The youngest brother, Henry Edward Napier (1789–1853), served in the navy during the Napoleonic wars, retired as a captain, and wrote a learned Florentine History from the earliest authentic Records to the Accession of Ferdinand III. of Tuscany (1846–1847).
For Sir William Napier’s life, see his Life and Letters, edited by the Right Honourable H. A. Bruce (Lord Aberdare) (2 vols., 1862).
NAPIER AND ETTRICK, FRANCIS NAPIER, Baron (1819–1898), British diplomatist, was descended from the ancient Scottish family of Napier of Merchistoun, his ancestor Sir Alexander Napier (d. c. 1473) being the elder son of Alexander Napier (d. c. 1454), provost of Edinburgh, who obtained lands at Merchistoun early in the 15th century. Sir Alexander was comptroller of the household of the king of Scotland, and was often sent to England and elsewhere on public business. Of his descendants one Napier of Merchistoun was killed at Sauchieburn,
another fell at Flodden and a third at Pinkie. The seventh
Napier of Merchistoun was Sir Archibald Napier (1534–1608),
master of the Scottish mint, and the eighth was John Napier
(q.v.) the inventor of logarithms. John’s eldest son, Sir Archibald
Napier (c. 1576–1645), was treasurer-depute of Scotland from
1622 to 1631, and was created Lord Napier of Merchistoun in
1627. He married Margaret Graham, sister of the great marquess
of Montrose, whose cause he espoused, and he wrote some
Memoirs which were published in Edinburgh in 1793. His son
Archibald, the 2nd lord (1625–1658), fought under Montrose at
Auldearn, at Alford, at Kilsyth and at Philiphaugh, and was
afterwards with his famous uncle on the continent of Europe.
His son, Archibald, the 3rd lord (d. 1683), was succeeded by
special arrangement in the title, first by his nephew, Thomas
Nicolson (1669–1686), a son of his sister Jean and her husband
Sir Thomas Nicolson, Bart. (d. 1670), and then by his sister
Margaret (d. 1706), the widow of John Brisbane (d. 1684). The
6th lord was Margaret’s grandson Francis Scott (c. 1702–1773), a
son of Sir William Scott, Bart., of Thirlestane (d. 1725). Francis
Scott, who took the additional name of Napier, had a large
family, his sons including William, the 7th lord, and Colonel
George Napier (1751–1804). His famous grandsons are dealt
with above. Another literary member of the family was Mark
Napier (1798–1879), called by Mr Andrew Lang “the impetuous
biographer of Montrose,” who wrote Memoirs of John Napier
of Merchiston (1834), Montrose and the Covenanters (1838),
Memoirs of Montrose (1856), Memorials of Graham of Claverhouse
(1859–1862), and a valuable legal work, The Law of Prescription
in Scotland (1839 and again 1854). William, 7th Lord Napier
(1730–1775), was succeeded as 8th lord by his son Francis (1758–1823),
who, after serving in the English army during the American
War of Independence, was lord high commissioner to the general
assembly of the Church of Scotland, and compiled a genealogical
account of his family which is still in manuscript. His son
William John, the 9th lord (1786–1834), who was present at the
battle of Trafalgar, was the father of Francis Napier, Lord Napier
and Ettrick.
Born on the 15th of September 1819 Francis entered the diplomatic service in 1840, and was employed in successive posts at Vienna, Constantinople, Naples, Washington and the Hague. During this time he earned the highest opinions both at home and abroad. In 1860 he became ambassador at St Petersburg, and in 1864 at Berlin. In 1866 he was appointed governor of Madras, and was at once confronted with a serious famine in the northern districts. In dealing with this and other problems he showed great activity and practical sense, and he encouraged public works, particularly irrigation. In 1872 he acted for a few months as Viceroy, after Lord Mayo’s assassination; and on Lord Northbrook’s appointment to the office he returned to England, being created a baron of the United Kingdom (Baron Ettrick of Ettrick) for his services. He continued, both in England and in Scotland, to take great interest in social questions. He was for a time a member of the London School Board, and he was chairman of the Crofters’ Commission in 1883, the result of which was the appointment of a permanent body to deal with questions affecting the Scottish crofters and cottars. He died at Florence on the 19th of December 1898, leaving a widow and three sons, the eldest of whom, William John George (b. 1846), succeeded to his titles.
NAPIER OF MAGDALA, ROBERT CORNELIS NAPIER, 1st Baron (1810–1890), British field-marshal, son of Major Charles Frederick Napier, who was wounded at the storming of Meester Cornelis (Aug. 26, 1810) in Java and died some months later, was born at Colombo, Ceylon, on the 6th of December 1810. He entered the Bengal Engineers from Addiscombe College in 1826, and after the usual course of instruction at Chatham, arrived in India in November 1828. For some years he was employed in the irrigation branch of the public works department, and in 1838 he laid out the new hill station at Darjeeling. Promoted captain in January 1841, he was appointed to Sirhind, where he laid out cantonments on a new principle—known as the Napier system—for the troops returning from Afghanistan. In December 1845 he joined the army of the Sutlej, and commanded the Engineers at the battle of Mudki, where he had a horse shot under him. At the battle of Ferozeshah on the 31st December he again had his horse shot under him, and, joining the 31st Regiment on foot, was severely wounded in storming the entrenched Sikh camp. He was present at the battle of Sobraon on 10th February 1846, and in the advance to Lahore; was mentioned in despatches for his services in the campaign, and received a brevet majority. He was chief engineer at the reduction of Kote-Kangra by Brigadier-General Wheeler in May 1846, and received the thanks of government. He was then appointed consulting engineer to the Punjab resident and council of regency, but was again called to the field to direct the siege of Multan. He was wounded in the attack on the entrenched position in September 1848, but was present at the action of Shujabad, the capture of the suburbs, the successful storm of Multan on 23rd January 1849, and the surrender of the fort of Chiniot. He then joined Lord Gough, took part, as commanding engineer of the right wing, in the battle of Gujrat in February 1849, accompanied Sir W. R. Gilbert in his pursuit of the Sikhs and Afghans, and was present at the passage of the Jhelum, the surrender of the Sikh army, and the surprise of Attock. For his services he was mentioned in despatches and received a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy. At the close of the war Napier was appointed civil engineer to the board of administration of the annexed Punjab province, and carried out many important public works during his tenure of office. In December 1852 he commanded a column in the first Hazara expedition, and in the following year against the Boris; and for his services in these campaigns was mentioned in despatches, received the special thanks of government and a brevet-colonelcy. He was appointed military secretary and adjutant-general to Sir James Outram’s force for the relief of Lucknow in the Indian Mutiny in 1857, and was engaged in the actions which culminated in the first relief of Lucknow. He directed the defence of Lucknow until the second relief, when he was severely wounded in crossing a very exposed space with Outram and Havelock to meet Sir Colin Campbell. He was chief of the staff to Outram in the defence of the Alambagh position, and drew up the plan of operations for the attack of Lucknow, which was approved by Sir Colin Campbell and carried out by Napier, as brigadier-general commanding the Engineers, in March 1858. On the fall of Lucknow Napier was most favourably mentioned in despatches, and made C.B. He joined Sir Hugh Rose as second-in-command in his march on Gwalior, and commanded the 2nd brigade at the action of Morar on the 16th June. On the fall of Gwalior he was entrusted with the task of pursuing the enemy. With only 700 men he came up with Tantia Topi and 12,000 men on the plains of Jaora Alipur, and completely defeated him, capturing all his guns (25), ammunition and baggage. On Sir Hugh Rose’s departure he took command of the Gwalior division, captured Paori in August, routed Ferozeshah, a prince of the house of Delhi, at Ranode in December, and, in January 1859, succeeded in securing the surrender of Man Singh and Tantia Topi, which ended the war. For his services Napier received the thanks of parliament and of the Indian government, and was made K.C.B.
