Frederick Lester

Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Parkinson Lester, KCB (3 February 1795 – 3 July 1858) was an army officer in the East India Company, third son of John Lester, merchant, of Racquet Court, Fleet Street, and his wife, Elizabeth Parkinson.

Early life Born on 3 February 1795, to John Lester a member of the prominent Lester merchant family of Poole, Dorset and the nephew of Benjamin Lester, MP for Poole, his mother was Elizabeth Parkinson, daughter of John Parkinson. Educated at Mr Jephson's academy at Camberwell and at Addiscombe Military Seminary. he was finally promoted to Lieutenant General on 3 July 1858. Lester's career was marked by its efficiency, resulting in his being 'specially thanked for his zealous and efficient services' by the governor of Bombay in April 1847. Major-General Sir George Le Grand Jacob stated that his actions between May and September 1857 'in all probability to have prevented an explosion at Belgaum.' He repaired the fort, moved the powder and ammunition inside the fort, deported suspected sepoys, and moved guns, gun carriages, and horses into the fort. In addition he organized night-time patrols (chiefly of civilian volunteers) and moved the depot of Her Majesty's 64th regiment, with 400 European women and children, into the fort. Charlotte Elizabeth Lester (1842-1874), married James Rhoades. Rev. John Moore Lester (1851-1919), Rector of Litchborough, married twice, his descendants included his grandchildren, James Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon and Katherine DeMille, née Lester. Horace Frank Lester (1853-1896)

Lester was found dead in his bed of heart disease at 7 a.m. on 3 July 1858, at Belgaum.