Biography.guide
Home › People › Robert Blair
Portrait of Robert Blair

Robert Blair

1834 – 1859

Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Robert Blair

Lived 1834 – 1859 (aged 25). Robert Blair was a British.

Robert Blair VC (13 March 1834 – 28 March 1859) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), British Army, attached to 9th Lancers (The Queen's Royal) during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place on 28 September 1857 at Bulandshahr, India, for which he was awarded the VC.

Blair was a graduate of University of Glasgow and a Snell exhibitioner at Balliol College, Oxford. Blair joined the army in 1855 in the service of the 9th Lancers and later transferred to the 2nd Dragoon Guards. He later achieved the rank of captain and died of smallpox in Cawnpore, India, on 28 March 1859. He was the cousin of another Indian Mutiny VC recipient James Blair.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Queen's Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum in Cardiff Castle, Wales.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Education
Balliol College, University of Glasgow
Awards
Victoria Cross

People in Robert Blair's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Robert Blair's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert Blair?

Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross (1834-1859)

When was Robert Blair born?

Robert Blair was born on 13 March 1834 in Linlithgow.

When did Robert Blair die?

Robert Blair died on 28 March 1859 in Kanpur.

What nationality was Robert Blair?

Robert Blair was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Robert Blair

· Wikidata: Q7342142

· DBpedia: Robert Blair (VC)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robert Blair. https://biography.guide/robert-blair-1834/

MLA: "Robert Blair." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robert-blair-1834/.

Chicago: "Robert Blair." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robert-blair-1834/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:24 UTC