Author: Scott, Richard
Biography:
SCOTT, Richard (1750-1824: Hodson)
He was born on 24 July 1750 and baptised on 27 July at St. Chad’s, Shrewsbury, the second son of Jonathan Scott and his wife Mary Sandford, who had married in 1746. He was probably educated at the Royal Free Grammar School, Shrewsbury. He sailed for India as a cadet aboard the Grenville on 7 Apr. 1768. He joined the 3rd Bengal European Regiment as Ensign in Feb. 1769 and had a long army career in various regiments, mostly Native Infantry (Lieutenant 1770, Captain 1779, Major 1794, Lt.-Col. 1796). He killed Major Samuel Kilpatrick in a duel in Madras on 24 Aug. 1781 and was tried by court martial but acquitted. His military journals appeared in the Naval and Military Magazine 1-4 (1827-8). He married first Charlotte Jarret(t), on 24 Sept. 1785 in Calcutta, with no issue. He was furloughed in 1792 and retired in 1797. He returned to England and married Letitia Camac on 19 Aug. 1794 at Woking. They had one son and three daughters who were all born in Shropshire. In 1803-4 he made two requests to be restored to his former position and volunteered for active service. He died at Welbeck Street, London, on 21 May 1824 and was buried on 26 May at St. Mary Abbot’s, Kensington. The poem listed here refers not to Indian events but to the British victory over French forces in Italy on 4 July 1806. His older brother, John Waring-Scott (1747-1819), was political agent to Warren Hastings. His younger brother, Jonathan Scott (1754-1829), was an orientalist. (Hodson 4: 40; “Scott, Jonathan” and “Waring-Scott, John” ODNB 24 May 2022; Calcutta Gazette 15 Sept. 1785; Kentish Gazette 26 Aug. 1794; MH 26 May 1824; GM June 1824, 645; Bengal Past and Present 7 [1911], 171; IOR/D/157 and 158) AA