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{{Short description|Scottish Victoria Cross recipient (1835–1919)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Thomas Cadell
|birth_date=5 September 1835
|death_date=6 April 1919 (aged 83)
|birth_place= [[Cockenzie]], [[East Lothian]]
|death_place=
|burial_place=[[Tranent]] Churchyard
|image= Thomas_Cadell_VC_NAM.jpg
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
|service_years=1854 - 1892
|rank=[[Colonel]]
|branch=[[Bengal Army]]<br>[[British Indian Army]]
|commands=
|unit=[[104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers)|2nd European Bengal Fusiliers]]<br>Indian Staff Corps
|battles=[[Indian Mutiny]]
|awards= [[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]<br>[[Order of the Bath|Companion of the Order of the Bath]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28034|page=4431|date=25 June 1907|supp=y}}</ref>
|other_work=Governor of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
}}
Colonel '''Thomas Cadell''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|VC|CB}} (5 September 1835 – 6 April 1919) was an army officer who served in India. He served during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 rebellion]] and was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]]. He later served as a governor and chief commissioner in the Andaman Islands.

== Biography ==
Cadell was born in East Lothian at Cockenzie House to Hew Francis and Janet née Sydserff. An older brother, Robert Cadell (1825-1907), joined the Royal Artillery and another [[Francis Cadell (explorer)|Francis]] gained fame as an explorer. Samuel Hill Lawrence was a cousin. Thomas studied at the [[Edinburgh Academy]] and received army commission in 1854 and was posted to the [[104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers)|2nd European Bengal Fusiliers]] (later The [[Royal Munster Fusiliers]]) just before the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 uprising]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Victoria Cross and George Cross |title=Thomas CADELL VC |url=https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/993/Thomas-CADELL |access-date=2025-10-03 |website=vcgca.org |language=en}}</ref>

Cadell was 21 years old and a lieutenant during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when he performed the deeds on 12 June 1857 at [[Delhi]], [[India]] which resulted in being awarded the Victoria Cross:
{{quote|For having, on the 12th of June, 1857, at the Flag-staff Picquet at Delhi, when the whole of the Picquet of Her Majesty's 75th Regiment and 2nd European Bengal Fusiliers were driven in by a large body of the enemy, brought in from amongst the enemy a wounded Bugler of his own regiment, under a most severe fire, who would otherwise have been cut up by the rebels. Also, on the same day, when the Fusiliers were retiring, by order, on Metcalfe's house, on its being reported that there was a wounded man left behind, Lieutenant Cadell went back of his own accord towards the enemy, accompanied by three men, and brought in a man of the 75th Regiment, who was severely wounded, under a most heavy fire from the advancing enemy.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22621|page=2229|date=29 April 1862}}</ref>}}

[[File:Thomas Cadell VC.JPG|Memorial tablet in the Cadell family vault at Tranent Churchyard|thumb|left]]Cadell became a captain in 1866 and was promoted to Major in 1874. He was transferred to the Political Department and served in Central India and Rajputana. He later achieved the rank of [[colonel]] in the service of the Indian Staff Corps and held various political appointments in India. From 1879 to 1892, he was the Chief Commissioner of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. In 1907 he was created Companion of the Bath.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-01-26 |title=Thomas Cadell VC |url=https://victoriacrossonline.co.uk/thomas-cadell-vc/ |access-date=2025-10-03 |website=victoriacrossonline.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Cadell died in Edinbugh, Scotland and is buried in the family vault in Tranent Parish Churchyard.

==Family==

He was married to Anna Catherine (d.1876), daughter of [[Patrick Dalmahoy]] WS (1798–1872) and Catherine Sawers.<ref>Grave of Patrick Dalmahoy, Dean Cemetery</ref> They had two sons and two daughters, one son Patrick Robert, became a chief secretary in the Bombay Presidency. The other son, Hew Francis joined the Lothians and Border Horse.<ref name=":0" />

==Legacy==
Cadell Bay in the South Andamans was named after him but the name is no longer in use. Cadell Road in Bombay (now [[Mumbai]]), was named not after him but his son, (later Sir) [[Patrick Robert Cadell]]. After the Indian Independence in 1947, it was renamed after Indian freedom fighter [[Vinayak Damodar Savarkar]], who was lodged at the [[Cellular Jail]] in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041225165403/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/edinburg.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''(Edinburgh)''

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box
| before=[[Charles Arthur Barwell]]
| title=[[Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | years=1878–1892
| after=[[Norman Horsford]]
}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadell, Thomas}}
[[Category:1825 births]]
[[Category:1919 deaths]]
[[Category:British colonels]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army officers]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:People educated at Edinburgh Academy]]
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
[[Category:People from Cockenzie and Port Seton]]
[[Category:Indian Staff Corps officers]]
[[Category:Royal Munster Fusiliers officers]]
[[Category:19th-century British Army personnel]]
[[Category:Military personnel from East Lothian]]

Thomas Cadell (VC) - Revision history

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