Henry Saint Clair Wilkins

General Henry St Clair Wilkins (3 December 1828 – 15 December 1896) was a British army officer who served the East India Company in India, Aden and later in Abyssinia. He was also a noted architect and is credited with having designed several buildings. Biography He was the son of George Wilkins, Archdeacon of Nottingham and was born on 3 December 1828. After passing through the military college of the East India Company at Addiscombe he received a commission as lieutenant in the Bombay Engineers on 11 June 1847. He was promoted as captain in 1858, lieutenant-colonel in 1867, colonel in 1868, major-general in 1877, lieutenant-general in 1878 and finally as a general in 1882, when he retired. He served with the field force from Aden against the Arabs in 1858. He commanded the Royal Engineers throughout the Abyssinian campaign of 1868, and was mentioned in despatches by Lord Napier of Magdala for his ‘invaluable and important services during the expedition. He was appointed aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria, with the rank of colonel in the army, and received the medal.