Charles Edmond Knox

Knox was the son of Robert Knox, DD, Archbishop of Armagh, and his wife Catherine Delia FitzGibbon, was the daughter of Thomas Gibbon FitzGibbon of Ballyseeda, County Limerick. He had two brothers and two sisters.Gordon, Alexander, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/15789 "Knox, Robert Bent (1808–1893)"], rev. David Huddleston, in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004). Subscription required for online access. Retrieved 19 December 2008.[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1893/10/24/109731753.pdf Archbishop Robert Knox] Obituary in The New York Times 24 October 1893 (attached to article DEMOCRATS SUPPORT SCHIEREN) (pdf file) His great-grandfather Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland (1729–1818) of Dungannon Park, County Tyrone, was created the first Viscount Northland.

He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst.

On 30 June 1865, Knox was commissioned into the British Army's 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) as an ensign by purchase.{{London Gazette|issue=22985|page=3294|date=30 June 1865}} This later became the 2nd Battalion the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, and the whole of his regimental service was done in that corps. On 7 August 1867, he was promoted to lieutenant by purchase,{{London Gazette|issue=23289|page=4419|date=9 August 1867}} on 11 June 1876, captain in a death vacancy,{{London Gazette|issue=24357|page=4731|date=25 August 1876}} and on 1 July 1883, major.{{London Gazette|issue=25250|page=3532|date=13 July 1883}} He served under Sir Charles Warren in the Bechuanaland Expedition between 1884 and 1885, and while there, had raised and commanded the 4th Pioneer Regiment. The expedition did not see any fighting but due to his performance Knox was promoted a brevet lieutenant colonel; brevet colonel on 9 December 1889;{{London Gazette|issue=26002|page=7282|date=17 December 1889}} and he was promoted substantive lieutenant colonel on 11 February 1890,{{London Gazette|issue=26034|page=1646|date=18 March 1890}} and was commanding officer of a battalion of his regiment from then to 11 February 1894.{{London Gazette|issue=26484|page=914|date=13 February 1894}} After a period of half-pay,{{London Gazette|issue=26489|page=1225|date=27 February 1894}} he went on to command the 32nd Regimental District (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) based in Bodmin, from 29 January 1895 to 29 November 1899,{{London Gazette|issue=26650|page=4433|date=6 August 1895}} when he was promoted to temporary major general in command of an infantry brigade at Aldershot.'KNOX, Lieut-Gen. Sir Charles Edmond', in Who Was Who (London: A. & C. Black, 1920–2008), [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U212455 online edition] by Oxford University Press, December 2007{{London Gazette|issue=27141|page=8184|date=5 December 1899}}[http://www.militarymedals.ca/index.cfm/fuseaction/productDetail/productID/135 PD 134 Celebrities of the Army]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at militarymedals.ca[http://www.lightinfantry.org.uk/regiments/ksli/shrop_co.htm Commanding Officers of the Linked Battalions from 1881 to 1900]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at lightinfantry.org.uk

Just five days later, with the outbreak of the Boer War, Knox was given command of 13th Infantry Brigade on the mobilisation of the 6th Division under General Kelly-Kenny,{{London Gazette|issue=27142|page=8258|date=8 December 1899}} which formed part of the South African Field Force. Following the Relief of Kimberley, he took part in the Battle of Paardeberg in February 1900, and was severely wounded by a gunshot in the chest.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The War - Casualties|date=28 February 1900 |page=6 |issue=36077}} In March 1902, he was appointed to the command of the Bloemfontein garrison in the Orange River Colony.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest intelligence - Orange River Colony|date=7 March 1902 |page=3 |issue=36709}} Following the end of the war in June that year, Knox returned to the United Kingdom in the SS Dunottar Castle, which arrived at Southampton in July 1902.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home |date=8 July 1902 |page=11 |issue=36814}} For his services during the war, he was thrice Mentioned in Despatches,{{London Gazette|issue=27282|page=847|date=8 February 1901}}
{{London Gazette|issue=27305|page=2603|date=16 April 1901}}
{{London Gazette|issue=27459|page=4836|date=29 July 1902}} awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal and the King's South Africa Medal, promoted substantive major general (dated 4 December 1899),{{London Gazette|issue=27306|page=2703|date=19 April 1901}} and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the April 1901 South Arica Honours list (the order was dated to 29 November 1900,{{London Gazette|issue=27306|page=2695|date=19 April 1901}} and he was only invested as such after his return home, by King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October 1902).{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=25 October 1902 |page=8 |issue=36908}}New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 25, 21 June 1900, [http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZT19000621.2.9&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=-------en--1----0-all Page 4] at paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

After returning from the war, he was given command of 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps on 30 October 1902,{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Army Corps appointments|date=12 September 1902 |page=6 |issue=36871}}{{London Gazette|issue=27515|page=237|date=13 January 1903}} stationed on Salisbury Plain. He was promoted lieutenant general on 6 December 1905,{{London Gazette|issue=27861|page=8814|date=8 December 1905}} and relinquished command on 1 June 1906.{{London Gazette|issue=27921|page=4077|date=12 June 1906}} He was offered the post of Governor of Bermuda, but declined on the grounds that he was unmarried.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Lieut.-General Sir Charles Knox—A South African War Leader |department=Obituaries |date=3 November 1938 |page=16 |issue=48142 |column=B }}

He was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry on 6 January 1907 and continued to hold the post until January 1921, though he retired from active service on 10 May 1909.{{London Gazette|issue=27990|page=660|date=29 January 1907}}{{London Gazette|issue=28249|page=3561|date=11 May 1909}}[http://www.lightinfantry.org.uk/regiments/ksli/shrop_colonels.htm Succession of Colonels 1755 - 1963]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (extracted from N. B. Leslie's The Succession of Colonels of the British Army From 1660 to the Present Day) at lightinfantry.org.uk

He was a member of the Naval and Military Club. In retirement he served as a company chairman.{{London Gazette|issue=28681|page=354|date=14 January 1913}}

Knox died on 1 November 1938, his obituary in Time magazine dated 14 November 1938, reads:

{{quote|Died. Sir Charles Edmond Knox, 92, British lieutenant general who in the Boer War chased elusive Boer General Christian Rudolph De Wet 800 miles but never caught him; of old age; in Putney, England.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026132139/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772056,00.html?iid=chix-sphere Births, marriages, and deaths (November 14, 1938)] at time.com}}

That in The Times noted:

{{quote|Sir Charles' popularity amongst his fellows may be judged by his nickname "Nice Knox." Invariably cheerful, even in adversity, he had a great appreciation of the good things in life; but he always remembered others, particularly those under his command.}}

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{{s-bef|before=Sir Henry Dr Bathe}}

{{s-ttl|title=Colonel of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry|years=1907−1921}}

{{s-aft|after=Raymond Northland Revell Reade}}

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Category:1846 births

Category:1938 deaths

Category:People educated at Eton College

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath

Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War

Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst

Category:King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers

Category:British Army lieutenant generals

Category:British military personnel of the Bechuanaland Expedition