Soldier of the Raj: Life of Richard Fortescue Purvis 1789 - 1868

"Military life began at an early age in Victorian times; Richard Fortescue Purvis was a midshipman in the Royal Navy at age 11, and by age 15, he was an officer in the Bengal Army. For all of Purvis' 17-year career, Indian units were officially under the East India Company and not controlled by the British government, but the drill, tactics and traditions of the British Army were closely followed. The major campaign in which Purvis served was the Nepal War, which pitted British and Indian forces against the tough Gurkha mountaineers, who were later recruited into British service. Purvis eventually returned to his homeland and pursued a career as a Church of England country parson. This detailed study of a young officer in India at the time of the Napoleonic Wars was made possible by the recent discovery of an extensive collection of previously unpublished contemporary letters. In addition to active duty there is a great deal of detail on daily life and attitudes among the British in India. A young man's career at the time was heavily dependent on patronage and Purvis has left behind a candid account of how this system worked"--Publisher

Military life began at an early age in Victorian times; Richard Fortescue Purvis was a midshipman in the Royal Navy at age 11, and by age 15, he was an officer in the Bengal Army. For all of Purvis' 17-year career, Indian units were officially under the East India Company and not controlled by the British government, but the drill, tactics and traditions of the British Army were closely followed. The major campaign in which Purvis served was the Nepal War, which pitted British and Indian forces against the tough Gurkha mountaineers, who were later recruited into British service. Purvis eventually returned to his homeland and pursued a career as a Church of England country parson.

This detailed study of a young officer in India at the time of the Napoleonic Wars was made possible by the recent discovery of an extensive collection of previously unpublished contemporary letters. In addition to active duty there is a great deal of detail on daily life and attitudes among the British in India. A young man's career at the time was heavily dependent on patronage and Purvis has left behind a candid account of how this system worked.

Machine generated contents note: PART 1 - SAILING ORDERS 1. The Channel Fleet, 180022 2. The Academy, 1802 32 3. Appointment, 1803 41 4. Passage to India, 180449 PART 2- MARCHING ORDERS 1. Joining the Regiment, 1805 60 2. First Command, 180569 3. Debt, 1806 75 4. First Blood, 1806 84 5. Bareilly, 1808 95 6. Disenchantment, 1809107 7. Paths of Venus, 1810 118 8. Recommendation, 1811 128 9. Progress, 1812 138 10. Preparations for War, 1815149 11. Makwanpur, 1816 159 12. Soldier's Return, 1817 170 PART 3 - HOLY ORDERS 1. Confrontation, 1818180 2. Ordination,1819 188 3. Georgina, 1820 197 4. Priesthood, 1821 206 5. Whitsbury, 1822-26 216 6. Hatches & Matches, 1827-30 224 7. Aunt Timms, 1831 234 8. Middle Years, 1830s-50s 241 9. Eventide, 1850s-60s 252 THE PURVIS TRAIL 262 EPILOGUE 274 APPENDIX 1 Glossary of Indian Terms used in the text 284 APPENDIX 2 Sources and References 286 APPENDIX 3 Genealogical Tables 290 INDEX 298. A meticulously researched biography of a young officer in the early part of the 19th Century. The son of an admiral, Richard Purvis went to sea in Nelson's Navy at the age of 11 before being commissioned at the age of 15 into the Bengal Army, part of the great East India Company. He went on to serve 17 years in India before returning to become a country parson.The emphasis of this book is on his Indian military service, with the story told largely through an extensive collection of previously unpublished contemporary letters. These give a unique and intimate insight into the daily lives, difficulties, ethos and humour of young British officers in India during the Napoleonic period. There was, of course, danger and action too and Purvis's role in the Nepal War is described. Patronage was also a feature of a young ambitious man's life during the Georgian period and the workings of this are fascinatingly revealed.