Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pennycuick, John Farrell
PENNYCUICK, JOHN FARRELL (1829–1888), general, eldest son of Brigadier John Pennycuick [q. v.], was born on 10 Aug. 1829, and, after spending three and a half years at the Royal Military Academy, entered the royal artillery as second lieutenant on 2 May 1847. He became first lieutenant on 30 June 1848, and second captain on 21 Sept. 1854. He served in the Crimea, and took part in the battle of Inkerman, his being one of the two 9-pounder batteries attached to the second division, which were the first to engage the much more powerful artillery of the Russians. He received the brevet rank of major, and the fifth class of the Medjidieh. During the Indian mutiny he was engaged in the second relief of the Lucknow residency, the battle of Cawnpore (6 Dec. 1857), and the siege and capture of Lucknow. He served in the expedition to China in 1860, including the capture of the Taku forts, and was made brevet lieutenant-colonel (15 Feb. 1861) and C.B. He became a regimental lieutenant-colonel on 10 July 1871, regimental colonel on 1 May 1880, and on 8 Nov. of that year major-general. On 1 July 1885 he became lieutenant-general, and on 4 Jan. 1886 general. He died on 6 July 1888. He had married a daughter of W. Rutledge, esq., of Victoria, Australia, and left sons and daughters.
[Times obituary, 12 July 1888; Kane's List of Royal Artillery Officers; Kinglake's War in the Crimea.]