James Gabriel Montresor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Gabriel Montresor
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Portrait of Col. James G. Montresor
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| Born | 19 November 1704 Westminster, England |
| Died | 6 January 1776 (aged 71) Teynham, Kent, England |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ |
Corps of Engineers |
| Rank | Colonel, Chief Engineer in the Provinces |
| Unit | 14th Regiment of Foot |
| Battles/wars | 1727 siege of Gibraltar, French and Indian War |
| Relations | John Montresor (son), Susanna Haswell Rowson (niece), Robert Haswell (nephew), Henry Fielding (father-in-law) |
James Gabriel Montresor (born November 19, 1704 – died January 6, 1776) was an important British military engineer. He helped design and build many forts and military structures during his career.
Early Life and Military Start
James Gabriel Montresor was born in Westminster, England, on November 19, 1704. His father, James Gabriel le Trésor, came from a Huguenot family. Huguenots were French Protestants who had to leave France because of their religion. His father became a British citizen and changed the family name to Montresor.
Young James joined the Royal Artillery, which is a part of the army that uses cannons. He was likely at the siege of Gibraltar in 1727. A siege is when an army surrounds a place to try and capture it. Later, he served in Menorca and Gibraltar as a "matross" and then a "bombardier." A matross was a soldier who helped load and fire cannons. A bombardier was a soldier who fired bombs or shells.
In 1731, he became an engineer in the army. He worked in Gibraltar for many years, helping to build and maintain its defenses. By 1747, he was named the chief engineer there. He also held a rank as a Lieutenant in the 14th Regiment of Foot.
Adventures in America
In 1754, James Montresor was chosen to be the chief engineer for General Edward Braddock. He traveled to America with the British troops. Many people think he was at the famous defeat of Braddock's expedition in 1755. However, it seems this was actually his son, John Montresor, who was wounded in that battle.
James Montresor spent most of the French and Indian War in and around Albany, New York. This war was fought between Great Britain and France, along with their Native American allies, over land in North America. Montresor was very busy designing and building many military fortifications. Fortifications are strong buildings or walls built to protect a place from attack. One of his projects was a new fort called Fort George. In 1758, he was promoted to Director and Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Engineers.
Return to Britain and Later Life
By 1760, James Montresor became the Chief Engineer in the British provinces. As a reward for his hard work in New York, he was given a large piece of land in what is now Vermont.
However, he became ill and had to return to England in 1760. He resigned from his army commission in 1762. Back in England, he continued his engineering work. He built powder magazines at Purfleet, which are safe places to store gunpowder. He also became the chief engineer at Chatham Dockyard, a major naval base.
Throughout his career, Montresor drew many maps and plans of the areas where he worked. He also kept journals, which are like diaries, that have been published. These journals give us a lot of information about his life and the military events he was part of.
James Gabriel Montresor was married three times. His first wife was Mary Haswell, and they had two daughters and five sons. His most famous son was John Montresor, who also became a military engineer. James Gabriel Montresor passed away on January 6, 1776, in Teynham, Kent.
