Forbes Macbean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lieutenant-General
Forbes Macbean
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| Born | 1725 |
| Died | (aged 76) Woolwich, England |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain Kingdom of Portugal (1763–1769) |
| Service/ |
British Army Portuguese Army (1763–1769) |
| Years of service | 1745–1800 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | |
Lieutenant-General Forbes Macbean (born in 1725, died in 1800) was an important officer in the British Army. He was part of the Royal Artillery, which is the army's cannon and big gun division.
Contents
Early Life and Military Training
Forbes Macbean was born on June 28, 1725. His father was Reverend Alexander MacBean.
When he was 18, in 1743, Forbes joined the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. This was a special school for training army officers. He finished his training in 1745. He became a "lieutenant-fireworker," which was a junior officer in the artillery.
Fighting in Europe
Just three weeks after finishing school, Macbean was sent to fight. He marched with the artillery from a city called Ghent. He commanded two cannons at the Battle of Fontenoy in April 1745. This was part of a big war in Europe called the War of the Austrian Succession.
Later that year, there was a rebellion in Scotland called the Jacobite rising of 1745. Macbean and his artillery unit were sent back to Britain. He joined the army of the Duke of Cumberland. He helped during the siege of Carlisle in December 1745.
After the rebellion, he went back to Europe. He fought in more battles between 1746 and 1748. He commanded soldiers at the Battle of Roucoux and cannons at the Battle of Lauffeld.
Rising Through the Ranks
In 1755, Macbean was chosen to lead an artillery group in Ireland. Around the same time, a job opened up at Woolwich. He bought this job, which was a common practice back then. This helped him get promoted to "first lieutenant."
He continued to move up in rank. In 1756, he became a "captain-lieutenant." By 1759, he was promoted to "captain" and given command of his own company of soldiers.
The Seven Years' War
In April 1759, Macbean and his company went to Germany. He led the heavy artillery for the British army during the Seven Years' War.
At the Battle of Minden in August 1759, he did an amazing job. His artillery group had ten large cannons. He received a special thank-you letter from Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, a top general. He also got a reward of 500 crowns.
He showed great skill again at the Battle of Warburg in July 1760. He also commanded eight heavy cannons at Fritzlar in February 1761. After these successes, he went home because he was sick. Prince Ferdinand told the king that Macbean deserved a special award, but he never received it.
Service in Portugal
In 1762, Macbean went with his company to Portugal. They were there to help Portugal in a war against Spain. He even wrote down his experiences from this time.
He was allowed to stay in Portugal after the war. He became a "colonel" in the Portuguese Army's artillery. In 1765, he became the Inspector-General of Portuguese artillery. This meant he was in charge of all the cannons and big guns for Portugal. He held this important job for four years. When he left, the Portuguese Secretary of State gave him a very nice thank-you note.
Time in Canada
From 1769 to 1773, Macbean commanded an artillery company in Canada. He returned home for a few years.
In 1778, he was sent back to Canada to lead the Royal Artillery there. In 1780, when it looked like the Americans might invade, he was put in charge of a group of three regiments. His work in Canada was praised by General Frederick Haldimand.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1786, Forbes Macbean became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group of scientists. He was only the second artillery officer to receive this honor.
Macbean kept many notes and records about the Royal Artillery. These notes were very important for understanding the history of the army's cannon division.
Forbes Macbean was a lieutenant-general and a colonel-commandant. He died at his home near Woolwich Common on November 11, 1800. He was 75 years old. His wife passed away in 1818 when she was 88.
Today, a street in central Woolwich is named after him, honoring his contributions.
