Francis Wheler (pronounced Wheeler) was born on 9 Nov 1801. He was the son of Sir Trevor Wheler 8th Bt and Harriet Beresford. He joined the Bengal Army as a cadet in the infantry in 1819 and transferred to the 2nd Bengal Cavalry c1822. Francis was promoted to captain on 7 July 1833. He fought in the 1st Afghan War and was part of the force sent out after the siege of Ghazni to capture Dost Mahommed in August 1839. He and Captain George Lawrence commanded 50 men of the 2nd BLC on this 15 day expedition. Captain Wheler was appointed Deputy Judge Advocate General whilst serving in Kabul. In 1842 he was detached to command the 7th Irregular Cavalry. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and given command of the 11th Bengal Light Cavalry (the reconstituted 2nd BLC). At the annexation of Oudh in 1856 he commanded a moveable column and was promoted Brigadier at Saugor, Central Provinces. He was on furlough when the Mutiny broke out in 1857 but returned to Central India. After the Mutiny he was given command of the Meerut Division for 5 years. He reached the rank of lieutenant-general.
He was married in Feb 1827 to Caroline Palmer and they had a daughter, Harriet, and a son Trevor (1828-1900). He married his second wife, Elizabeth Bishop on 18 Nov 1841 and they had a daughter, Dorothy and two sons, Francis (1848-1932) and Charles (1851-1923). Francis reached the rank of Lt-Col, and Sir Trevor (11th Bt) and Charles became Colonels.
Francis Wheler, the elder, inherited the baronetcy from his brother on 6 Sep 1869 and became Sir Francis Wheler 10th Bt. He died on 4 April 1878 and was buried at All Saints Church, Leamington Hastings near Rugby. The painting is a copy of a painting owned by Doris Wheler who lived at 114 Lansdowne Place, Hove. It shows a young Francis Wheler in the British officers’ stable dress of the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry c1825.
