alludes to this in a letter to Mr. Blathwait, dated Turin, 22d January — 1st February 16945:—
“I see by the case of Monsieur de Belcastel and young De Loches, that the French expect to profit by the small number of prisoners we have taken. They make a great noise about the Irish taken at sea. I am not fully informed as to that affair. But regarding the prisoners which they have taken, I shall say nothing about Monsieur de Belcastel, his merit being sufficiently known to you. Young De Loches is a captain of infantry in the English regiments. He is a most prepossessing youth, son of a father who is as good and honest a gentleman as ever I knew. The captain has shown his worth by the firmness with which he sustains every injustice and persecution, testifying at this crisis that he loves God and his religion, and the king in whose service he has an unquenchable firmness.”
Luttrell notes: — “18th December 1694, Colonel Belcastel, a French refugee with his family, went sometime since in a Danish ship, the captain pretending to be bound for Ostend, but instead of that, carried them to Dunkirk, where they were made prisoners.” “London, 20th June 1695, Colonel Belcastel and his lady are arrived here from Dunkirk.”
At Flanders, in June 1696, the king made Belcastel a brigadier. When the French regiments were being disbanded, and Lord Galway was winding up his official connection with Ireland, his lordship, in a letter to the Secretary-at-War, dated Dublin, 7th April 1699, recommended that, “in addition to regimental pensions, there should be a few public pensions to selected officers,” and called attention to “the services and claims of Mr. De Belcastel.” This led to an Irish “Grant to Brigadier Peter Belcastell and his assigns of £500 per annum for twenty-one years,” dated 8th January 1 701.
His regiment being disbanded, Belcastel turned his eyes towards Holland. Luttrell says, 1st November 1701, “Holland letters say that the king has given Colonel Belcastel a regiment of French refugees.” On the death of King William, Belcastel formally quitted the English service: he was made a Major-General in the Dutch army, his commission bearing date, “The Hague, 28th April 1704.” He was appointed to command the allied troops collected for the invasion of France and the succour of the Cevenols. But that expedition being nipped in the bud by untoward events, he obtained the command of the Dutch contingent in the Duke of Savoy’s forces. Marlborough says of him, “He is a very good officer, and I am glad he stands so well with the Duke of Savoy.” In 1709 he was with his men in Spain; he earned his share in the glory of the victory of Saragossa, but was killed at the battle of Villa Viciosa, 10th December 1710. According to Court, he was a meritorious officer, combining vigorous integrity with much prudence and bravery.
He had a sister, Mademoiselle Louise Adelaide de Belcastel, who became the second wife of Mr. Samuel Louis Crommelin, but died without issue. An old Crommelin pedigree (drawn up in 1712) describes her as “soeur du lieutenant-general Belcastel, tue en Espagne.”
