William Keppel (British Army officer, born 1727)

Lieutenant-General The Honourable

William Keppel
Lieutenant-General The Honourable; William Keppel
	Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1762–1765
Born	5 November 1727; England
Died	1 March 1782 (aged 54); England
Allegiance	Great Britain
Branch	British Army
Service years	1744–1782
Rank	Lieutenant-general
Unit	2nd Regiment of Foot Guards ; 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
Commands	56th Regiment of Foot ; 14th Regiment of Foot ; 12th Light Dragoons ; Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Conflicts	Seven Years' War Siege of Havana; ;
Education	Westminster School

Lieutenant-General William Keppel (5 November 1727 – 1 March 1782) was a British Army officer, politician and courtier who served in the Seven Years' War.

Life

William Keppel was born on 5 November 1727, the third son of Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and educated at Westminster School. In 1744, he was commissioned into the British Army's 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards at the rank of ensign, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1745. Keppel was appointed Gentleman of the Horse to George II of Great Britain in 1747, and transferred to the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards at the rank of captain-lieutenant in 1751. He was promoted to captain and then lieutenant colonel in 1752 and colonel in 1760, the same year he stopped serving as Gentleman of the Horse. On 17 December 1761 Keppel was appointed colonel of the 56th Regiment of Foot, which he commanded until 1765. He was promoted to major general in 1762.^[1]

In 1762, he took part with his brothers George and Augustus in the siege of Havana, and directed the storming of Morro Castle.^[2] In 1763, he succeeded George as the military governor of Cuba, though Havana was returned to Spain in July 1763.^[3] On 31 May 1765, Keppel was appointed colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot,^[3] and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1772. From 1767 until his death, he was a Member of Parliament for Chichester.^[1] Keppel was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ireland in 1773. On 18 October 1775 he was appointed colonel of the 12th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, and Keppel died unmarried on 1 March 1782.^[4]