Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General The Right Honourable The Viscount Lake
Member of Parliament for Aylesbury
In office 1790–1802
Preceded by	William Wrightson
Succeeded by	Robert Bent
Personal details
Born	27 July 1744 Harrow, Middlesex, Great Britain
Died	20 February 1808(1808-02-20) (aged 63) London
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1758–1808
Rank	General
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Irish Rebellion of 1798 Second Anglo-Maratha War

Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (born July 27, 1744 – died February 20, 1808) was an important British general. He led British soldiers during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Later, he became the top military leader, known as Commander-in-Chief, in British India.

Who Was General Gerard Lake?

Early Life and Military Start

Gerard Lake was born in Harrow, Great Britain. His father was Lancelot Charles Lake. Gerard went to a famous school called Eton College.

He joined the army in 1758 when he was just 14 years old. He quickly moved up the ranks. By 1792, he was a general officer. He fought in Germany between 1760 and 1762.

In 1790, he became a major-general. In 1793, he led the Guards Brigade in Flanders during the French Revolutionary Wars. He won a battle at Lincelles on August 18, 1793. He continued to serve until April 1794. Later, he became the colonel of the 53rd Regiment of Foot and governor of Limerick in Ireland. In 1797, he was promoted to lieutenant-general.

Fighting in America's War for Independence

In 1781, as a lieutenant-colonel, Lake went to America. He fought in the campaign in North Carolina under Lord Cornwallis.

He led soldiers in a surprise attack from the British lines at York Town on October 11, 1781. This attack caused heavy losses for the French and American forces. After the British surrendered at Yorktown, Lake was held as a prisoner until the war ended.

Leading Troops in Ireland

The 1798 Rebellion: A Tough Time

In December 1796, General Lake was put in charge of troops in Ulster, Ireland. He ordered everyone to give up their weapons. Many historians believe his actions helped to weaken the Society of United Irishmen in that area.

In April 1798, Lake became the top commander in Ireland. He then focused on another area called Leinster. During this time, strict methods were used against people suspected of being rebels. Some historians suggest that these harsh actions might have actually made the rebellion worse in May 1798. Lake continued to deal very strictly with those who opposed the British.

In May, Lake led troops in County Kildare. After a rebel attack on Naas failed, he helped arrange a surrender of rebels after the Battle of Kilcullen. Another group of rebels also agreed to surrender. However, during this surrender, government forces mistakenly attacked them. This event, known as the Gibbet Rath executions, happened on May 29. After this, central Kildare remained calm.

Lake then took command of about 20,000 soldiers to stop the rebels in Wexford. He defeated the main rebel army at Vinegar Hill on June 21. His strict treatment of Irish rebels caused disagreements with Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis became the new leader in Ireland and wanted to offer forgiveness to rebels who gave up their weapons.

Facing the French in Ireland

Cornwallis sent Lake to fight a French force of 1,000 soldiers who landed in Killala Bay, County Mayo on August 23. On August 29, Lake arrived at Castlebar with about 1,700 troops. His troops, who were mostly inexperienced, were defeated by the French. This defeat was so fast that it became known as the 'Races of Castlebar'. Lake's troops were not very experienced, and fighting the skilled French soldiers head-on was very difficult.

However, Lake later defeated the French at the Battle of Ballinamuck on September 8.

Commander in India: Big Victories

In 1799, Lake returned to England. Soon after, he went to British India and became the Commander-in-Chief there. He started his job in July 1801. He worked hard to make the East India Company army better. He wanted all parts of the army – foot soldiers, cavalry (soldiers on horseback), and artillery (cannons) – to be able to move faster and be easier to manage. In 1802, he became a full general.

Winning Key Battles in India

When the Second Anglo-Maratha War began in 1803, General Lake led his army against Daulat Scindia. Within two months, he defeated the Marathas at Kol (now Aligarh). He also captured Delhi on September 11 and Agra on October 10.

He won a major victory at the Battle of Laswari on November 1. This battle completely broke the power of Scindia. Scindia lost many trained soldiers and cannons. This defeat, along with another victory by Major-General Arthur Wellesley, forced Scindia to agree to a peace treaty in December 1803.

Fighting continued against Yashwantrao Holkar. On November 17, 1804, Holkar defeated Lake at the Battle of Farrukhabad. Lake then faced a difficult challenge at Bharatpur, where the fort held out against five attacks in early 1805.

Lord Cornwallis became the new Governor-General of India in July 1805. He wanted to end the war. Cornwallis died in October of that year. Lake continued to pursue Holkar into the Punjab. However, seeing Holkar's strong position, the British East India Company signed a peace treaty. This treaty returned all of Holkar's land to him and promised no more interference from the Company.

Becoming a Viscount

For his great service, Lake received thanks from the Parliament. In September 1804, he was given the title Baron Lake. He was Commander-in-Chief in India from 1801 to 1805, and again from 1805 to 1807. When the war ended, he returned to England. In 1807, he was given an even higher title: Viscount Lake.

One of his sons, Major George Augustus Frederick Lake, served with him in Ireland and India. He was his father's assistant and military secretary. During a battle, he even gave his horse to his father when his father's horse was shot. Shortly after, Major Lake was seriously wounded. He recovered and later fought in the Peninsular Campaign. He was killed in action in Portugal in 1808.

A Career in Politics

Like many important people of his time, Gerard Lake had both a military and a political career. He was a member of the British House of Commons for Aylesbury from 1790 to 1802. He was also brought into the Irish House of Commons in 1799 to vote for the Act of Union. This act joined Great Britain and Ireland.

Later Life and Legacy

Viscount Lake enjoyed gambling and lost much of his family's money. He died in London on February 20, 1808. He left his children with very little inheritance. Many people at court, including the Prime Minister, the Duke of Portland, felt this was a sad end for such an important figure. The Duke of Portland asked King George III to help Lake's children, especially his unmarried daughters.