John Northall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Captain
John Northall
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|---|---|
| Born | 1723? |
| Died | 1759 India |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain.svg){kind=small} East India Company |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1741–1759 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
Captain John Northall (born around 1723, died 1759) was an officer in the British Army. He was also a writer who published a book about his travels.
His Life and Military Career
John Northall joined the Royal Artillery, a special part of the British Army, on July 1, 1741. He started as a "gentleman-cadet," which was a training role. He quickly moved up the ranks.
- In 1742, he became a "lieutenant fireworker."
- He served in a place called Flanders (now parts of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands) in 1742.
- By 1744, he was promoted to "second lieutenant."
Northall fought in the famous Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. After that, he continued to rise through the army ranks. He became a "first lieutenant" in 1745, a "captain-lieutenant" in 1752, and finally a full captain in 1755.
His Travels
In 1752, Captain Northall traveled to Minorca, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. From there, he sailed to Leghorn in Italy. Instead of just visiting the usual tourist spots, he explored many cities in Tuscany.
He also visited Rome and Naples. After spending more time in Rome, he traveled to other Italian cities like Loretto, Bologna, Venice, Mantua, Parma, and Modena. He then returned to Leghorn and sailed to Genoa. From Genoa, he went by sea to Villafranca and then traveled by land to Marseilles in France.
Service in India
In 1755, Captain Northall was sent to India with other officers from the Royal Artillery. They were sent to command army companies there. In February 1759, he helped capture the city of Surat in India. Sadly, he passed away later that same year.
His Book
After Captain Northall died, a book about his travels was published in 1766. It was called Travels through Italy; containing new and curious Observations on that Country. The book was quite long, with eight volumes. It shared his observations about Italy, including details about paintings, sculptures, and buildings he saw. Some people have said that his book was very similar to another travel book written by J. G. Keysler.
