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{{Short description|British Army general (1726-1783)}}
{{Short description|Anglo-Irish army officer and politician (1726–1783)}}
{{For|other people named Eyre Coote|Eyre Coote (disambiguation)}}
{{For|other people named Eyre Coote|Eyre Coote (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Lieutenant-General The Right Honourable
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sir Eyre Coote
| name = Sir Eyre Coote
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|post-noms=KB}}
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KB|size=100%}}
| image = Eyre Coote.jpg
| image = Eyre Coote.jpg
| caption =
| caption = Portrait, {{circa}} 1763
| birth_date = {{birth year|1726}}
| birth_date = {{birth date text|1726}}
| birth_place = [[Kilmallock]], Ireland
| birth_place = [[Kilmallock]], [[County Limerick]], [[Ireland]]
| death_date = {{dda|1783|04|28|1726|||df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1783|04|28|1726|||df=y}}
| death_place = [[Madras]]
| death_place = [[Madras]] (now [[India]])
| resting_place = St Andrew's Church, [[Rockbourne]], [[Hampshire]] [[England]]
| office1 = [[Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole]]
| office1 = [[Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole]]
| alongside = Joshua Mauger
| alongside = Joshua Mauger
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| rank = Lieutenant general
| rank = Lieutenant general
| commands = [[84th Regiment of Foot (1759)|84th Regiment of Foot]]<br>[[Commander-in-Chief, India|Commander-in-Chief of India]]
| commands = [[84th Regiment of Foot (1759)|84th Regiment of Foot]]<br>[[Commander-in-Chief, India|Commander-in-Chief of India]]
| battles =
| battles = [[Jacobite rising of 1745|Jacobite Rebellion]]<br>[[Second Carnatic War]]<br>[[Seven Years' War]]<br>[[Second Anglo-Mysore War]]<br>[[Battle of Plassey]]
{{tree list}}
* [[Jacobite Rising of 1745]]
* [[Second Carnatic War]]
* [[Seven Years' War]]
** [[Battle of Plassey]]
** [[Battle of Wandiwash]]
* [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards = [[Order of the Bath]]
| awards = [[Order of the Bath]]
| other_names =
| other_names =
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| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}

[[Lieutenant-General]] '''Sir Eyre Coote''', [[Order of the Bath|KB]] (1726 – 28 April 1783) was a British soldier and politician who sat in the [[House of Commons]] from 1768 to 1780. He is best known for his many years of service with the [[British Army]] in [[British Raj|India]]. His victory at the [[Battle of Wandiwash]] is considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control in India between Britain and France. He was known by his [[sepoy]] troops as '''Coote Bahadur''' (Coote the Brave).<ref>Turnbull p.128</ref>
[[Lieutenant general|Lieutenant-General]] '''Sir Eyre Coote''', [[Order of the Bath|KB]] ({{circa|1726}} – 28 April 1783) was an Anglo-Irish army officer and politician who represented [[Leicester (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester]] and [[Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole]] in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain]] from 1768 to 1780. He is best known for his many years of service with the [[Bengal Army]] in India, where his victory at the [[Battle of Wandiwash]] was considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control over the region between Britain and France. Coote was known by his [[sepoy]] troops as '''Coote Bahadur''' (Coote the Brave).<ref>Turnbull p.128</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==

A member of the Coote family headed by the [[Coote baronets|Earl of Mountrath]], he was born in [[Kilmallock]], near [[Limerick]], Ireland,{{fact|date=March 2022}} the son of the [[Reverend]] Chidley Coote and Jane Evans, daughter of [[George Evans (Irish politician)|George Evans]] and sister of [[George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} He entered the [[27th Regiment of Foot]]. He first saw active service in the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]], and later obtained a captaincy in the [[39th Regiment of Foot|39th Regiment]], the first regular British regiment to serve in [[British India|India]].<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle=Coote, Sir Eyre|volume=7|page=93|inline=1}}</ref>
A member of the Coote family headed by the [[Coote baronets|Earl of Mountrath]], he was born in [[Kilmallock]], near [[Limerick]], Ireland, the son of the [[Reverend]] Chidley Coote and Jane Evans, daughter of George Evans, and sister of [[George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coote, Sir Eyre {{!}} Dictionary of Irish Biography |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/coote-sir-eyre-a2023 |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=www.dib.ie |language=en |archive-date=26 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126032045/https://www.dib.ie/biography/coote-sir-eyre-a2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> He entered the [[27th Regiment of Foot]]. He first saw active service in the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]], and later obtained a captaincy in the [[39th Regiment of Foot|39th Regiment]], the first regular British regiment to serve in [[British India|India]].<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle=Coote, Sir Eyre|volume=7|page=93|inline=1}}</ref>


==Career in India==
==Career in India==

{{further|Great Britain in the Seven Years' War}}
{{further|Great Britain in the Seven Years' War}}

[[File:Clive.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Coote served under [[Robert Clive|Clive]] at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757 where he first distinguished himself.]]
[[File:Lord Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Coote served under [[Robert Clive|Clive]] at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757 where he first distinguished himself.]]


===Recapture of Calcutta===
===Recapture of Calcutta===

{{further|Siege of Calcutta}}
{{further|Siege of Calcutta}}

In 1756 a part of the regiment, then quartered at [[Madras]], was sent forward to join [[Robert Clive]] in his operations against [[Calcutta]]<ref name=EB1911/> which had [[Siege of Calcutta|recently been captured]] by the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, which had been followed by the [[Black Hole of Calcutta]]. The city was [[Siege of Calcutta|reoccupied without difficulty]] in January 1757. However, Coote and Clive argued so violently over who should reoccupy [[Fort William, India|Fort William]] that they almost fired at each other, which began a lifelong rivalry and hatred between the two men.<ref>Turnbull p.128-129</ref>
In 1756 a part of the regiment, then quartered at [[Madras]], was sent forward to join [[Robert Clive]] in his operations against [[Calcutta]]<ref name=EB1911/> which had [[Siege of Calcutta|recently been captured]] by the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, which had been followed by the [[Black Hole of Calcutta]]. The city was [[Siege of Calcutta|reoccupied without difficulty]] in January 1757. However, Coote and Clive argued so violently over who should reoccupy [[Fort William, India|Fort William]] that they almost fired at each other, which began a lifelong rivalry and hatred between the two men.<ref>Turnbull p.128-129</ref>


===Plassey===
===Plassey===

{{Main|Battle of Plassey}}
{{Main|Battle of Plassey}}

Coote was soon given the local rank of major for his good conduct in surprising the camp of the [[Nawab of Bengal]]. Soon afterwards came the [[Battle of Plassey]], which would probably never have taken place but for Coote's advice at the council of war; after the defeat of the Nawab he led a detachment in pursuit of the [[French Army|French]] for 400 miles under extraordinary difficulties. His conduct won him the rank of lieutenant-colonel and the command of the [[84th Regiment of Foot (1759)|84th Regiment of Foot]], newly raised in Britain for Indian service, but his exertions had seriously damaged his health.<ref name=EB1911/>
Coote was soon given the local rank of major for his good conduct in surprising the camp of the [[Nawab of Bengal]]. Soon afterwards came the [[Battle of Plassey]], which would probably never have taken place but for Coote's advice at the council of war; after the defeat of the Nawab he led a detachment in pursuit of the [[French Army|French]] for 400 miles under extraordinary difficulties. His conduct won him the rank of lieutenant-colonel and the command of the [[84th Regiment of Foot (1759)|84th Regiment of Foot]], newly raised in Britain for Indian service, but his exertions had seriously damaged his health.<ref name=EB1911/>


===Wandiwash===
===Wandiwash===

{{Main|Battle of Wandiwash}}
{{Main|Battle of Wandiwash}}

In October 1759 Coote's regiment arrived to take part in the decisive struggle between French and British in the [[Carnatic region|Carnatic]]. He took command of the [[Madras Army|forces at Madras]], where a French siege [[Siege of Madras|had recently been defeated]], and on 22 January 1760 led them in the decisive victory of [[Battle of Wandiwash]].<ref name=EB1911/>
In October 1759 Coote's regiment arrived to take part in the decisive struggle between French and British in the [[Carnatic region|Carnatic]]. He took command of the [[Madras Army|forces at Madras]], where a French siege [[Siege of Madras|had recently been defeated]], and on 22 January 1760 led them in the decisive victory of [[Battle of Wandiwash|Wandiwash]].<ref name=EB1911/>


After a time the remnants of [[Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally|Lally]]'s forces were [[Siege of Pondicherry (1760)|besieged]] in [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]. For some reason Coote was not entrusted with the siege operations, but loyally supported [[William Monson (British army officer)|William Monson]], who brought the siege to a successful end on 15 January 1761.<ref name=EB1911/> In the latter year he sat for [[Maryborough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Maryborough]] in the [[Irish House of Commons]].
After a time the remnants of [[Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally|Lally]]'s forces were [[Siege of Pondicherry (1760)|besieged]] in [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]. For some reason Coote was not entrusted with the siege operations, but loyally supported [[William Monson (British army officer)|William Monson]], who brought the siege to a successful end on 15 January 1761.<ref name=EB1911/> In the latter year he sat for [[Maryborough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Maryborough]] in the [[Irish House of Commons]].
Line 61: Line 80:


==Member of Parliament==
==Member of Parliament==

In 1762 he relocated to England, receiving a jewelled sword of honour from the company and other rewards for his great services.<ref name=EB1911/> In 1771 he was made a [[Knight of the Order of the Bath]]. In 1768, he was elected M.P. for the borough of [[Leicester (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester]] in the [[Parliament of Great Britain]], before transferring to [[Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole]], nearer his Hampshire estates, in 1774. He relinquished the seat in 1780 after his last return to India.<ref name=odnb>{{cite book|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 13|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=299|isbn=0-19-861363-6}}Article by G.J. Bryant.</ref>
In 1762, he returned to Britain, receiving a jewelled sword of honour from the company and other rewards for his great services.<ref name=EB1911/> In 1771 he was made a [[Knight of the Order of the Bath]]. In 1768, he was elected M.P. for the borough of [[Leicester (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester]] in the [[Parliament of Great Britain]], before transferring to [[Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole]], nearer his Hampshire estates, in 1774. He relinquished the seat in 1780 after his last return to India.<ref name=odnb>{{cite book|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 13|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=299|isbn=0-19-861363-6}}Article by G.J. Bryant.</ref>


==Return to India==
==Return to India==

[[File:Battle of Porto Novo, 1781.JPG|thumb|Memorial for the [[Battle of Porto Novo]], 1781 at [[Parangipettai|Porto Novo]]]]
[[File:Battle of Porto Novo, 1781.JPG|thumb|Memorial for the [[Battle of Porto Novo]], 1781 at [[Parangipettai|Porto Novo]]]]

In 1779 he sailed on {{ship||Stafford|1769 EIC ship|2}} to India to assume the role of commander in chief of the company forces in India. He allied himself to [[Warren Hastings]], the [[Governor-General of India|Governor General]] who generally deferred to him and gave him a free hand over military matters, in opposition to Hasting's opponents on the [[Calcutta Council|ruling Council]] Edward Wheler and [[Philip Francis (politician)|Philip Francis]]. He spent much of his time visiting outlying garrisons and chose to attend meetings of the Calcutta Council only when it was necessary to pass some important measure.<ref>Turnbull pp. 129–130</ref> Without Coote's support, Hastings was likely to be outvoted on the council.<ref>Turnbull p. 134</ref> This situation only ended when Francis returned home where he began to stir up criticism of Hastings' conduct which ultimately led to [[Impeachment of Warren Hastings|his failed impeachment]].
In 1779 he sailed on {{ship||Stafford|1769 EIC ship|2}} to India to assume the role of commander in chief of the company forces in India. He allied himself to [[Warren Hastings]], the [[Governor-General of India|Governor-General]] who generally deferred to him and gave him a free hand over military matters, in opposition to Hasting's opponents on the [[Calcutta Council|ruling Council]] Edward Wheler and [[Philip Francis (politician)|Philip Francis]]. He spent much of his time visiting outlying garrisons and chose to attend meetings of the Calcutta Council only when it was necessary to pass some important measure.<ref>Turnbull pp. 129–130</ref> Without Coote's support, Hastings was likely to be outvoted on the council.<ref>Turnbull p. 134</ref> This situation only ended when Francis returned home where he began to stir up criticism of Hastings' conduct which ultimately led to [[Impeachment of Warren Hastings|his failed impeachment]].


===Second Anglo-Mysore War===
===Second Anglo-Mysore War===

{{further|Second Anglo-Mysore War}}
{{further|Second Anglo-Mysore War}}
Following [[Hyder Ali]]'s opening of the [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]] in southern India Coote returned to active service. It was not until 1 June 1781 that Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder in the decisive [[Battle of Porto Novo]]. The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one. It was followed up by another hard-fought [[Battle of Pollilur (1781)|battle at Pollilur]] (the scene of [[Battle of Pollilur|an earlier triumph]] of Hyder over a British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at [[Sholinghur]] a month later. His last service was the arduous campaign of 1782, which finally shattered a constitution already gravely impaired by hardship and exertions.<ref name=EB1911/>


Following [[Hyder Ali]]'s opening of the [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]] in southern India, Coote returned to active service. It was not until 1 June 1781 that Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder in the decisive [[Battle of Porto Novo]]. The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one. It was followed up by another hard-fought [[Battle of Pollilur (1781)|battle at Pollilur]] (the scene of [[Battle of Pollilur|an earlier triumph]] of Hyder over a British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at [[Sholinghur]] a month later. His last service was the arduous campaign of 1782, which finally shattered a constitution already gravely impaired by hardship and exertions.<ref name=EB1911/>
Haider Ali CUT HIS NOSE after the defeat. Coote ran away with his cut nose and left Mysore state. After leaving Mysore he encountered Belgaum village, where an Indian ayurvedic surgeon did rhinoplasty on him and joined his nose. Tremendously inspired by this, he ordered British authorities to send their students to India to learn surgery. From this, Indian surgery began to spread in western countries. He has already mentioned these facts in his diary after returning to Britain.{{citation needed|reason=appeared soon after a History Stack Exchange post questioned this claim|date=June 2022}}


==Death==
==Death==
In 1782, Coote relinquished his command, and moved to Calcutta. However amid increasing French harassment, and ruptures between the governor and new commander in chief, Hastings persuaded Coote to return to his command. He died of a stroke soon after returning to Madras on 28 April 1783.


[[File:Eyre Coote monument, Westminster Abbey 04.jpg|thumb|Memorial at Westminster Abbey by [[Thomas Banks (sculptor)|Thomas Banks]]]]
===Legacy===

[[File:EyreCooteMemorial.jpg|thumb|150px|Memorial at Westminster Abbey by [[Thomas Banks]]]]
[[File:Eyre Coote's Monument - geograph.org.uk - 2042332.jpg|thumb|150px|Monument to Eyre Coote in West Park]]
[[File:Eyre Coote's Monument - geograph.org.uk - 2042332.jpg|thumb|150px|Monument to Eyre Coote in West Park]]

He is generally remembered for his victory at Wandiwash and capture of [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] which were decisive moments in the struggle between Britain and France for dominance in India.<ref name="Turnbull p.129">Turnbull p.129</ref> Although he often quarrelled with other British officers and officials, Coote was adored by the [[sepoy]] troops under his command.<ref name="Turnbull p.129"/> Following his death a monument was erected to him in [[Westminster Abbey]]<ref name=EB1911/> and another, in the form of a tall column, within his estate at West Park, [[Rockbourne]], [[Hampshire]]. His nephew was [[Sir Eyre Coote, GCB]] who served as [[Governor General of India]].
In 1782, Coote relinquished his command, and moved to Calcutta. However amid increasing French harassment, and ruptures between the governor and new commander in chief, Hastings persuaded Coote to return to his command. He died of a stroke soon after returning to Madras on 28 April 1783. His body was brought back to England and buried in the parish church of [[Rockbourne]] in [[Hampshire]], the location of his estate.

===Legacy===

Coote is generally remembered for his victory at Wandiwash and capture of [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] which were decisive moments in the struggle between Britain and France for dominance in India.<ref name="Turnbull p.129">Turnbull p.129</ref> Although he often quarrelled with other British officers and officials, Coote was adored by the [[sepoy]] troops under his command.<ref name="Turnbull p.129"/> Following his death a monument was erected to him in [[Westminster Abbey]]<ref name=EB1911/> and another, in the form of a tall column, within his estate at West Park, [[Rockbourne]], [[Hampshire]]. His nephew was [[Eyre Coote (British Army officer, born 1762)|Eyre Coote]] who served as [[Governor General of India]].


He had married in 1769 a daughter of Charles Hutchinson, Governor of [[St. Helena]]. They had no children, and his property, worth over £200,000, was left to his brother, Doctor Charles Coote, [[Dean of Kilfenora]], in [[County Clare]], Ireland.<ref>[[Richard Ryan (biographer)|Richard Ryan]], ''Biographia Hibernica'', 1821, p. 20</ref> In his autobiography the American General and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Colin Powell]] claims direct descent from Coote's identically named nephew [[Eyre Coote (British Army officer)|Eyre Coote]] while the latter was serving as [[Governor of Jamaica]], which has led to Powell sometimes being incorrectly referred to as a direct descendant of the elder General Coote.
He had married in 1769 a daughter of Charles Hutchinson, Governor of [[St. Helena]]. They had no children, and his property, worth over £200,000, was left to his brother, Doctor Charles Coote, [[Dean of Kilfenora]], in [[County Clare]], Ireland.<ref>[[Richard Ryan (biographer)|Richard Ryan]], ''Biographia Hibernica'', 1821, p. 20</ref> In his autobiography the American General and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Colin Powell]] claims direct descent from Coote's identically named nephew [[Eyre Coote (British Army officer)|Eyre Coote]] while the latter was serving as [[Governor of Jamaica]], which has led to Powell sometimes being incorrectly referred to as a direct descendant of the elder General Coote.


== Bibliography==
== Bibliography==

* Harvey, Robert. ''Clive: The life and Death of a British Emperor''. Hodder and Stoughton, 1998.
* Harvey, Robert. ''Clive: The life and Death of a British Emperor''. Hodder and Stoughton, 1998.
* Sheppard E. W. ''Coote Bahadur: A Life of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB'' Werner Laurie 1956
* Sheppard E. W. ''Coote Bahadur: A Life of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB'' Werner Laurie 1956
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==External links==
==External links==

{{Commons category}}
*{{UK National Archives ID}}
*{{UK National Archives ID}}
*[http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsmss/umich-wcl-M-4428coo Eyre Coote papers], [[William L. Clements Library]], [[University of Michigan]].
*[http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsmss/umich-wcl-M-4428coo Eyre Coote papers], [[William L. Clements Library]], [[University of Michigan]].
*[http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/coote-eyre-1726-83 COOTE, Eyre (1726-83), of West Park, nr. Rockbourn, Hants.] at [[The History of Parliament]] Online
*[http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/coote-eyre-1726-83 COOTE, Eyre (1726–1783), of West Park, nr. Rockbourn, Hants.] at [[The History of Parliament]] Online
{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|ie}}
{{s-par|ie}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coote, Eyre}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coote, Eyre}}
[[Category:1726 births]]
[[Category:1720s births]]
[[Category:1783 deaths]]
[[Category:1783 deaths]]
[[Category:27th Regiment of Foot officers]]
[[Category:27th Regiment of Foot officers]]
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[[Category:British MPs 1774–1780]]
[[Category:British MPs 1774–1780]]
[[Category:Irish MPs 1761–1768]]
[[Category:Irish MPs 1761–1768]]
[[Category:Irish knights]]
[[Category:Irish officers in the British Army]]
[[Category:Irish soldiers in the British East India Company Army]]
[[Category:Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Poole]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Queen's County constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Queen's County constituencies]]
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[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Mysore War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Mysore War]]
[[Category:Coote family|Eyre]]
[[Category:Coote family|Eyre]]
[[Category:People from Kilmallock]]

Latest revision as of 15:06, 3 January 2025

Sir Eyre Coote
Portrait, c. 1763
Member of Parliament
for Poole
In office
1774–1780
Preceded byJoshua Mauger
Thomas Calcraft
Succeeded byJoseph Gulston
William Morton Pitt
Personal details
Born1726 (1726)
Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland
Died28 April 1783(1783-04-28) (aged 56–57)
Madras (now India)
Resting placeSt Andrew's Church, Rockbourne, Hampshire England
AwardsOrder of the Bath
NicknameCoote the Brave
Military service
AllegianceGreat Britain
East India Company
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Bengal Army
Years of service1745–1783
RankLieutenant general
Commands84th Regiment of Foot
Commander-in-Chief of India
Battles/wars

Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB (c. 1726 – 28 April 1783) was an Anglo-Irish army officer and politician who represented Leicester and Poole in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1768 to 1780. He is best known for his many years of service with the Bengal Army in India, where his victory at the Battle of Wandiwash was considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control over the region between Britain and France. Coote was known by his sepoy troops as Coote Bahadur (Coote the Brave).[1]

Early life

[edit]

A member of the Coote family headed by the Earl of Mountrath, he was born in Kilmallock, near Limerick, Ireland, the son of the Reverend Chidley Coote and Jane Evans, daughter of George Evans, and sister of George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery.[2] He entered the 27th Regiment of Foot. He first saw active service in the Jacobite rising of 1745, and later obtained a captaincy in the 39th Regiment, the first regular British regiment to serve in India.[3]

Career in India

[edit]
Coote served under Clive at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 where he first distinguished himself.

Recapture of Calcutta

[edit]

In 1756 a part of the regiment, then quartered at Madras, was sent forward to join Robert Clive in his operations against Calcutta[3] which had recently been captured by the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, which had been followed by the Black Hole of Calcutta. The city was reoccupied without difficulty in January 1757. However, Coote and Clive argued so violently over who should reoccupy Fort William that they almost fired at each other, which began a lifelong rivalry and hatred between the two men.[4]

Plassey

[edit]

Coote was soon given the local rank of major for his good conduct in surprising the camp of the Nawab of Bengal. Soon afterwards came the Battle of Plassey, which would probably never have taken place but for Coote's advice at the council of war; after the defeat of the Nawab he led a detachment in pursuit of the French for 400 miles under extraordinary difficulties. His conduct won him the rank of lieutenant-colonel and the command of the 84th Regiment of Foot, newly raised in Britain for Indian service, but his exertions had seriously damaged his health.[3]

Wandiwash

[edit]

In October 1759 Coote's regiment arrived to take part in the decisive struggle between French and British in the Carnatic. He took command of the forces at Madras, where a French siege had recently been defeated, and on 22 January 1760 led them in the decisive victory of Wandiwash.[3]

After a time the remnants of Lally's forces were besieged in Pondicherry. For some reason Coote was not entrusted with the siege operations, but loyally supported William Monson, who brought the siege to a successful end on 15 January 1761.[3] In the latter year he sat for Maryborough in the Irish House of Commons.

Soon afterwards Coote was given the command of the British East India Company's forces in Bengal, and settled a serious dispute between the Nawab Mir Qasim and a powerful subordinate.[3]

Member of Parliament

[edit]

In 1762, he returned to Britain, receiving a jewelled sword of honour from the company and other rewards for his great services.[3] In 1771 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath. In 1768, he was elected M.P. for the borough of Leicester in the Parliament of Great Britain, before transferring to Poole, nearer his Hampshire estates, in 1774. He relinquished the seat in 1780 after his last return to India.[5]

Return to India

[edit]
Memorial for the Battle of Porto Novo, 1781 at Porto Novo

In 1779 he sailed on Stafford to India to assume the role of commander in chief of the company forces in India. He allied himself to Warren Hastings, the Governor-General who generally deferred to him and gave him a free hand over military matters, in opposition to Hasting's opponents on the ruling Council Edward Wheler and Philip Francis. He spent much of his time visiting outlying garrisons and chose to attend meetings of the Calcutta Council only when it was necessary to pass some important measure.[6] Without Coote's support, Hastings was likely to be outvoted on the council.[7] This situation only ended when Francis returned home where he began to stir up criticism of Hastings' conduct which ultimately led to his failed impeachment.

Second Anglo-Mysore War

[edit]

Following Hyder Ali's opening of the Second Anglo-Mysore War in southern India, Coote returned to active service. It was not until 1 June 1781 that Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder in the decisive Battle of Porto Novo. The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one. It was followed up by another hard-fought battle at Pollilur (the scene of an earlier triumph of Hyder over a British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at Sholinghur a month later. His last service was the arduous campaign of 1782, which finally shattered a constitution already gravely impaired by hardship and exertions.[3]

Death

[edit]
Memorial at Westminster Abbey by Thomas Banks
Monument to Eyre Coote in West Park

In 1782, Coote relinquished his command, and moved to Calcutta. However amid increasing French harassment, and ruptures between the governor and new commander in chief, Hastings persuaded Coote to return to his command. He died of a stroke soon after returning to Madras on 28 April 1783. His body was brought back to England and buried in the parish church of Rockbourne in Hampshire, the location of his estate.

Legacy

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Coote is generally remembered for his victory at Wandiwash and capture of Pondicherry which were decisive moments in the struggle between Britain and France for dominance in India.[8] Although he often quarrelled with other British officers and officials, Coote was adored by the sepoy troops under his command.[8] Following his death a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey[3] and another, in the form of a tall column, within his estate at West Park, Rockbourne, Hampshire. His nephew was Eyre Coote who served as Governor General of India.

He had married in 1769 a daughter of Charles Hutchinson, Governor of St. Helena. They had no children, and his property, worth over £200,000, was left to his brother, Doctor Charles Coote, Dean of Kilfenora, in County Clare, Ireland.[9] In his autobiography the American General and Secretary of State Colin Powell claims direct descent from Coote's identically named nephew Eyre Coote while the latter was serving as Governor of Jamaica, which has led to Powell sometimes being incorrectly referred to as a direct descendant of the elder General Coote.

Bibliography

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  • Harvey, Robert. Clive: The life and Death of a British Emperor. Hodder and Stoughton, 1998.
  • Sheppard E. W. Coote Bahadur: A Life of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB Werner Laurie 1956
  • Turnbull, Patrick. Warren Hastings. New English Library, 1975.

References

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  1. ^ Turnbull p.128
  2. ^ "Coote, Sir Eyre | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Coote, Sir Eyre". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 93.
  4. ^ Turnbull p.128-129
  5. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 13. Oxford University Press. 2004. p. 299. ISBN 0-19-861363-6.Article by G.J. Bryant.
  6. ^ Turnbull pp. 129–130
  7. ^ Turnbull p. 134
  8. ^ a b Turnbull p.129
  9. ^ Richard Ryan, Biographia Hibernica, 1821, p. 20
[edit]
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Maryborough
1761
With: William Gilbert
Succeeded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Leicester
17681774
With: Booth Grey
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Poole
1774–1780
With: Joshua Mauger
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, India
1761–1763
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 27th Regiment of Foot
1771–1773
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 37th Regiment of Foot
1773–1783
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, India
1779–1783
Succeeded by