Hector Munro, 8th of Novar

General Sir Hector Munro, KB (1726 - December 27, 1805), was a Scottish noble and the ninth Commander-in-Chief of India (1764-1765).

The son of Hugh Munro of Novar, in Ross, Scotland, he was commissioned into Loudon's Highlanders in 1747. Hector is said to have got his first commission in the army after helping the Duchess of Gordon who was found travelling alone in Sutherlandshire. Hector took over from a drunken coachman and brought her to safety, the Duchess later used her influence to procure him a Lieutenants commission in the 34th regiment of foot. On the regiment's disbandment in 1749 he transferred to the 48th Foot.Alexander MacKenzie. "History of the Munroes of Foulis". p.515 - 536]

Hector's family home was at Novar House early maps call it 'Tenuer' (Gaelic Tigh 'n fhuamhair, house of the giant). [Mapping the Clan Munro. Printed by Lindsay & Co Ltd Edinburgh]

In 1754 Munro transferred to the 31st Foot as a Lieutenant. Also in 1754 Hector Munro was ordered to Badenoc with three squadrons of Dragoons to apprehend certain rebels in that district, with special instructions to apprehend John "Dubh" Cameron better known as "Sergent Mor". Hector Munro successfully captured Cameron after he was betrayed by a local farmer. John Cameron was soon afterwards executed in Perth.

Hector Munro was also tasked with capturing Cluny Macpherson who took part in the Jacobite rising of 1745 to 1746. However Macpherson evaded Munro's grasp and escaped to France. Macpherson tradition is that one day Munro, with a large party of soldiers surrounded Cluny's house. Cluny, with no means of escape, dressed himself as a footman or groom, came forward and held Lieutenant Munro's horse while Munro searched his house for him. On return Munro is said to have handed the groom a shilling and then rode off. Another version of the storey however is that Munro of Novar actually knew Cluny quite well and winked at him as he threw him the grooms fee.

In 1756 he was promoted Captain in the new 2nd Battalion, which became the 70th Foot in 1758. In 1759 he was appointed Major in the newly-raised 89th Foot.

The 89th regiment embarked at Portsmouth for the East Indies in December 1760, and arrived at Bombay in November following. The Duke of Gordon was desirous of accompanying the regiment, but his mother, at the especial request of George II., induced him to remain at home to finish his education.

The 89th had no particular station assigned to it, but kept moving from place to place until a strong detachment under Major Hector Munro joined the army under the command of Major Carnac, in the neighbourhood of Patna. Major Munro then assumed the command, and being well supported by his men, quelled a formidable mutiny among the troops. After the ringleaders had been executed, and discipline restored, Major Munro attacked the enemy at Buxar, on 23 October 1764 in what became the Battle of Buxar. Though the force opposed to him was five times as numerous as his own, he overthrew and dispersed it. The enemy had 6000 men killed, and left 130 pieces of cannon on the field, whilst his majesty’s troops had only 2 officers and 4 rank and file killed. Major Munro received a letter of thanks on the occasion from the President and Council of Calcutta. "The signal victory you gained," they say, " so as at one blow utterly to defeat the designs of the enemy against these provinces, is an event which does so much honour to yourself, Sir, in particular, and to all the officers and men under your command, and which, at the same time, is attended with such particular advantages to the Company, as call upon us to return you our sincere thanks." For this important service Major Munro was immediately promoted to the brevet rank of Lieutenant colonel.

He went to Bombay in 1761, in command of the 89th regiment, and in that year effected the surrender of Mah from the French. Later, as commander of the Bengal army, he suppressed a mutiny of sepoys at Patna, and on October 23, 1764 won the victories of Buxar against Shuja-ud-Dowlah, the nawab wasir of Oudh, and Mir Kasim, which ranks amongst the most decisive battles ever fought in India.

Returning home, he was elected, in 1768, as member of parliament for the Inverness Burghs, which he continued to represent for over thirty years, though much of this period was spent in India, where he returned in 1778 to take command of the Madras army. In that year he took Pondicherry from the French, but in 1780 he was defeated by Hyder Ali near Conjeeveram, and forced to fall back on St. Thomas Mount. There Sir Eyre Coote took command of the army, and in 1781 won a major victory against Hyder Ali at Porto Novo, where Munro was in command of the right division. Negapatam was taken by Munro in November of the same year; and in 1782 he retired to Scotland.

The Fyrish Monument monument was built in 1782 by Hector. He did this to provide work for the local unemployed population.

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