Francis Forde (East India Company officer) facts for kids

Francis Forde (1718–1770) was a British army officer. He was born in Seaforde, Ireland, around 1718. Francis was the seventh son of Mathew Forde, who was a Member of Parliament.

He went to Trinity College Dublin in 1734. He earned his B.A. degree in 1738. After college, he decided to join the military. He became an officer in the 39th Regiment. He served in India alongside Robert Clive during the 1700s.

Francis Forde: An Officer in India

Starting His Service in India

Francis Forde first arrived in India in the mid-1740s. This was during a big war called the War of the Austrian Succession. By 1746, he had become a Captain in the 39th Regiment of Foot.

In 1755, Robert Clive asked Forde to join the British East India Company's army. Forde left his regular British Army job to do this. He quickly became the second-in-command for the British in Bengal. This happened after the Battle of Calcutta.

Fighting at Plassey

Forde then fought with Clive in the important Battle of Plassey. This battle was a major victory for the British. On the first anniversary of this win, Forde held a large party to celebrate.

The Masulipatam Campaign

After Plassey, Forde was given a group of soldiers. His mission was to remove the French from a place called Masulipatam. A local ally named Anandraz did not support him well.

Despite this, Forde managed to defeat the French forces. This happened at the Battle of Condore. His troops then took over the French camp. After that, they began to surround Masulipatam itself.

On January 25, 1759, Forde's forces attacked the town. They lost about one-third of their soldiers in the fight. Forde was praised a lot for his strong leadership during this campaign.

Victory at Chinsurah

Later in the same year, Forde went back to Bengal. There, he won another important battle, the Battle of Chinsurah. This victory helped remove the Dutch threat to British power in Bengal.

Later Life and Disappearance

Promotion and Return Home

Even after these two big victories, Forde's promotion was not immediately approved. He was supposed to become a Lieutenant Colonel. It took Robert Clive himself to step in and help. Finally, Forde received his formal promotion.

After this, he went back to Ireland for several years. He lived in a place called Johnstown in County Meath.

The Final Voyage

In 1769, Francis Forde was sent on a special mission. He was part of a three-person committee. This group, including Henry Vansittart and Luke Scrafton, was to check on the East India Company's activities.

They started their journey in September 1769 on a ship called the Aurora. The ship left the Cape of Good Hope on December 27, 1769. Sadly, the Aurora disappeared while sailing to India. It is believed that Forde and everyone else on board drowned. The ship's captain had decided to sail through the Mozambique Channel even though the weather was bad.

Francis Forde had a son named Robert Forde. Robert inherited the family property in Johnstown. He later became a Member of Parliament for the county.

See also

• Great Britain in the Seven Years War
• List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea