Percy Kirke (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Percy Kirke (1684 – 1 January 1741) was a British Army officer who became colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot.

Percy Kirke
Born1684
Died1 January 1741
Buried
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch British Army
RankLieutenant-General
Battles/warsWar of the Spanish Succession

Military career edit

Kirke was commissioned as an ensign in Trelawny's Regiment in 1686.[1] He was taken as a prisoner of war at the Battle of Almansa in April 1707 during the War of the Spanish Succession.[1] He went on to be colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot in 1710.[2] As was usual at the time, this regiment was also named after its current colonel, from one of whom, Percy Kirke, it acquired its nickname Kirke's Lambs.[3]

Kirke died on 1 January 1741 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Lieutenant General Percy Kirke 1710-1741". Queen’s Royal Surreys. Archived from the original on 26 June 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  2. ^ Cannon, p. 33
  3. ^ Anon (1916) Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army. London: Gale and Polden. p. 43
  4. ^ "Percy Kirke". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

Sources edit

Military offices
Preceded by Colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot
1710–1741
Succeeded by