John Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt

John Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt (c. 1681 – 5 April 1710) was an English soldier and politician.

The eldest son of Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, he was a political ally of his father's and managed the attempt to impeach Lord Somers in the House of Commons in 1701.cite book | first=John B. | last=Hattendorf | chapter=Mordaunt, Charles, third earl of Peterborough and first earl of Monmouth (1658?–1735) | title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | publisher=Oxford University Press | month=October | year=2006 | url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19162 | accessdate=2006-10-09]

He saw distinguished service during the War of the Spanish Succession. As a captain, he led the forlorn hope of the 1st Foot Guards at the Battle of Schellenberg in 1704, and was one of the few to survive that bloody assault. Shortly thereafter, he helped lead another furious assault at the Battle of Blenheim and lost an arm.cite web | url=http://www.regimental-art.com/history_grenadiers.htm | title=History of the Grenadier Guards | accessdate=2006-10-09] On August 25 1704, he was made colonel of the Scots Fuzileers in place of Brigadier Archibald Rowe, killed in the attack at Blenheim. On June 26 1706 he exchanged regiments with Sampson de Lalo, then colonel of the 28th regiment, but resumed the colonelcy of the Scots Fuzileers in 1709 [cite web | url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/021RSF.htm | title=The Royal Scots Fusiliers | accessdate=2006-10-10] when de Lalo was killed at the Battle of Malplaquet.

In 1708, he married Lady Frances Powlett (d. 1715), daughter of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton. They had two sons: [cite web | url=http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/mm4fz/mordaunt2.htm | title=Mordaunt genealogy | accessdate=2006-10-10]
*Charles Mordaunt, 4th Earl of Peterborough (1708–1779)
*Lt.-Col. John Mordaunt (c. 1709–1767)

He died of smallpox on 5 April 1710, and was buried at Turvey on 13 April.

References

*Rayment