George Hewett (British Army officer)

Sir George Hewett, 1st Baronet GCB PC (Ire) (11 June 1750 – 21 March 1840) was a British Army general who was Commander-in-Chief, India and then Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.

Educated at Wimborne Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Hewett was commissioned into the 70th Regiment of Foot in 1762.^[1] In 1771, he went to New York to help control the Carib Uprising and in 1780 he took part in the Siege of Charlestown.^[1]

In 1787, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and in 1791, he went to Ireland where he became Adjutant-General (serving there until 1799).^[2] He raised a new Regiment which was designated the 92nd Regiment of Foot.^[1][3]

He returned to England, where he served as Inspector General of Recruiting for the British Army from 1798 to 1804.^[4] He was given the colonelcy of the 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot for life in 1800 and became Barrackmaster-General in 1804.^[1] In 1807, he became Commander-in-Chief, India and in 1809 he briefly took over the Government of India while the Governor-General put down a mutiny.^[1] His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland in 1813.^[1]

He was created a Baronet, of Nether Seale in the County of Leicester, on 6 November 1813.^[5]

He lived at Freemantle Park near Southampton.^[1]

In 1785, he married Julia Johnson and together they went on to have five sons and six daughters, including Col. Sir George Henry Hewett, 2nd Baronet and Lieutenant-Colonel William Hewett.^[1][6]