Francis Leighton (British Army officer)

{{Short description|British general (1696–1773)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

General Francis Leighton (1696 – 9 June 1773) was a general of the British Army.

He was born the fourth son and ninth child of Sir Edward Leighton, 1st Baronet, of Wattlesborough in Shropshire.William Courthope ed., Debrett's Baronetage of England (London, 1835) [https://books.google.com/books?id=DUcRAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA150 pp. 149-50].J. H. Leslie, "An English Army List of 1740" in Notes & Queries, 12th series, no. 51 (London, 16 December 1916) [https://archive.org/stream/s12notesqueries02londuoft#page/482/mode/1up p. 482]. He entered the Army as a captain on 16 June 1716. In 1730 he transferred from major of Barrell's Regiment of Foot to major of Handasyd's Regiment of Foot,{{London Gazette|issue=6917|page=1|date=12–15 September 1730}} and on 6 July 1737 was promoted lieutenant-colonel of Blakeney's Regiment of Foot.G. C. Swiney ed., Historical Records of the 32nd (Cornwall) Light Infantry (London and Devonport, 1893) [https://archive.org/stream/historicalrecor00swingoog#page/n364/mode/2up pp. 320-1]. During the Jacobite rising of 1745 Leighton was sent with a considerable force from Perth to hold the outpost of Castle Menzies. He was promoted colonel of the 32nd Regiment of Foot on 1 December 1747,{{London Gazette|nolink=y|page=1|issue=8698|date=1–5 December 1747}} major-general on 5 February 1757,{{London Gazette|issue=9661|nolink=y|page=3|date=12–15 February 1757}} lieutenant-general on 6 April 1759{{London Gazette|nolink=y|page=2|issue=9924|date=15–21 August 1759}} and general on 25 May 1772.{{London Gazette|issue=11251|nolink=y|page=2|date=23–26 May 1772}}

Leighton died on 9 June 1773. By his wife, the former Miss Pinfold, he had a son, who died young, and two daughters: Charlotte, who died unmarried in 1820, and Frances, who was married on 16 May 1783 to Sir Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple, 1st Baronet.