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{{Short description|British officer, artist and poet (1808–1857)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
'''George Powell Thomas''' (1808 - 1857) a [[Major]] in the 3rd Bengal European Regiment who died at the [[Battle of Agra]] during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Mutiny]]. He was known as an artist, poet and also a first-rate linguist.<ref name=obit >{{Cite news |date=9 October 1857 |title=Major George Powell Thomas |work=Glasgow Herald |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/BB3203486262/BNCN?u=rtl_ttda&sid=bookmark-BNCN&xid=6e817495 |access-date=3 December 2022 |via=British Library Newspapers}}</ref><ref name=Indian >{{Cite journal |date=1857 |title=Death of Major Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books/download/The_Indian_News_and_Chronicle_of_Eastern.pdf?id=tHlNAAAAcAAJ&output=pdf |journal=The Indian News and Chronicle of Eastern Affaires |pages=511 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

== Early life ==
He was born 26 August 1808 at Bahramghat near [[Lucknow]], the son of Major General Lewis Thomas C.B., Colonel of the 3rd Regt. of Foot Bengal Army [[East India Company|E.I.C.S.]], and Maria Frances.

== Career ==
He was a talented amateur artist producing 'Sketches of the Himalayas'<ref name=Indian /> and in 1846 he published his twenty-four, hand-coloured, lithographed 'Views of [[Shimla|Simla]]'.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 September 1846 |title=Views of Simla |pages=6, 7 |work=Naval & Military Gazette and Weekly Chronicle of the United Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1846 |title=Illustrated Works and Prints |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Spectator/b_UwAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq |journal=The Spectator |volume=19 |pages=884 |via=Google Books}}</ref> In 1847 he published a book of poems, described as "a volume of very graceful poems, full of feeling and thought."<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 October 1847 |title=LITERARY CHRONICLE |pages=3 |work=Weekly Chronicle (London)}}</ref>

He was commissioned in 1825,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stanley |first=Peter |title=White Mutiny British Military Culture in India, 1825-1875 |year=1998 |isbn=9781850653301 |pages=53}}</ref> was assistant in the [[Thuggee and Dacoity Department|Thagi department]] in 1835 and in civil employ in the Central Provinces as assistant commissioner from 1835 to 1840. He served as a Captain with the 64th [[Bengal Native Infantry]], taking part in the relief force of [[Battle of Jellalabad|Jellalabad]] (1842).<ref name=obit/><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1842 |title=64th Regiment Native Infantry Proceeding to Afghanistan |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Bengal_and_Agra_Annual_Guide_and_Gaz/U6_bUukB-nIC?hl=en&gbpv |journal=The Bengal and Agra Annual Guide and Gazetteer |pages=238 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stocqueler |first=Joachim Hayward |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Memorials_of_Afghanistan/XiEPAAAAYAAJ?hl |title=Memorials of Afghanistan Being State Papers, Official Documents, Dispatches, Authentic Narratives, Etc. Illustrative of the British Expedition To, and Occupation Of, Afghanistan and Scinde, Between the Years 1838 and 1842 |publisher=Ostell and Lepage |year=1843 |pages=185-186 |chapter=Extract of Detachment Orders by Lieutenant Colonel Moseley, Commading. Camp Kawuleur, 25th Jan. 1842.}}</ref>
[[File:Loodhianah.jpg|thumb|"Loodianah, on the Sutlej"]]

He served in [[Afghanistan]] under [[Sir George Pollock, 1st Baronet|General Sir George Pollock]] during the [[First Anglo-Afghan War|Afghan War]], where he commanded a corps of [[Jezail]]chees. He was promoted to Major in 1851.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=25 November 1851 |title=To be Majors |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/6128/page/1086 |journal=The Edinburgh Gazette |issue=6128 |pages=1086}}</ref>

He was at home on sick leave on the breaking out of [[Crimean War|the war with Russia]], he applied for and obtained the command of a regiment in the Turkish Contingent under [[Robert John Hussey Vivian|General Vivian]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 March 1855 |title=Her Majesty's Levee |pages=10 |work=Times |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS167939183/TTDA?u=rtl_ttda&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=a78ef112 |via=The Times Digital Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1855 |title=List of officers in the service of the East India Company about to proceed to the Crimea |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Allen_s_Indian_Mail_and_Register_of_Inte/p7cOAAAAQAAJ?hl |journal=Allen's Indian Mail and Register of Intelligence for British & Foreign India, China, & All Parts of the East |volume=13 |pages=144 |via=Google Books}}</ref> He commanded a regiment of [[Bashi-bazouk|Bashi Bazouks]] under [[Major-General William Beatson]] in Turkey, where the Queen conferred upon him the local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in Turkey.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=30 March 1855 |title=Brevet |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/6479/page/378 |journal=The Edinburgh Gazette |issue=6479 |pages=378 |via=The Gazette}}</ref> He then left for the [[Crimea]] as a volunteer and was present at the fall of [[Sevastopol]] (1855), for which he received the [[Crimea medal]].<ref name=obit/>
[[File:Richmond Old Cemetery, memorial to George Powell Thomas and wife.jpg|thumb|Richmond Old Cemetery]]
At the battle before [[Agra]] on the 15 July 1857, despite being already ill, he commanded and led on five companies of his regiment on the right wing. He was severely wounded in the foot, and his horse also receiving three bullets fell on top of him, thereby injuring his head.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaye |first=John William |url=http://www.larrymcelhiney.com/Sepoy/A_history_of_the_Sepoy_war_in_India_1857.pdf |title=A history of the Sepoy war in India, 1857-1858 |publisher=London:W H Allen & Co |year=1876 |volume=III |pages=387}}</ref> He died of his wounds on 4 August in the fort at Agra.<ref name="obit" /><ref>{{Cite journal |date=16 February 1858 |title=List of Europeans, whether belonging to the East India Company's Service or not, who have been Killed or Wounded by the hands of Rebels, prepared from Papers on record in the Military Department. |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/6780/page/296 |journal=The Edinburgh Gazette |issue=6780 |pages=296}}</ref> He was buried in the fort cemetery at Agra.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blunt |first=Edward |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/List_of_inscriptions_on_Christian_tombs_and_tablets_of_historical_interest_in_the_United_Provinces_of_Agra_and_Oudh_%28IA_listofinscriptio00blunrich%29.pdf |title=List of Inscriptions on Christian Tombs and Tablets of historical interest in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|year=1911 |publication-place=Allahbad}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
He married Albina Grace Andrews (b 1816, [[Richmond, London|Richmond]]) 1 August 1831 at [[Dhaka|Dacca]]. Their children were Marian Albina (b 1832, [[Danapur|Dinapore]], Bengal), Charles Lewis Stratford (b 1833, Dinapore, Bengal), Stratford Powell (b 1837, [[Sagar Island|Saugor]], Bengal, d 1839),<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1839 |title=Deaths |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Parbury_s_oriental_herald_and_colonial_i/m0MFAAAAQAAJ?hl= |journal=Parbury's oriental herald and colonial intelligencer |volume=4 |pages=99 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Charles Frederick (b 1843 [[Sabathu|Subathu]], Bengal)
Montague George (1844, Calcutta, Bengal), Alice Constance (b 1846, [[Bath, Somerset]]), Alfred Campbell (b 1847, d 1848, [[Allahabad]], Bengal), Florence Juliet (b 1849, [[Meerut]], Bengal). His wife died in Richmond in 1889 and is buried in [[Richmond Cemetery|Richmond Old Cemetery]], where he is also commemorated.

== Publications ==
Views of Simla. (1846). London: Dickinson & Co.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 August 1846 |title=Simla. By Captain G P Thomas |pages=11 |work=Times |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS184843027/TTDA?u=rtl_ttda&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=36b2d48a |via=The Times Digital Archive}}</ref>

Poems. (1847). London: Smith, Elder and Co.

Two Tragedies (1852 ). London:W Thacker & Co.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 June 1852 |title=New Books from India |pages=2 |work=Times |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS33851079/TTDA?u=rtl_ttda&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=0f185ce3 |via=The Times Digital Archive}}</ref>

Views of Simla. (2015). Studio Orientalia. ISBN‎ 978-8192450254

== External links ==

* [https://books.google.com/books/download/Poems.pdf?id=xJpeAAAAcAAJ&output=pdf Poems by George Powell Thomas (Google Books)]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, George Powell}}
[[Category:1808 births]]
[[Category:1857 deaths]]
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Crimean War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in the Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
[[Category:Orientalist painters]]
[[Category:19th-century English poets]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army officers]]

George Powell Thomas - Revision history

Riserteam: quick update

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