Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pendlebury, James

1158451Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 44 — Pendlebury, James1895Ernest Marsh Lloyd

PENDLEBURY, JAMES (d. 1758?), colonel and last master-gunner of England, first appears as comptroller of the first permanent train of artillery on 1 May 1698. He embarked for Holland in 1702 as comptroller of the train then sent out, which consisted of thirty-four pieces, with two companies of gunners, one of pioneers, and one of pioneers. The staff included a colonel, a lieutenant-colonel, a major, a comptroller, a paymaster, adjutant, &c. In 1706 he was appointed chief fire-master; in 1708 second colonel and comptroller in Holland; in November 1709 master-gunner of England; in the following month colonel of royal artillery in the Low Countries. He was second colonel and comptroller in Flanders in 1711, and in 1715 he was placed on half-pay of 1l. 12s. 6d. a day. The date of his death is not quite certain. He was the last officer who bore the title of master-gunner of England, which goes back to the time of Henry VIII.

[Proceedings of the Royal Artillery Institution, xix. 285; Duncan's History of the Royal Artillery, i. 63; Kane's List of Officers of the Royal Artillery, p. 104, where the name is given as John Pindlebury.]

E. M. L.