Humphrey Bland

Lieutenant-General Humphrey Bland (1686 – 8 May 1763) was a British army officer. His military career began in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession and ended in 1756. First published in 1727, his Treatise of Military Discipline was the most successful and widely used military drillbook to appear in English during the 18th century. It was reprinted nine times between 1727 and 1762, George Washington being among those who owned copies. He was twice Commander-in-Chief, Scotland, first from 1747 to 1751, then 1753 until 1756, when ill-health forced his retirement. He died in London in 1763.

Humphrey Bland was born in Lisburn circa 1686, second child of Thomas Bland; little is known of his mother, but his father's family settled in Ireland in 1670 and may have been related to the Bland baronets of Kippax in Yorkshire. He was the second of six children, including three sisters, Frances, Anne and Elizabeth.

His elder brother John ended his career in 1715 as Colonel of the 2nd Dragoon Guards; after his retirement, he built Blandsfort in Abbeyleix, County Laois and died unmarried. William was a captain in the 8th Dragoons; he had five children, the eldest son John inheriting Blandsfort.

In 1755, Bland married the much younger Elizabeth Dalrymple, sister of the 5th Earl of Stair and niece of Field Marshal John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair. He had no legitimate children but acknowledged paternity of Martha Maria Beresford.

After his retirement in 1756, he purchased Thistleworth House, in Isleworth, outside London, whose redesign was one of the earliest pieces of work by Scottish architect Robert Adam. As Gordon House, it was greatly expanded by the Earl of Kilmorey in 1868. He died here on 8 May 1763 and his property split between Martha, Elizabeth and his nephew, General Thomas Bland (died 1816).^{[citation needed]}

During the War of the Spanish Succession in March 1704, Bland was commissioned as an ensign; Parliamentary accounts show he was Town Major or military administrator for Tortosa, in Catalonia from May to October 1707. In July 1709, he was promoted major in Colonel Frederick Sibourg's Regiment of Foot. This was one of five units raised in April 1705 from exiled French Huguenots.

Sent to Spain, it suffered heavy casualties at the Siege of Alicante in 1709, where Sibourg was killed. Bland's brothers John and William also served with the regiment and all three fought at Almenar in 1710, where Humphrey was wounded. Despite this victory, the Allied war effort in Spain was winding down and it was increasingly difficult to replace losses; the regiment was disbanded in 1712 and Bland placed on half-pay.

In 1715, he was reinstated as major in Honywood's Dragoons, a new regiment raised for the 1715 Jacobite Rising; he was closely connected to Sir Philip Honywood for the rest of his career. After the Battle of Preston, Bland was entrusted with escorting senior Jacobite prisoners to London. He transferred to the Royal Regiment of Dragoons in 1717 and promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 2nd King's Own Horse in 1718.