William Amherst

Lieutenant-General William Amherst (5 February 1732 – 13 May 1781) was a British Army officer and politician. During the Seven Years' War, he led British forces that recaptured St. John's, Newfoundland from the French at the 1762 Battle of Signal Hill.

Early life William Amherst was born, in Sevenoaks, Kent, into a family of lawyers. He married Elizabeth Amherst (nee Patterson). Their children included:

William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst of Arracan, GCH, PC, a future Governor-General of India He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant general in 1779. and in 1768 he became MP for Launceston until 1774.

In 1769 he built a house in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight. He named the house and estate St John's, after his victory in Newfoundland. The neighborhood of Ryde that surrounds the house is still known by that name.

He was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1778: he died while serving in that role in 1781.