- John Lintorn Arabin Simmons
Sir John Lintorn Arabin Simmons, GCB
GCMG (February 12 1821 –February 14 ,1903 ), British Field Marshal, was the fifth son of Captain Thomas Frederick Simmons,Royal Artillery ofLangford, Somerset .From the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich , he was commissioned into theRoyal Engineers and completed the young officer's course at the Royal Engineer Establishment in Chatham.After serving in the
British North American colonies inCanada from 1839 to 1845, he was promoted to Captain upon his return to England. He was appointed Inspector of Railways in 1847 and then Secretary of the Railways Commission in 1850. In 1851 he became the first Secretary of the Railway Department under theBoard of Trade .In 1853, whilst on leave from his role with the Board of Trade, he was in
Constantinople whenTurkey declared war onRussia . The British Ambassador took up Simmons’ offer of his services, requesting that he report on Turkish defences and their ability to resist a Russian advance. Upon expiry of his "leave", he resigned his post with the Board of Trade, enabling him to remain in Turkey.Serving firstly as British Military Representative to the
Omar Pasha , he was later confirmed as British Commissioner with theTurkish Army , in the local rank of Lieutenant Colonel, seeing out theCrimean War (1854-56) in this role.Serving in the
Foreign Office as Consul General inWarsaw , he returned to England at the end of 1860 and re-joined the Royal Engineers firstly as Commanding Royal Engineer atAldershot and later as Director of the Royal Engineer Establishment in Chatham.Promoted to Major General in 1868, he became Lieutenant-Governor of theRoyal Military Academy in March 1869, soon to be appointed Governor. Created KCB in June 1869, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed Colonel Commandant of theRoyal Engineers in 1872.He held the post of Inspector General of Fortifications from 1875 to 1880 and was promoted to General in 1877 and, the next year, he was given the GCB.
As
Governor of Malta from 1884 to 1888, he oversaw significant constitutional and social changes on the island. Awarded theGCMG in 1887, he leftMalta when, at the age of 67, he retired from the army.TheForeign Office continued to utilise his services and in 1889 he went to Rome asEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary toPope Leo XIII .In 1890 he received the Grand Cordon of the Order of Medjidieh by the Sultan of Turkey [ [http://www.londongazette.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=26033&geotype=London&gpn=1592&type=ArchivedIssuePage London Gazette issue 26033, 14 Mar 1890] ] , and was promoted to Field Marshal of the British Army.
He retired to Hawley, near Blackwater, and died on 14 February 1903.
He was the maternal grandfather of
Rotha Lintorn-Orman , the leader of theBritish Fascists .Footnotes
References
* [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/biography/rem_bio_simmons.htm Royal Engineers Museum Biography]
External links
* [http://www.regiments.org/biography/fieldmarshals/ukFMlist.htm List of British Field Marshals]
* [http://www.parliament.gov.mt/information/governors.htm List of Malta's Governors]
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