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Welbore Ellis Doyle and his brother, John were both friends of Lord Rawdon's, and both officers in the Volunteers of Ireland who served in the Southern Campaign. I decided to add a brief bio note on the two of them because I have encountered a number of writers, including modern ones, who treat them as one gestalt individual, apparently not realizing that the Volunteers of Ireland had two officers with the last name of Doyle. For instance, Appleton's Cyclopaedia (used extensively by Boatner and others) has an entry only for Sir John Doyle but they credit him with his own post-war career and mixture of his own and his brother's Revolutionary War era careers. Where Elizabeth Ellet made a reference to "Major Doyle" in her 19th century collection, The Women of the American Revolution, her 20th century editor, Lincoln Diamant, erroneously expanded the reference to "Major Welbore Doyle." (John was a major throughout the Southern Campaign; Welbore Ellis a lieutenant-colonel.) With that in mind, I had a shot at sorting them out.1
Probably born in 1750 -- though some sources claim 1756 -- John Doyle was the eldest of the two brothers, but the junior officer, due to his late entry into the army. He was the fourth son (fifth child) of Charles and Elizabeth Doyle of Kilkenny, Ireland. He originally intended to study law, and it was only after his younger brother, Welbore, joined the army that he decided on a change of career. He purchased an ensigncy in the 48th Foot in March 1771, was promoted lieutenant in 1773 and was wounded on duty in Ireland. Switching to the 40th Foot in 1775, he reached America in time to gain distinction at the battle of Brooklyn, where he saved his mortally wounded commanding officer from capture. He fought at Brandywine and in numerous other skirmishes and was wounded at Germantown.2
 John Doyle, after H. Houston |
In Boston during the early days of the war he formed a lifelong friendship with Lord Rawdon, whom he helped to raise the Volunteers of Ireland. He became a company captain within the regiment, and served with it at Monmouth Courthouse.3
He also served with the VoI in the Southern Campaign, and received praise from Lord Cornwallis, who in his report on the battle of Camden said that Major of Brigade Doyle "shewed the most active and zealous attention to his duty." An acting brigade-major at Camden, he was formally promoted to the rank in 1781. In his report on the battle of Hobkirk's Hill, Rawdon reported that "Major of Brigade Doyle distinguished himself very much."4
After Rawdon and Welbore Ellis left the continent, John remained in the south. He fought beside Benjamin Thompson, and successfully led foraging raids out of the besieged city of Charleston through the summer of 1782. On Aug. 23, Ichabod Burnet told Francis Marion that "Major Doyle's success has induced the Charleston garrison to make another attempt to collect rice." A day later Nathanael Greene sent word that "A British foraging expedition under Brewerton and Doyle is headed for Santee." John also served as deputy adjutant general through part of his stay. In that capacity, he authored letters to Marion in November, complaining that Marion's men were abusing guard detachments placed to protect women in both camps from distress, and also that they had attacked a hospital post.5
In March 1782, John was named major of the 105th Foot, the name under which the Volunteers of Ireland were placed on the British Establishment.6
John returned to Europe after the evacuation of Charleston. In February, 1783, the Morning Herald reported that "Yesterday Major Doyle lately arrived from America, was presented at the drawing-room by Lord Rawdon, and had the honor of kissing their Majesties hands."7
After returning home, he served as an M.P. for Mullingar in the Irish House of Commons, and gained a reputation as an eloquent speaker. Between 1784 and 1793, he remained on the army rolls as a major, without a regimental assignment. He became secretary to the Prince of Wales in November 1791. (A number of sources say that he gained this post after 1800, but the letter announcing his appointment is in the royal archives.)8
In 1794, he accompanied Rawdon (now Lord Moira) to the Netherlands as lieutenant-colonel commandant of the 87th regiment (the Prince of Wales Irish), which posting he had been given in September 1793. He was wounded at the battle of Alost, and was present at the operations at Quiberon and Isle Dieu in 1795.9
In May 1796, he was promoted to colonel of the 87th and made Secretary of War in Ireland, a post which he held until 1799. 10
The Officers' Lists for 1797-8 show him as a brigadier in the West Indies, dating from November 1796, though I'm unaware of what services he may have performed in that theater.11
In 1799, he went to Gibraltar as a brigadier-general, then accompanied Abercromby to Egypt in 1800, in command of a brigade. He was extremely active in Egypt, receiving a vote of thanks in the House of Commons and a promotion to major-general in 1802.12
In 1804 he went to Guernsey as lieutenant-governor. While there, he gained considerable popularity and worked to improve the defensive readiness of the Channel Isles. He remained in Guernsey until 1815, when a reduction in staff cost him his post, over the strong protests of the inhabitants. He received an enthusiastic reception when he paid another visit to the island in 1826, and a monument was erected there to his memory.13
In 1818, he took up the post of governor of Charlemont. He was created a baronet in 1805 and K.B. in 1813. He served in Parliament again in 1806-7, as a member for New Port. He made lieutenant-general in April 1808, and became full general in 1819.14
Doyle had a reputation as an excellent organiser, and was well liked by those he worked with. He never married and died in London on August 8, 1834.15
Probably born in 1752 (though some sources say as late as 1758), Welbore Ellis Doyle was John Doyle's youngest brother, last born of his parents' six surviving children. He joined the army in December 1770, as an ensign in the 55th (Irish) Foot, and gained his lieutenancy in the same regiment in September 1773.16
He and his wife, Frances, were married in 1774, and came to America together in 1775, in time to make Lord Rawdon's acquaintance in Boston. According to the D.N.B., their home "became a favorite gathering place for young officers," though John Hayes points out that their stay in the city must have been brief. The 55th reached the city only a few months before Howe's army moved to Halifax.17
In November, 1777, Welbore became Captain-Lieutenant in the 55th Foot. He and Francis were in Philadelphia at the time, as part of the winter garrison. He became lieutenant-colonel of the Volunteers of Ireland when the regiment was organized, and later elected to remain with the regiment when London demanded that officers make a choice between their Provincial and Regular regiments. Apparently he took part in Lord Cornwallis's abortive expedition to Jamaica in 1778.18
Like his brother, he served in the South, fighting with the VoI. at Camden. In early March, 1781, Rawdon sent Welbore to support John T. W. Watson's force in a two-pronged attack against Marion's headquarters at Snow Island. Doyle succeeded in destroying the base.19
In July, 1781, Welbore and his wife sailed for England with Rawdon, but their ship was captured by the French en route. In his September 27 journal entry, Rochambeau's aide, Baron von Closen noted that
"Lord Rawdon (since Lord Moira), the English general officer, who, after commanding the English vanguard for some time in the South, had wished to return to England, but was captured by M. de Grasse on the Cormorant, together with M. and Mme Doyle. (Gossip asserts that this very pretty lady, with whom we supped, was the Lord's mistress during his campaigns in the South. It is certain that M. Doyle, whom Lord Rawdon made lieutenant-colonel of his regiment, seemed to be a very easy-going fellow."20
Welbore's exchange was arranged by Rochambeau and Clinton along with Rawdon's. After several rounds of negotiation, on November 9, 1781, Rochambeau suggested that "Sieur Ternan can naturally be exchanged with Lt. Col. Doyle." Rawdon and the Doyles finally reached England in 1782.21
Welbore was named lieutenant colonel of the 105th Foot (formerly the Volunteers of Ireland) when the regiment was placed on the establishment in March, 1782. From 1784-88, he was a lieutenant-colonel without a regimental attachment. Apparently, he served part of that time as military envoy to Warsaw.22
In March, 1789, he was assigned to the 14th (Bedfordshire) Foot, which post he held until 1797. He was promoted to colonel in the Army in October 1793, a few months after he led the 14th in an attack on Famars. One account of the battle provides a little anecdote of Doyle's command:
At Famars, near Valenciennes, France, on May 22nd, 1793, the 14th Foot, part of the Duke of York's Army stormed a French force holding an entrenched camp. They were at first repulsed by a body of the enemy whose regimental music spurred them on by playing "Ça Ira" to raise in fervor the patriotism of the revolutionaries.
Lieutenant-Colonel Welbore Ellis Doyle, commanding the 14th, rallied his men and ordered the drummers to strike up "Ça Ira", saying "We'll beat them to their own damned tune". They did, the covering forces were broken, and Famars fell. The Duke of York gave express orders that this air was to be adopted as the 14th's regimental Quick-step.23
He was named brigadier on the Continent in November 1795, and major-general in February 1795. In November 1796, he became colonel of the 53d (Shropshire) foot, and held the post until January, 1798. During this period he again served with Moira on the Continent, then became Governor of Southampton.24
His final posting was as commander-in-chief in Ceylon, a post he held only briefly, from January 1, 1797 until his sudden death on June 30, 1797. Unlike Sir John, Welbore has no entry in the D.N.B., though his brother's entry contains a few bits of information on his life and career.25
Frances Rainsford Doyle was with her husband throughout his service in America. As previously noted, contemporary gossip claimed that she was Lord Rawdon's mistress, presumably with Welbore's knowledge. Her first child, Francis Hastings Doyle, was born in 1783, and the Doyles had a second son during their stay in Poland. After Welbore's death, Frances married into the Grimaldi family, and became Princess of Monaco. She died in 1806.26
Sir Francis Hastings Doyle (1783-1839) grew up into an active military career of his own, becoming a baronet and major general. (His son, also Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, gained minor note as a poet). He formed a close attachment to Rawdon (by then Lord Hastings), and in 1821 spent considerable time in an energetic but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to convince the King to elevate his mentor to a dukedom.27
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1 Having said that, let me also issue a warning proviso that so much of the material on the Doyles is confused that I won't guarantee I've sort it out, either. Corrections and clarifications are, as ever, most welcome. Grant Wilson and John Fiske, Appleton's Cyclopaedia Of American Biography, 6 vols. (New York: D. Appleton, 1887-89), 2:222. Elizabeth F. Ellet, Women of the American Revolution, 3 vols. ([c1850] New York: Haskell House Publishers, Inc., 1969), 3:244. Elizabeth F. Ellet, Revolutionary Women in the War for American Independence,, ed. Lincoln Diamant (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998), 172. [ back ]
2 The Royal Military Calendar, or Army Service and Commission Book, 5 vols. (London: A. J. Valpy, 1820), 2:115. International Genealogical Database entry, accessed July 25, 2004. A List of All the Officers of the Army: Viz. the General and Field Officers; the Officers of the Several Troops, Regiments, Independent Companies and Garrisons...in Great Britain; (War Office, published annually), editions for 1772, 1774, 1776. Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, ed., The Dictionary Of National Biography From The Earliest Times To 1900, 22 vols. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1937-38), 5:1317-1318. Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 2:222. [ back ]
4 Lord Cornwallis's Orders, 17 Aug 1780, printed in The Morning Chronicle, 12 Oct 1780. Earl Cornwallis to Lord George Germain, 21 Aug 1780, in Banastre Tarleton, A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America (London: Printed for T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1787), p134. Lord Rawdon to Earl Cornwallis, 26 April 1781, in Davies, K.G., Ed.; Documents of the American Revolution, 20:122-124. DNB, 5:1317-1318. [ back ]
5 Benjamin Thompson to Alexander Leslie, 24 Feb 1782, in Historical Manuscripts Commission, Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institute of Great Britain, 4 vols. (London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1901-9), 2:403-5. Ichabod Burnet to Francis Marion, 23 Aug 1782, in R. W. Gibbes, ed. Documentary History of the American Revolution, 3 vols. (Spartanburg, S.C.: The Reprint Company, 1972), 2:211. Nathanael Greene to Francis Marion, 24 Aug 1782, Ibid., 2:212. J. Doyle, D. Adjutant General to Gen'l. Marion, 9 Nov 1781, Ibid., 3:208. J. Doyle, Deputy Adjutant General to General. Marion, 20 Nov 1781, Ibid., 3:213. [ back ]
6 Officers of the Army, 1783 edition. [ back ]
7 Morning Herald, 07 Feb 1783. [ back ]
8 DNB, 5:1317-1318. Officers of the Army, 1795 edition. Lord Southampton to the King, 16 Nov 1791, in George III, The Later Correspondence of George III, ed. A. Aspinall, 5 vols. (Cambridge: The University Press, 1962), 1:576. [ back ]
9 Earl of Moira to Henry Dundas and replies, Aug 1795, in Later Correspondence of George III, 2:384-88. The Earl of Moira to John McMahon, 08 Jul 1794, in George IV, The Correspondence of George, Prince of Wales, 1770-1812, ed. A. Aspinall, 8 vols. (London: Cassell, c1963-71), 2:442. DNB, 5:1317-1318. Officers of the Army, 1795 edition. [ back ]
10 Officers of the Army 1797 edition. DNB, 5:1317-1318. [ back ]
11 Officers of the Army 1797-8 editions. [ back ]
12 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 2:222. Officers of the Army, 1799, 1803, 1804 editions. [ back ]
13 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 2:222. Officers of the Army, 1804 edition. [ back ]
14 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 2:222. Officers of the Army, 1799, 1803, 1804 editions. [ back ]
15 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 2:222. Again, there is some contention over the date. I saw at least one genealogical listing which claims he died in 1837, but published obituaries had appeared earlier. [ back ]
16 Officers of the Army, 1773, 1774 editions. International Genealogical Database entry, accessed July 25, 2004. [ back ]
17 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. John T. Hayes, Liberty Belles II, (Fort Lauderdale, FL: The Saddlebag Press, 1998), p26. [ back ]
18 Orders of Sir Henry Clinton for May 25, 1778, in Stephen Kemble, "The Journals of Lieut.-Col. Stephen Kemble (with General Orders of Generals Howe and Clinton)," Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year 1883, 2 vols. (New York: Printed for the Society, 1884), 1:586. D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Officers of the Army, 1778 edition. Hayes, p27. [ back ]
19 John W. Gordon, South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2003), p142. This expedition seems to be the most commonly confused incident in the two brothers' lives. Many authors assign the duty to John, though earlier accounts seem to agree that it was Lieutenant Colonel (rather than Major) Doyle who was in command. [ back ]
20 Baron Ludwig von Closen, Revolutionary Journal, 1780-1783, ed. Evelyn M. Acomb (Chapel Hill: Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture At Williamsburg, Virginia by the University of North Carolina Press, 1958), 137. [ back ]
21 Officers of the Army, 1783, 1788, 1796, 1797 editions. De Rochambeau to Sir Henry Clinton, 09 Nov 1781, Report on Amer. MS., 2:347-8. [ back ]
22 Officers of the Army, 1783, 1788, 1796, 1797 editions. Hayes, p29. Oliver Snoddy, "The Volunteers of Ireland," Irish Sword 7 (1965): 153. [ back ]
23 "The Royal Montreal Regiment", "The Regimental March", http://www.royalmontrealregiment.com/march.html, accessed 25 Jul 2004. [ back ]
24 Officers of the Army, 1783, 1788, 1796, 1797 editions. Hayes, p29. Snoddy, 153-4. Succession of Colonels of the 53rd Regiment of Foot, at http://www.lightinfantry.org.uk/Regiments/Kings_Shropshire_LI/shrop_colonels.htm, accessed 25 Jul 2004, material drawn from N.B. Leslie, The Succession of Colonels of the British Army From 1660 to the Present Day (Printed for the Society for Army Historical Research by Gale & Polden, 1974). [ back ]
25 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Chronological tables on Sri Lanka, http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Sri_Lanka.html, accessed 25 Jul 2004. [ back ]
26 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Hayes, p29-30. [ back ]
27 D.N.B., 5:1317-1318. Several letters, mostly from Francis Hastings Doyle to George IV, in Nov.- Dec. 1821, in George IV, The Letters of King George IV, 1812-1830, ed. A. Aspinall, 3 vols. (Cambridge [Eng.] University Press, c1938), volume 2. [ back ]
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