William Belford

General William Belford (1712 – 1 July 1780) was a British artillery officer who began his career in 1726. He was part of the first generation of artillery officers selected and promoted on merit, rather than connections. From 1743 to 1748, he served under the Duke of Cumberland in Flanders and Britain during the Jacobite rising of 1745. In 1751, he became Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, then of the First Battalion when this was expanded in 1757. He was Commandant of the Royal Arsenal from 1758 until his death in July 1780. Life William Belford was baptised at Maidstone, Kent on 11 October 1712, the son of Gustavus Belford and Sarah Duke. Gustavus Belford was a Captain of a Troop in his Majesty's own Royal Regiment of Dragoons and died in Chelsea on 26 June 1738. Gustavus Belford married Sarah Duke at Dartford, Kent on 16 December 1704. They had at least 12 children with only William, Hester (married William Harris in 1761), Mary (married William Pemble in 1761) and Elizabeth (married Dale Lovett in 1759) surviving to adulthood. A family slab in All Saints' Church, Maidstone records the deaths of Mrs Mary Pemble, daughter of Captain Gustaves Belford and sister to Lieutenant General William Belford, who died 24 February 1774 aged 58 years. Also General Belford many years Commander of the First Battalion of Royal Artillery who died 1 July 1780 aged 68. Mrs Elizth Lovett who died 29 April 1785 aged 66 and Mrs Esther Harris another daughter of Captain Gustaves Belford and sister to General Belford who died 16 Dec. 1785 aged 72 years. William Belford married Martha Schalch, the daughter of Andrew Schalch, a colleague at the Royal Arsenal, on 29 March 1744 at Woolwich, Kent. They had 6 children Andrew Schalch (1745 - 1746), William (Captain, Horse Grenadier Guards b abt 1746 - d Nantes, France 1786), Sarah (1747 - 1750), Mary (abt 1749 - 1749), Gustavus (Colonel, Royal Horse Guards b 1751 - d Southtown, Suffolk 1816), and Rachel (1754 - 1754). His wife Martha died at Woolwich in July 1766. General Belford owned "the Grove" at Boxley near Maidstone. British History online reports that he left "by the daughter of Mr. Schalch, of Woolwich, two sons and one daughter; the sons, Gustavus and William, were both officers in the army, and by their father’s will became jointly possessed of this estate".