Thomas Carleton

For other people named Thomas Carleton, see Thomas Carleton (disambiguation).

Thomas Carleton
1st Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
In office 1786–1817
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	Post established
Succeeded by	George Stracey Smyth
Personal details
Born	c. 1735 Ireland
Died	2 February 1817 (aged 81–82) Ramsgate, England
Resting place	St Swithun’s Church at Nately Scures, near Basingstoke
Spouse(s)	Hannah Foy, née Van Horn (m. 1783)

Thomas Carleton (c. 1735 – 2 February 1817) was a British army officer who was promoted to Colonel during the American Revolutionary War after relieving the siege of Quebec in 1776. After the war, he was appointed as Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, and supervised the resettlement of Loyalists from the United States in the province. He held this position until his death.

Early life and education

Born in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, Ireland to Christoper Carleton and his wife Catherine Ball, he was the younger brother of Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester. As part of a military family, Thomas joined the British Army at a young age.

Military career

In 1753, he was an ensign in the 20th Regiment of Foot and saw action with his regiment during the Seven Years' War. After the conclusion of the Seven Years' War, Thomas Carleton served as an observer during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774.

In 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, as a lieutenant colonel, he arrived in Quebec City with forces to relieve his brother, Sir Guy Carleton, the Governor General of Canada, who was besieged in the city by Continental Army troops. With the death of Lt. Col. Patrick Gordon on July 25, 1776, Col. Carleton was promoted to command the 29th Regiment of Foot. In 1777, Thomas Carleton's nephew Christopher Carleton joined the 29th regiment as a major and served under his uncle's command for the rest of the war. Col. Thomas Carleton did not get along well with his new commander, Frederick Haldimand, who replaced Guy Carleton in 1778 as Governor General of Canada, serving until 1786. Thomas Carleton returned to England.

Political career

In 1786, with his brother's recommendation, Col. Thomas Carleton was appointed as the first Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick. Here, he helped to re-settle the many Loyalists leaving the United States. Carleton would serve as Governor of New Brunswick until his death on February 2, 1817. In 1803 he departed for England and administered from there, as he never returned to the province.

Mount Carleton, the tallest mountain in New Brunswick, is named for him.

Sources

• Godfrey, W. G. "Carleton, Thomas," Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (2000) online edition
• The American Journals of Lt. John Enys, John Enys and Elizabeth Cometti (editor), Syracuse University Press, 1976
• Travels Through the Interior Parts of America 1776-1781 Volumes 1 and 2, Thomas Anburey, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923
• The Burning of the Valleys, Gavin K. Watt, Dundurn Press, 1997
• Carleton's Raid, Ida H. Washington and Paul A. Washington, Cherry Tree Books, 1977

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• St Swithuns Church Nately Scures England - showing Memorial for Guy Carleton, Governor of Quebec & Thomas Carleton Governor of New Brunswick