Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, Fortescue
GRAHAM, Sir FORTESCUE (1794–1880), general, colonel royal marine artillery 1866-70, son of Colonel Richard Graham, marines (a descendant of the Grahams of Platten, co. Menth), by his wife, Catherine, daughter of Captain Philip Walsh, royal navy, was born at Tintinhull in 1794. He was educated at Martock College, Somersetshire, and on 17 Nov. 1808 was appointed second lieutenant in the royal marine artillery, in which rank he remained seventeen years, twelve of them in the artillery branch of the marine forces. He was with the battalion formed of marines of the squadron which served with the army ashore at Walcheren in 1809, and subsequently served with the 1st battalion of marines in Portugal and in the north of Spain, including the capture and defence of Castro. He proceeded with the battalion to America, and was present under Sir Sydney Beckwith at the attack on Norfolk and taking of Hampton in 1814. When the brigade was broken up, Graham accompanied the battalion to Canada, and was sent in charge of a division of gunboats to attack an American battery at the head of Lake Champlain, with which he was engaged several hours. Afterwards he returned with the battalion to the coast of America, and was present at the attack and capture of Fort Point Peter and the town of St. Mary's, Georgia. He became first lieutenant in the royal marines on 6 May 1825, and after close on thirty years' service as a subaltern obtained his company on 10 July 1837. Soon after he joined the battalion of marines doing duty in Spain during the Carlist war, and subsequently went to China, where he commanded the marine battalion in the demonstration against Nanking at the close of the first Chinese war. He became major on 11 Nov. and lieutenant-colonel on 26 Nov. 1851, and colonel on 20 Jan. 1854. He commanded a brigade of marines at the capture of the fortress of Bomarsund, on the Aland isles, during the Russian war in 1855, and was made C.B. He was commandant of the Portsmouth division of royal marines from 1855 to 1857, aide-de-camp to the queen from 1854 to 1857; was made major-general 1857, lieutenant-general and K.C.B. in 1865, general and colonel of the royal marine artillery in 1866, and retired in 1870.
Graham married first, in 1828, Caroline, daughter of G. Palliser, she died 1859; secondly, Jane Mary, daughter of Captain Lowcay, royal navy, and relict of Admiral Blight, she died 1866. Graham died at his residence, 69 Durnford Street, Stonehouse. Devonshire, on 9 Oct. 1880.
[Dod's Knightage, 1879; Royal Navy List. 1879; London Gazettes under dates; P. Harris Nicolas's Hist. Marine Forces (London, 1845), vol. ii.; Account of Operations at Bomarsund in Prof. Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers, v. 1.]