Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pigot, Robert
PIGOT, Sir ROBERT (1720–1796), lieutenant-general, second son of Richard Pigot of Westminster, by Frances, daughter of Peter Goode, was born at Patshull, Staffordshire, in 1720. George, lord Pigot [q. v.], and Admiral Hugh Pigot (1721?–1792) [q. v.] were his brothers. Entering the army, he served with the 31st regiment of foot (now 1st battalion the East Surrey regiment) in Flanders, and was present at the battle of Fontenoy; the 31st was among the regiments whose conduct is noted with commendation in despatches in the ‘London Gazette.’ In October 1745 the regiment landed at London, proceeding in 1749 to Minorca for three years, and being subsequently stationed in Scotland.
Pigot, who became captain on 31 Oct. 1751, major on 5 May 1758, lieutenant-colonel on 4 Feb. 1760, and colonel on 25 May 1772, was transferred in 1758 to the 70th regiment of foot. This regiment had been formed from the 2nd battalion of the 31st, in which Pigot was then the senior captain. He was with the 70th in the south of England and in Ireland till he joined the 38th regiment of foot (now 1st battalion of the South Staffordshire regiment), of which he became lieutenant-colonel on 1 Oct. 1764. In 1765, after a foreign service of fifty-eight years, the 38th returned from the West Indies; in 1774 it re-embarked for North America; on 19 April 1775 it was engaged at Lexington, and on 17 June at the fiercely contested battle of Bunker's Hill, where the regimental casualties were, killed and wounded, nine officers and ninety-nine non-commissioned officers and men. Pigot was in command, and distinguished himself so highly that George III promoted him to be colonel of the 38th on 11 Dec. 1775. He was gazetted major-general on 29 Aug. 1777. In 1778 he held a command in Rhode Island, and in the same year he succeeded his brother George, lord Pigot of Patshul, as second baronet. The latter left him a share in the celebrated Pigot diamond. He became lieutenant-general on 20 Nov. 1782, and died at Patshull on 2 Aug. 1796. He married, on 18 Feb. 1765, Anne (d. 1772), daughter of Allen Johnson of Kilternan, co. Dublin, and by her he had a daughter, Anne, and three sons—George, his successor, afterwards a major-general in the army; Hugh, a captain in the royal navy; and Robert (d. 1804), lieutenant-colonel of the 30th foot (Gent. Mag. 1804, i. 480).
[Army Lists; Cannon's Records of the 70th Regiment; Pringle's Records of the South Staffordshire Regiment; Ann. Reg.; Gent. Mag. 1796, ii. 106; Playfair's British Family Antiquities, vol. vii.]