James Gisborne

James Gisborne was a British Army officer and Member of the Irish Parliament.

Biography

He was the son of James Gisborne, rector of Staveley, Derbyshire; Thomas Gisborne was his younger brother. He went to Ireland as page to William Cavendish, [3rd Duke of Devonshire|the Duke of Devonshire], and had a successful career in the viceregal household. On 1 June 1739 he joined the Army with a commission as second lieutenant in Bissett's Regiment of Foot, and after a progressive service in the subordinate commissions, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 10th Regiment in 1755, and was afterwards employed many years on the staff of Ireland, as quartermaster-general in that country.
In 1762 Gisborne was promoted to the rank of colonel of Foot, with command of the 121st [Regiment of Foot (1762)|121st Regiment], and on 4 March 1766 he was removed to the 16th Regiment. In 1770 Gisborne was persuaded by Lord Townshend to resign his post as quartermaster-general in favour of Simon Fraser, and was compensated with the sinecure of Governor of Kinsale. However, the government of Kinsale was then required for the outgoing adjutant-general, Robert Cuninghame, and Gisborne was granted a pension of £500 per annum until another government of greater value should become vacant; he was later appointed Governor of Charlemont. Gisborne was promoted to major-general in 1770, and to lieutenant-general in 1777.
Besides his military career, Gisborne was Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod from September 1757, and sat in the Irish [House of Commons] for Tallow from 1763 to 1768, and for Lismore from 1768 until his death on 20 February 1778.