Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 58.djvu/145

 the origin of the ballad [cf. art. ].

[Calderwood's History of the Church of Scotland; Moysie's Memoirs and Sir James Melville's Memoirs (Bannatyne Club); Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vols. iii–v.; Brunton and Haig's Senators of the College of Justice; Henderson's Scottish Vernacular Literature, pp. 353–6.] 

VANSITTART, GEORGE HENRY (1768–1824), general, born on 16 July 1768, was the eldest son of George Vansittart, M.P., of Bisham Abbey, Berkshire, by Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Sir James Stonhouse, bart., of Radley, Berkshire. Henry Vansittart (1777–1843) [q. v.] was his younger brother. Henry Vansittart (1732–1770) [q. v.] and Robert Vansittart [q. v.] were his uncles. He was educated at Winchester, at a military academy at Strasbourg, and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated on 7 Nov. 1785.

After obtaining a commission as ensign in the 19th foot on 18 Oct. 1786, he was allowed a year's leave to study military science at Brunswick and attend the Prussian manœuvres. He became lieutenant on 25 Dec. 1787, exchanged to the 38th foot on 12 March 1788, and obtained a company in the 18th foot on 23 June 1790. He joined that regiment at Gibraltar, went with it to Toulon in 1793, took part in the defence, and was one of the last men to leave the place. He became major in the New South Wales corps on 20 Nov. 1793, and lieutenant-colonel of the 95th on 21 Feb. 1794. He took part with it in the expedition to the Cape under Sir Alured Clarke in 1795. He was made colonel in the army on 26 Jan. 1797; but the 95th was broken up in the course of that year, and for the next three years he was on half-pay and in the Berkshire militia, which his uncle, Colonel Arthur Vansittart, had previously commanded.

On 10 April 1801 he became lieutenant-colonel of the 68th foot, went with it to the West Indies, and was present at the capture of St. Lucia in June 1803. On 25 Sept. he was promoted major-general, and served on the staff in England from 1804 to 1806, and in Ireland from 1806 to 1810, when he became lieutenant-general (25 July). While in command of the Oxford district he received the degree of D.C.L. on 26 June 1805. He had been given the colonelcy of the 12th reserve battalion on 9 July 1803, and was transferred to the 1st garrison battalion on 25 Feb. 1805. The colours of this battalion were afterwards presented to him, and now hang in the great hall in Bisham Abbey. He became general on 19 July 1821, and died on 4 Feb. 1824.

On 29 Oct. 1818 he had married Anna Maria, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Copson of Sheppey Hall, Leicestershire. She survived him, with one son, George Henry (1823–1885), and a second son, Augustus Arthur (1824–1882), was born posthumously. There is a portrait of him in uniform, by Sir George Hayter, at Bisham Abbey.

[Gent. Mag. 1824, i. 278; R. M. Calendar, ii. 176; Burke's Landed Gentry; private information.] 

VANSITTART, HENRY (1732–1770), governor of Bengal, born on 3 June 1732 at his father's house in Ormond Street, London, was the third son of Arthur van Sittart of Shottesbrook, Berkshire, by his wife Martha, eldest daughter and coheiress of Sir John Stonhouse, bart., of Radley, Berkshire, comptroller to the household of Queen Anne. Robert Vansittart [q. v.] was his elder brother, and his younger brother, George, was father of General George Henry Vansittart [q. v.] and Vice-admiral Henry Vansittart [q. v.]

The family is of Dutch origin and derive their name from the town of Sittart in Limburg. Henry's ancestors removed to Julich, and afterwards to Danzig, whence his grandfather, Peter van Sittart (1651–1705), removed to London about 1670. Peter, who was a merchant adventurer, gained a large fortune by trade with the Baltic, the East Indies, and the South Seas. He was a governor of the Russia Company, and a director of the East India Company. His fifth son, Arthur van Sittart (1691–1760) (father of the subject of the present notice), was also a director of the Russia Company, and a man of great wealth. He died at his residence near Reading on 16 Sept. 1760.

Henry Vansittart was educated at Reading grammar school and at Winchester College. He was an unruly youth. His father, alarmed at his extravagances, compelled him at the age of thirteen to enter the service of the East India Company on the Madras establishment. In the summer of 1745 he sailed for Fort St. Davids, where he was employed as a writer, and in the winter of next year (1746–7) took part in the defence of the place when the French made an abortive attack on it. He was assiduous in his duties, and early mastered Persian, the tongue then employed in Indian diplomacy. While at Fort St. Davids he made the acquaintance of Clive, and a close friendship sprang up between them. In 1750