he reached Madras in the course of the latter year; but owing to a dispute with the Governor of Fort George, almost immediately returned home overland. In 1771 he was invested with the order of the Bath, and in 1773, was appointed Governor of Fort George in Scotland. On the death of General Clavering, he was again appointed Commander-in-chief in India, and a member of the Council,' and in April 1779, reached Calcutta with money and reinforcements to cope with Hyder Ali, who had invaded the Carnatic. On 1st July 1781, he, with 10,000 men, European and native, defeated Hyder's army of more than 150,000 at Porto Novo. This was the first of the many defeats Sir Eyre inflicted on the great Indian potentate. In another encounter with Hyder, however, his troops, after much suffering, were obliged to fall back, and Mill blames him for "retaining the army, though inactive, so long in the field as to endanger their return by the impediments of the monsoon." He also "showed a discontented and quarrelsome spirit at this period." Lord Macartney, the Governor-General, declared he had to "court him like a mistress, and humour him like a child; but with all this, I have a most sincere regard for him, and honour him highly."

In June 1782, he failed in the attack on Arnee, and was outwitted in negotiations with Tippoo Sultan. Later on in the year, unequal to the toils of office, he relinquished the command of the army, and sailed for Bengal on 28th September. Mill says: "It has been historically stated, and without contradiction, that nothing but an accident prevented the two Presidents [Lord Macartney and Warren Hastings] . . from plunging their countrymen in India into something of the nature of a civil war. . . Coote was despatched with powers to resume the military command, exempt from dependence upon the Madras Government." His death at Madras, of apoplexy, three days after landing, 26th April 1784 (aged 58), happily prevented the danger of a struggle. His body was conveyed to England and deposited in the parish church of Rockwood, in Hampshire, and the Directors of the Company erected a fine monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey. His property, amounting to some ,£200,000, was inherited by his brother, Charles Coote, the Dean of Kilfenora.

Eyre Coote – information below is from the Westminster Abbey webpage

In the west aisle of the north transept of Westminster Abbey is a very large white marble monument to the memory of Lt.General Sir Eyre Coote. It is by the sculptor Thomas Banks and shows at the base a sarcophagus on which is a relief of an elephant and above, against the pyramid, is a palm tree with flags and military trophies. Among the trophies are a Roman helmet, the Club of Hercules, a bow, a quiver and some arrows. A figure of Victory suspends a medallion portrait of Coote from the tree. On the right is a seated Mahratta captive with his hand resting on a cornucopia, the contents of which cascade on to a British shield. The inscription reads:

“This monument is erected by the East India Company, as a memorial of the military talents of Lieutenant General Sir Eyre Coote, K.B. Commander in Chief of the British Forces in India, who, by the success of his arms, in the years MDCCLX and MDCCLXI, expelled the French from the coast of Coromandel. In MDCCLXXXI and MDCCLXXXII he again took the field in the Carnatic, in opposition to the united strength of the French and Hyder Ally; and, in several engagements, defeated the numerous forces of the latter. But death interrupted his career of glory on the XXVII th day of April MDCCLXXXIII, in the fifty eighth year of his age”.

Coote was born in 1726, a son of the Revd.Chidley Coote of co.Limerick in Ireland and his wife Jane (Evans). He was appointed Ensign in 1744 but after a rout by the forces of Charles Edward Stuart in Scotland he was among those tried for cowardice. But a few years later he was back in the army and in India he led a division at the battle of Plassey. While Commander in Chief in India he captured Pondicherry and routed Hyder Ali’s army. In 1763 he married Susannah Hutchinson, daughter of the governor of St Helena. He died in Madras on 27 April 1783 and his wife brought the body back for burial at Rockbourne in Hampshire, near his estate. They had no children and the estate passed to his nephew, also Sir Eyre Coote (d.1823).

A photograph of the monument can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library. Further reading for Sir Eyre and his nephew: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004

Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB (1726 – 28 April 1783) was an Irish soldier. He is best known for his many years of service with the British Army in India. His victory at the Battle of Wandiwash is considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control in India between British and France. He was known by his sepoy troops as Coote Bahadur (Coote the Brave).

Early life

The son of the Reverend Chidley Coote, he was born near Limerick, Ireland in 1726, and entered the 27th Regiment of Foot. He first saw active service in the Jacobite rising of 1745, and later obtained a captaincy in the 39th Regiment, the first regular British regiment sent to India.

Seven Years War

Recapture of Calcutta

Further information: Siege of Calcutta

In 1756 a part of the regiment, then quartered at Madras, was sent forward to join Robert Clive in his operations against Calcutta which had recently been captured by captured by the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, which had been followed by the Black Hole of Calcutta. The city was reoccupied without difficulty in January 1757. However, Coote and Clive argued so violently over who should reoccupy Fort William that they almost fired at each other, which began a lifelong rivalry and hatred between the two men.

Plassey

Main article: Battle of Plassey

Coote was soon given the local rank of Major for his good conduct in surprising the camp of the Nawab of Bengal. Soon afterwards came the Battle of Plassey, which would probably never have taken place but for Coote's advice at the council of war; after the defeat of the Nawab he led a detachment in pursuit of the French for 400 miles under extraordinary difficulties. His conduct won him the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and the command of the 84th Regiment of Foot, newly raised in Britain for Indian service, but his exertions had seriously damaged his health.

Wandiwash

Main article: Battle of Wandiwash

In October 1759 Coote's regiment arrived to take part in the decisive struggle between French and British in the Carnatic. He took command of the forces at Madras, where a French siege had recently been defeated, and on 22 January 1760 led them in the decisive victory of Battle of Wandiwash.

After a time the remnants of Lally's forces were besieged in Pondicherry. For some reason Coote was not entrusted with the siege operations, but loyally supported William Monson, who brought the siege to a successful end on 15 January 1761. In the latter year he sat for Maryborough in the Irish House of Commons.

Soon afterwards Coote was given the command of the British East India Company's forces in Bengal, and settled of a serious dispute between the Nawab Mir Qasim and a powerful subordinate. In 1762 he returned to England, receiving a jewelled sword of honour from the Company and other rewards for his great services.In 1771 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath.

American War of Independence

Further information: Second Anglo-Mysore War

Return to India

In 1779 he returned to India as Lieutenant-General commanding in chief. He allied himself to Warren Hastings, the Governor General who generally deferred to him and gave him a free hand over military matters, in opposition to Hasting's opponents on the ruling Council Edward Wheler and Philip Francis. He spent much of his time visiting outlying garrisons and chose to attend meetings of the Calcutta Council only when it was necessary to pass some important measure. Without Coote's support, Hastings was likely to be outvoted on the Council. This situation only ended when Francis returned home where he began to stir up criticism of Hastings' conduct with ultimately led to his failed impeachment.

Hyder attacks

Following Hyder Ali's opening of the Second Anglo-Mysore War in southern India Coote returned to active service. It was not until 1 June 1781 that Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder in the decisive Battle of Porto Novo. The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one, and is regarded as one of the greatest feats of the British in India. It was followed up by another hard-fought battle at Pollilur (the scene of an earlier triumph of Hyder over a British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at Sholinghur a month later. His last service was the arduous campaign of 1782, which finally shattered a constitution already gravely impaired by hardship and exertions. Coote died at Madras on 28 April 1783. The war with Mysore was brought to an inconclusive end by the Treaty of Mangalore in 1784. Subsequent conflicts fought, the Mysorean capital twice captured, and Hyder's dynasty eventually overthrown in 1799.

Legacy

Coote is generally remembered for his victory at Wandiwash and capture of Pondicherry which were decisive moments in the struggle between Britain and France for dominance in India. Although he often quarrelled with other British officers and officials, Coote was adored by the sepoy troops under his command.[6] Following his death a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey and another within West Park, Rockbourne, Hampshire. His nephew was Sir Eyre Coote, GCB who served as Governor General of India .

He married in 1769 a daughter of Charles Hutchinson, Governor of St. Helena. They had no children, and his property, worth over £200,000, was left to his brother, Doctor Charles Coote, dean of Kilfenora, in County Clare, Ireland.[7] In his autobiography the American General and Secretary of State Colin Powell claims direct descent from Coote's identically named nephew Eyre Coote while he was serving as Governor of Jamaica, which has led to Powell sometimes being incorrectly referred to as a direct descendent of the elder General Coote.

Bibliography

Harvey, Robert. Clive: The life and Death of a British Emperor. Hodder and Stoughton, 1998.

Sheppard E. W. Coote Bahadur: A Life of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB Werner Laurie 1956

Turnbull, Patrick. Warren Hastings. New English Library, 1975.