Major-General Andrew Gilbert Wauchope CB CMG

Andrew Gilbert Wauchope was born near Edinburgh on 5 July 1846. He was educated in a Naval School, Stubbington House, Hampshire, and was at first posted as a midshipman on HMS Britannia in 1859. He left the Royal Navy in 1862 and purchased a commission as ensign in the 42nd Highlanders (Black Watch) on 21 Nov 1865. He was adjutant from 1870 to 1873 and served as a lieutenant in the Second Ashanti War of 1873. He commanded the Winnebah Company of Russell’s Regiment from the Prah to the Adansi Hills, then he was on Colonel McLeod’s staff. He was wounded in the advance-guard engagement of Jarbinbah and severely wounded at the battle of Ordashu, mentioned in despatches. When Cyprus came under British control in 1878 one of the regiments posted there was the 42nd Black Watch, but they were removed after 4 months because of widespread sickness. Captain Wauchope remained in Cyprus, appointed as governor of the Paphos region in the west of the island. He returned to Britain in 1880.
He served on the staff in the First Boer War of 1881 and was with the Black Watch in Egypt in 1882, fighting at Tel-el-Kebir. He was DAAG with the rank of major on the Sudan Expedition of 1884 and severely wounded at El Teb, mentioned in despatches. He was also given the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel. On the Nile Expedition he was attached to Earle’s river column and again severely wounded at the Battle of Kirbekan in Feb 1885. He was appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion Black Watch on 20 August 1894 until 1898. In the Sudan Expedition of 1898 he led the first brigade into action at Omdurman and Atbara, being promoted to major-general in recognition of his service.
In the Boer War he commanded the 3rd (Highland) Brigade and fought at Belmont and Modder River in the Kimberley Relief force. But the Highlanders were decimated at the Battle of Magersfontein on 11 Dec 1899, losing 747 killed, wounded and missing. The Black Watch suffered the greatest loss, 303 officers and other ranks. Major-General Andrew Wauchope was among those killed.
He was married twice. His first wife was Elythea Ruth Erskine, married in 1882 but she died giving birth to twin sons in 1884. He remarried in 1893 to Jane Muir, daughter of Sir William Muir. They had no children. He was active in Conservative politics but did not win election to Parliament. He inherited family estates at Niddrie and Yetholm and became very rich from the coal mines on his estate.

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