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Edward Chapman

1840 – 1926

British Army general

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About Edward Chapman

Lived 1840 – 1926 (aged 85). Edward Chapman was a British historian, military personnel, military officer and geographer.

General Sir Edward Francis Chapman (14 November 1840 – 12 May 1926) was a senior British Army officer who commanded the Army in Scotland and was the ceremonial head of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

Military career He was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1858, which was later amalgamated into the Royal Artillery. He quickly caught the attention of Sir Frederick Roberts who predicted that Chapman would "make his mark". He was duly selected to fight in the British Expedition to Abyssinia between 1867 and 1868 as the commander of No. 5 Battery, 21st Brigade. He was present at the action of Arogee and at the fall of Magdala, working as aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General Petrie and being mentioned in dispatches for his services. Chapman was part of a mission to Yarkand in China in 1874. He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War from 1878 to 1880, and was Sir Frederick Roberts' Chief of Staff during the march from Kabul to Kandahar. He became the second Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office in 1891. He was aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria in 1891. As an active member of the Royal Geographical Society, he presented several lectures and wrote numerous papers on the effects of physical geography on the tactics and success of military operations. Additionally, he wrote several books about military geography and the history of the British Indian Army. He was promoted to major-general in 1889, lieutenant-general in 1892, and general in March 1896. Chapman was made Commander Scottish District in 1896, a post he held until May 1901. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1905 and retired in 1906. He was appointed a Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 14 January 1903, and was Master Gunner, St James's Park, the ceremonial commander of the Royal Artillery, between 1919 and 1926.

Personal life On 3 December 1886 he married Georgiana Bayley,

He lived at Limpsfield in Surrey. He was an Esquire of the Venerable Order of Saint John and a member of the Athenaeum Club, London.

The Anglican priest and London County Council member the Rev Hugh Boswell Chapman was a younger brother.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Staff College, Camberley, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
Awards
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; Mentioned in Dispatches
Also known as
Sir Edward Francis Chapman, Maj.-Gen. Sir Edward Francis Chapman

People in Edward Chapman's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Edward Chapman's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Edward Chapman?

British Army general

When was Edward Chapman born?

Edward Chapman was born on 14 November 1840 in Kolkata.

When did Edward Chapman die?

Edward Chapman died on 12 May 1926 in Limpsfield.

What was Edward Chapman's occupation?

Edward Chapman was a historian, military personnel, military officer and geographer.

What nationality was Edward Chapman?

Edward Chapman was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Edward Chapman

· Wikidata: Q5342257

· DBpedia: Edward Chapman (British Army officer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Edward Chapman. https://biography.guide/edward-chapman-historian/

MLA: "Edward Chapman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/edward-chapman-historian/.

Chicago: "Edward Chapman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/edward-chapman-historian/.

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