Name Index | HOME |
John was born on 13 January 1780, the son of David Watson and Mary Dixon, in London.
He was named after his father's uncle John Williams.
John was a battalion commander with the 31st Regiment at Talavera, July 27-28, 1809, and is mentioned in despatches (Spain). He was awarded a gold medal and promoted to lieutenant-colonel. On December 6, 1810 he succeeded Lt-Col Proponthieu as the commander of Dillon's Regiment. Dillon's was founded in 1653 as a French regiment by Sir James Dillon, and soon became legendary, fighting at famous 18th-century battles such as Fontenoy and Lanfeld. The regiment surrendered to the British in 1793 and was taken onto their strength as the 101st Irish Regiment, or Dillon's (Duke of York's) Irish Regiment of Foot (regiments could have several names). |
This was a "Black Cockade", or mercenary outfit, the officers tending to hang on to their rank as long as possible as there would be little or no half-pay or pension. The regiment was regarded as unreliable due to the large number of desertions, but Dillon's fought well in Portugal, at Elba, and on the East coast of Spain.
In February 1811 Lt-Col Watson was presented at the court of King George III, and on February 12, 1813, in London, he drew up his will.
In late Novovember 1813, in Minorca, Ann Elizabeth died after three days illness.On January 20, 1814 John Williams Watson resigned from the Army while on the outskirts of Tarragona, and two days later he was dead. He was 34. Dillon's would fight at Tarragona in April, then at Barcelona and Gerona, and would be disbanded in December 1814. John's will was proved in London on May 10, 1814 |
John Williams Watson |
b: 13 Jan 1780 c: 11 Feb 1780 St Anne, Soho, London son of David Watson and Mary Dixon |
Ann Elizabeth Nash |
b: 11 Oct 1776 c: 2 Nov 1776 St. Martins-in-the-Fields, London daughter of Andrew Nash and Augusta Neunburg |
Apr 1802 John Williams Watson Ann Elizabeth Nash |
St Martin's, Stamford Captain, 76th Foot |
John Williams Watson |
Died 22 Jan 1814 Tarragona, Spain |
Ann Elizabeth (Nash) Watson |
Died 23 Nov 1813 Minorca (Balearic Islands), Spain |