23 Facts About David Ochterlony

Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet, GCB was a Bengal Army officer who served as the British resident to the Mughal court at Delhi.

David Ochterlony was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the eldest son of Captain David Ochterlony and his wife, Katherine Tyler.

David Ochterlony's father was born into an ancient family in Forfarshire, Scotland, and his mother was born in Boston to settlers of English and Welsh descent.

David Ochterlony's mother was the niece of Sir William Pepperrell.

David Ochterlony attended the Boston Latin School and Dummer Charity School in nearby Byfield, Massachusetts.

David Ochterlony had two younger brothers, Gilbert and Alexander, and a sister, Catherine.

Captain Ochterlony died in the Saint Vincent, West Indies, in 1765, after which his widow moved to England and his mother remarried to Sir Isaac Heard, Garter King-of-Arms.

In 1777, at age 18, David Ochterlony went as a cadet to India.

David Ochterlony remained in captivity for the duration of the war and was only released when peace resumed in 1784.

David Ochterlony was present at the battles of Koil, Aligarh and Delhi.

David Ochterlony was thereafter given the command at Allahabad and then commanded a force on the banks of the Sutlej to check the expansion of the Sikhs.

David Ochterlony's was regarded as the only truly successful column throughout the war.

David Ochterlony was afterwards made Resident and Political Agent of Malwa, thus having the entire superintendency of the affairs of central India.

David Ochterlony lived there for three years before returning to Delhi.

When Durjan Sal revolted in 1825 against Balwant Singh, the infant Raja of the Princely state of Bharatpur, David Ochterlony acting on his own accord supported the young Raja by proclamation and ordered out a force to support him.

David Ochterlony, who was bitterly chagrined by this rebuff, resigned his office and retired to Delhi.

David Ochterlony was to be replaced by his good friend Sir Charles Metcalfe.

David Ochterlony is interred in St John's Church in Meerut.

David Ochterlony was reputed to have thirteen Indian concubines or wives.

The most prominent among David Ochterlony's women was "Bibi Mubarak-ul-Nissa Begum".

David Ochterlony was considered to be a devout Muslim, having once applied for leave to make the hajj to Mecca.

David Ochterlony offended the British by calling herself "Lady Ochterlony" and on the other hand, offended the Mughals by awarding herself the title "Qudsia Begum", a title previously reserved for the Emperor's mother.

David Ochterlony had at least six natural children, by two or more of his concubines:.